In pre-islamic age of ignorance understanding of religion in the Arabs

Abstract

Abstract

During the Jahiliyyah period, the Arabs were aware that there was a creator. However, they did not deny God and the Jahiliyyah Arabs used the word Allah to express the most omnipotent and creative, apart from the names of other gods and idols. This use shows us that there is a belief in Allah in the Jahiliyyah Arabs. In the Jahiliyyah period, there were few people who were called Khanifs; those who believed in Abraham's religion and  Allah. They refused to worship the idol and also had no common prayer. In this context, The most common belief among the Arabs during the Jahiliyyah period was to worship the idol. They believed that the idols were helping them in the world and they usually produce idols, made of stones, trees and some mines. Sometimes they worshiped their food by giving them shape. The number of temples where idols were found during the Jahiliyyah period was quite high. One of the most important temples was the Kaaba and there were hundreds of idols to worship in and around the Kaaba. However, in pre-islamic age of ignorance Arabs did not believe in hereafter, and some of them worshiped the Jinn and accepted them. In addition, there were some people who believed that the Angels were daughter of God in Jahiliyyah period, also In pre-islamic age of ignorance Jews and a small number of Christians were living in the Arabian Peninsula. Jews generally lived in Medina. Christianity, on the north of the Arabian peninsula and Christianity was a common belief among Gasssânîs and the Hîrelis. Within this context in this study it was taken up the understanding of religion in pre-islamic age of ignorance in the Arabs and also information on the definitions of religion in Hebrew and the Quran. The use of the religion word in Arabs before Islam and their understanding of religion was emphasized. In addition, the use of the word of Allah is mentioned In pre-islamic age of ignorance in the Arabs. In this regard, it was tried to give general information about the principles of the paganism and the main idols of idolatry in pre-islamic age of ignorance in the Arabs.

Structured Abstract

The most common belief among the Arabs during the Jahiliyyah period was to worship the idol. Every tribe and the city had its idol. The most famous idols were Hubel, Lat, Uzza and Menat and  there were 360 idol in the Kaaba. Therefore, Kaaba was considered holy by the Arabs. The Arabs visited the Kaaba, sacrificed their idols, and would not believe in the resurrection after death.They believed that the idols were helping them in the world and they usually produce idols, made of stones, trees and some mines. Sometimes they worshiped their food by giving them shape. The number of temples where idols were found during the Jahiliyyah period was quite high. One of the most important temples was the Kaaba and there were hundreds of  idols to worship in and around the Kaaba, although the Arabs worshiped the idols but they did not deny God, and the Jahiliyyah Arabs used the word Allah to express the most omnipotent and creative, apart from the names of other gods and idols. This use shows us that there is a belief in Allah in the Jahiliyyah Arabs. However, in pre-islamic age of ignorance Arabs did not believe in hereafter, and some of them worshiped the Jinn and accepted them. In addition, there were some people who believed that the Angels were daughter of  God in Jahiliyyah period. Before the arrival of Islam, there were different beliefs in the Arab society, such as Judaism, Christianity, Magog, Sabiism and Khanif, but the most common belief was idolatry, although the Jahiliyyah Arabs believed the idols but they acknowledged the existence of a superior power, which they called God also  among the Arabs there were those who had accepted the Khanif faith and the religion of Abraham. This shows that the belief in Allah exists on the Arabian Peninsula because the word of Jahiliyah poem was used to express God and this word was used to indicate that God exists. On the other hand,In pre-islamic age of ignorance Jews and a small number of Christians were living in the Arabian Peninsula. Jews generally lived in Medina. Christianity, on the north of the Arabian peninsula and Christianity was a common belief among Gasssânîs and the Hîrelis. In the Jahiliyyah period, there were few people who were called Khanifs; those who believed in Abraham's religion and Allah. They refused to worship the idol and also had no common prayer.

