The Arab Psyche

The Arabs Before Islam

The Arabs are an ancient Semitic people of
the Middle East. They are proud in their belief that
they are descended from the Prophet Noah's son
Shem, and honoured that the last of the lineage of
God's prophets was from their midst, and humbled
that God enlightened mankind by revealing the
Holy Word in their language.
The complex history of the Arab is
conveniently divided into two parts of before and
after by the Revelation. In the pre-Islamic period,
the social structure which evolved in the harsh
environment of the Arab Peninsula was based on
the tribal unit. Some tribes from the era survive even
to this day, while others perished during the process
of God's unfolding plan.
The Arabic tribes which did not perish but
which survived to the modern era can be divided
into those clans of pure lineage and those peoples
who have gradually become naturalized within the
Arabic family.
The core tribe of the pure Arab is the
Qahtan, whose land of origin is found within Yemen.
Arab historians identify the first king of Yemen as
Yar'ub bin Qahtan, who was succeeded by his son
Yashjub, who in turn was followed by his son Abdu-
Shams.
The second group of Arabs who have
survived from the pre-Islamic era are those which
are referred to as naturalised, being from the
peoples which mixed and intermarried with the
Qahtan. These Arabs descended from the Prophet
Ismail who had settled in the holy city of Mecca.
They are also known as the Adnani and the Nizari
after their great-grandfather Adnan and their father
Nizar bin Maad bin Adnan.
Tribal System
During the pre-Islamic era, the tribe was the
primary social and political unit of the Arabs. The
primary function of the clan structure was to
defend its members, whether right or wrong.
Correspondingly, the tribesmen devoted
themselves to protect their collective honour and
they obeyed the dictates of their tribal elders. A
pre-Islamic poet eloquently expressed this
unquestioning loyalty as follows: I am nothing but a
member of my tribe.If it goes astray, I will too,and if
it follows the right path, so will I.
The Holy Quran preached strongly against
this blind loyalty and the destructive prejudices
which resulted. The Word of God decreed a better
criteria to differentiate between people, being their
devotion to Islam.
Practical Knowledge and Science
The Arabic culture of the pre-Islamic era did
not invent the sort of complex mythologies and
creation myths which characterized ancient
cultures such as Greece.
The classic framework of philosophy and
rhetoric which the Greeks developed was therefore
far from the more mundane considerations of the
early Arabs. The tribal lack of advanced urban
centers meant that schools of specialized
intellectual skills did not develop. The pre-Islamic
Arabs were either villagers, pastoralists or traders,
who existed with the less effete goal of simple
physical survival.
The Need for Revenge
Pre-Islamic Arabs were adamant about the
unquestionable law of revenge. In their view, a
disgrace must be avenged, no matter what the
consequences. One of their poets expressed this
cultural fixation thus: I shall wash disgrace with the
edge of my sword, no matter what this may bring
about. In this context, the pagan tribes believed
that if the murder of a kinsman went unavenged, a
bird named 'al Hama' would come out of the
victim's skull and hover over his grave shrieking
"Satisfy my thirst!" This would be the victim's demand
to avenge his death and to quench his terrible thirst
with the blood of the murderer.
A People of Eloquence
The early tribes did not commonly express
their artistry with architecture and statuary. Instead
they gloried in the intricacies of their splendid
Arabic language. The tribes loved eloquent speech
and the expression of their folk wisdom in clever
proverbs. Story-telling and recitations of poetry
were standard features of the social gatherings of
both hathar and bedouin.
The Character of Respect
For a tribesman to hold his head high among
his fellows during the long epoch of the pre-Islamic
period, he had to display certain elements of
character which were highly valued in his culture.
These qualities included courage, generosity,
integrity and pride.
An unfortunate aspect of the life of both
hathar and bedouin was a condition of constant
insecurity. Attack from hostile forces could take
place at any time. For members of the tribe,
courage was imperative if family and property and
honour were to be defended. Audacity therefore
came to be a highly regarded attribute, whereas
cowardliness and fear of the enemy was a
disgrace.
The Emergence of Islam
The Word of God was revealed to mankind
in the year 610 AD. The message brought by the
Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him,
introduced drastic changes to the political, social,
intellectual and cultural life of the Arabs. The
teachings of the Holy Quran were a blunt
instrument to suppress the cruder aspects of the
Arabic culture, and a fine instrument to uplift their
better selves.
The revealed system was complete, as it
established all of the laws necessary to regulate
both personal and political life. Islam instilled in the
Arab the high ideals and holy fire which enabled
the miraculously rapid expansion of the Muslim
world. Such is the power of the word of God!The
Revelation of the Word had a powerful impact on
the Arab psyche.
Source:
http://www.alshindagah.com/january99/th
earabpsyche.htm