preislamic

Pre-Islamic refers to the period in the history of the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding regions before the rise of Islam in the early 7th century CE. In Islamic tradition and modern scholarship, it denotes the centuries preceding the Prophet Muhammad's revelations (610 CE) and the establishment of the Islamic community. The term Jahiliyyah (ignorance) appears in Islamic sources to characterize the era, though scholars debate its accuracy and scope.

Geography and society: The core region was the Arabian Peninsula, with major urban centers such as Mecca and Medina and nomadic Bedouin tribes. Society was organized around kinship and tribal loyalty, with alliances and rivalries shaping politics. The economy combined caravan trade, livestock herding, and access to sacred sites near the Kaaba.

Religion and culture: Pre-Islamic religion was predominantly polytheistic, with deities worshiped at various sanctuaries and also animist and ancestral rites. Some communities maintained monotheistic tendencies and shared traditions with Jewish and Christian communities in the region. The Arabian literary tradition was rich in oral poetry, which preserved language, social memory, and cultural norms, and the Kaaba functioned as a focal sanctuary for pilgrims from different tribes.

Transition to Islam: Islam emerged in Mecca with revelations to Muhammad around 610 CE, emphasizing monotheism, social justice, and reform of pre-Islamic practices. The early Muslim community faced persecution, migrated to Medina (the Hijra), and gradually consolidated authority over much of the peninsula through treaties and conflicts, laying the foundations for Islamic rule and culture.