The information about the idolatry beliefs of the Jahiliyya Arabs are based on archaeological data. The information contained in these documents provides information about the names of God and idol. The documents do not provide detailed information about basic religious issues such as prayer and worship. Besides, it is possible to benefit from the inscriptions and archaeological works of the Jahiliyyah Arabs, from the poems and proverbs of Assyrian, Hebrew, Greek and Latin sources, as well as the Jahiliyyah poetry and proverbs, which contain information about the pre-Islamic Arab society. On the other hand, in the first period of the birth of Islam there are also detailed information written in the Quran, tafsir, hadith, siyar (prophetic biography) and history  works about the religious beliefs of the polytheist Arabs.During in pre-islamic age of ignorance, the purpose of worship of Arabs was to achieve their earthly desires and the Arabs made their prayers in the houses where idols were put, they would prostrate and pray to the idols. They would usually appeal to idols for health, money, success and having children. The Jahiliyya Arabs did not have belief in the hereafter but the grave of the deceased would include food and clothing. In addition, an animal was left to die at the grave and they believed that the deceased would use the animal on the way to the last judgement  this shows that there is a thought about the existence of a second life after the died in the subconscious of Arabs, within this context in this study it was taken up the understanding of religion in pre-islamic age of ignorance in the Arabs and also information on the definitions of religion in Persian, Hebrew and the Quran. The use of the religion word in Arabs before Islam and their understanding of religion was emphasized. In addition, the use of the word of Allah is mentioned In pre-islamic age of ignorance in the Arabs. In this regard, it was tried to give general information about the principles of the paganism and the main idols of idolatry in pre-islamic age of ignorance in the Arabs.

Keywords

• Pre-islamic age of ignorance,understanding of religion in the Arabs,paganism,Hubel İdol

CAHİLİYE DEVRİ ARAPLARINDA DİN ANLAYIŞI

Öz

Cahiliye Döneminde Araplar bir yaratıcının olduğunun farkındaydılar. Bu bağlamda Allah’ı inkâr etmiyorlardı, Cahiliye Arapları diğer tanrı ve put adlarından ayrı olarak en yüce mâbud ve yaratıcıyı ifade etmek için Allah kelimesini kullanıyorlardı. Bu kullanım bize Cahiliye Dönemi Araplarında Allah inancının var olduğunu göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte Cahiliye Döneminde kendilerine Hanif denilen sayıca az olan insanlar bulunmaktaydı. Hanifler; Hz. İbrahim’in dinine bağlı olup, Allah’a inanan, puta tapmayı reddeden kişilerdi; ayrıca bu kişilerin ortak bir ibadetleri de yoktu. Bu bağlamda Cahiliye Döneminde Araplar arasında en yaygın inanç puta tapmaktı. Putların dünyada kendilerine yardımcı olduklarına inanıyorlardı. Taptıkları putları genellikle taş, ağaç ve bazı madenlerden imal ediyorlardı. Bazen de yiyeceklerine put şekli verip tapıyorlardı. Cahiliye Döneminde putların bulunduğu mabetlerin sayısı oldukça fazlaydı. En önemli mabetlerden biriside Kâbe’ydi. Kâbe’nin içinde ve çevresinde tapınmak için yüzlerce put bulunmaktaydı. Bununla birlikte, Cahiliye Dönemi Arapları; ahirete inanmıyor ve bir kısmı da cinleri ilah kabul edip tapıyorlardı. Ayrıca Cahiliye Döneminde meleklerin, Allah’ın kızı olduğuna inanan bir kısım insanlar mevcuttu. Arap Yarımadası’nda Yahudiler ve az da olsa Hıristiyanlar yaşamaktaydı. Yahudiler genellikle Medine’de hayatlarını sürdürmekteydiler. Hıristiyanlık ise Arap Yarımadası’nın kuzeyinde, Gassânîler ve Hîreliler arasında yaygın bir inanış olarak varlığını sürdürmekteydi. Bu bağlamda bu çalışmada Cahiliye Dönemi Araplarında din anlayışı ele alınmış ve ayrıca ‘din’in’ İbranice ve Kuran-ı Kerim’de geçen tanımları ile ilgili bilgilere yer verilmiştir. İslâm’dan önceki Arapların din kelimesinin kullanımı ve dinî anlayışları üzerinde durulmuştur. Ayrıca Cahiliye Dönemi Araplarında Allah kelimesinin kullanımına değinilmiştir. Bu bağlamda Cahiliye Döneminde Araplardaki çok tanrıcılığın ve putperestliğin esasları ile tapınılan belli başlı putlar hakkında genel bir bilgi verilmeye çalışılmıştır. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Cahiliye devri,Araplarda din anlayışı,putperestlik,Hubel putu

Kaynakça

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