*AR-RAHĪQ AL-MAKHTOUM (The Pure Nectar). A Treaties On Prophet Muhammad's Biography.*
*Part 13*
*RELIGIONS OF ARABS continues...*
As for astrologers, they would study the movement and times of stars to foretell events that will happen in the future. Believing in the tidings of astrologers is, in fact, a kind of belief in stars. Arabs also were so convince of stars that they used to say, 'The star of such and such provided us with rain.'
The sense of foreboding and pessimism were rampant among Arabs. This was originally represented in the fact that they brought a buck or bird and got them to run. If it ran to right, they hastened to do what they decided and regarded it as good. If it ran to left, they abstained from doing and became pessimistic. Moreover, they expressed their pessimism whenever they found an animal or bird on their way. They also used to hang the heels of rabbits (as talisman). They also were pessimistic about certain days, months, houses and women. They also believed in infection and the owl; they believed that a slain person would not calm down unless someone avenged his murder and that his spirit turned into an owl that flew through deserts shouting, 'Give me water to drink.' If his murder was avenged, he would calm down.
For all that, the Pagans of Arabs retained some aspects of Abraham's religion such as exalting and circumambulating around the Sacred House, hajj (pilgrimage), 'Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), standing on 'Arafah Mount, staying at Muzdalifah and sacrificing cattle and camels. As for matters they innovated, they were like following ones:
1. Quraish used to say, "We are the children of Abraham and the people of the Haram (Meccan Sanctuary). We are the custodians of the Ka'abah and residents of Mecca. None of Arabs have the same positions and privileges as ours." They also called themselves 'Al-Hums' (the fervid adherents). They also did not exceed the area of the Haram, that is to say, they did not stand on 'Arafah, nor did they rush out from it. They did so from Muzdalifah. About this Allāh says:
Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 199:
ثُمَّ أَفِيضُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"Then depart from the place when all the people depart and ask Allah for His Forgiveness. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful."
2. They said: "The Hums shouldn't make aqit (a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk, often seasoned and aged), clarify butter, use a tent or seek shelter in other than houses that contain condiments as long as they are assuming the state of Ihram."
3. They said: "The native residents of Mecca should not eat of the foods they bring with them from their houses unless they perform pilgrimage or 'Umrah."
4. Meccans also ordered the people who lived outside the Haram to make circuits round the Ka'abah, in case they came to the Sacred House, wearing the clothes of the Hums. So, the Hums used to lend their clothes to people who circumambulated the Ka'abah; the man used to give his clothes to another man so as to make circuits round the Ka'abah, and the woman used to lend her clothes to another woman to do the same thing. If there were no clothes of the Hums, men would make circuits round the Ka'abah naked. While the woman used to do so wearing her whole clothes.
To that effect Allāh says:
Surah Al-Araf, Verse 31:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
"O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying and going round (the Tawaf of) the Ka'bah, and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifun (those who waste by extravagance)."
Even if a man or woman made the circuits wearing their own clothes, they threw them away after circumambulation. And nobody could used them.
5. They used to enter and get out of their houses through holes they made in the roofs with the belief that this was a good and reputable act. The Glorious Qur'an forbade and criticised this act:
Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 189:
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
"They ask you (O Muhammad [Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam]) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage. It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.) that you enter the houses from the back but Al-Birr (is the quality of the one) who fears Allah. So enter houses through their proper doors, and fear Allah that you may be successful."
Polytheism, idolatry and belief in myths and illusions were rampant in the Arabian Peninsula. On the other hand, Judaism, Christianity, Magianism and Sabeanism spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
*(...To be continued In-sha-Allah!)*
*"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers."* (Qur'an 51:55)
*Part 13*
*RELIGIONS OF ARABS continues...*
As for astrologers, they would study the movement and times of stars to foretell events that will happen in the future. Believing in the tidings of astrologers is, in fact, a kind of belief in stars. Arabs also were so convince of stars that they used to say, 'The star of such and such provided us with rain.'
The sense of foreboding and pessimism were rampant among Arabs. This was originally represented in the fact that they brought a buck or bird and got them to run. If it ran to right, they hastened to do what they decided and regarded it as good. If it ran to left, they abstained from doing and became pessimistic. Moreover, they expressed their pessimism whenever they found an animal or bird on their way. They also used to hang the heels of rabbits (as talisman). They also were pessimistic about certain days, months, houses and women. They also believed in infection and the owl; they believed that a slain person would not calm down unless someone avenged his murder and that his spirit turned into an owl that flew through deserts shouting, 'Give me water to drink.' If his murder was avenged, he would calm down.
For all that, the Pagans of Arabs retained some aspects of Abraham's religion such as exalting and circumambulating around the Sacred House, hajj (pilgrimage), 'Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), standing on 'Arafah Mount, staying at Muzdalifah and sacrificing cattle and camels. As for matters they innovated, they were like following ones:
1. Quraish used to say, "We are the children of Abraham and the people of the Haram (Meccan Sanctuary). We are the custodians of the Ka'abah and residents of Mecca. None of Arabs have the same positions and privileges as ours." They also called themselves 'Al-Hums' (the fervid adherents). They also did not exceed the area of the Haram, that is to say, they did not stand on 'Arafah, nor did they rush out from it. They did so from Muzdalifah. About this Allāh says:
Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 199:
ثُمَّ أَفِيضُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"Then depart from the place when all the people depart and ask Allah for His Forgiveness. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful."
2. They said: "The Hums shouldn't make aqit (a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk, often seasoned and aged), clarify butter, use a tent or seek shelter in other than houses that contain condiments as long as they are assuming the state of Ihram."
3. They said: "The native residents of Mecca should not eat of the foods they bring with them from their houses unless they perform pilgrimage or 'Umrah."
4. Meccans also ordered the people who lived outside the Haram to make circuits round the Ka'abah, in case they came to the Sacred House, wearing the clothes of the Hums. So, the Hums used to lend their clothes to people who circumambulated the Ka'abah; the man used to give his clothes to another man so as to make circuits round the Ka'abah, and the woman used to lend her clothes to another woman to do the same thing. If there were no clothes of the Hums, men would make circuits round the Ka'abah naked. While the woman used to do so wearing her whole clothes.
To that effect Allāh says:
Surah Al-Araf, Verse 31:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
"O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying and going round (the Tawaf of) the Ka'bah, and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifun (those who waste by extravagance)."
Even if a man or woman made the circuits wearing their own clothes, they threw them away after circumambulation. And nobody could used them.
5. They used to enter and get out of their houses through holes they made in the roofs with the belief that this was a good and reputable act. The Glorious Qur'an forbade and criticised this act:
Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 189:
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
"They ask you (O Muhammad [Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam]) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage. It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.) that you enter the houses from the back but Al-Birr (is the quality of the one) who fears Allah. So enter houses through their proper doors, and fear Allah that you may be successful."
Polytheism, idolatry and belief in myths and illusions were rampant in the Arabian Peninsula. On the other hand, Judaism, Christianity, Magianism and Sabeanism spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
*(...To be continued In-sha-Allah!)*
*"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers."* (Qur'an 51:55)
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