Part 7

A tribe was a group of people who were linked to one another through blood relation. It was the laws and customs of each tribe that dictated the relation between the individual and the group as well as the rights that were due to and obligatory upon - depending on the case - each member of the tribe. For example, the chief of a tribe had many rights over his people, but they too had rights over him. There were a number of factors that made a tribe member suitable for the position of chief - his status, generosity, character, bravery, and so on. The chief of a given tribe had the right to be honoured and obeyed by his people; if there was a dispute, his judgment was final. He had monetary rights as

well: one-quarter of the spoils of war belonged to him; before the distribution of the spoils of war, he had the right to choose specific items for himself; whatever was taken from an enemy before battle belonged to him; whatever form of wealth (from the spoils of war) could not be distributed, belonged to him. These rights did not come without a price; the chief had many duties that he had to fulfill, some of which effectively nullified the benefits of the aforementioned monetary rights. During times of peace, he was expected to be very generous to his fellow tribesmen. And in war, he was expected to fight in the frontlines; also, it was his duty and right to enact peace agreements when doing so was for the benefit of the tribe.

Living under tribal laws and customs, the average tribesman lived a life of freedom, having to answer to no one, as long as he harmed no one. And as such, it became a part of the nature of Arabs to love freedom, and to hate injustice and subservience. Every individual member of a given tribe fought for all of the other members; more honour for the tribe meant more honour for the individual tribesman. On the downside of this arrangement, one automatically supported his fellow tribesmen, regardless of whether they were in the right or in the wrong. Thus in some regards, the individual tribesman was considered more as a member of the tribe than as an individual.

Each individual tribe had its own status and political reality, and depending on its situation, it waged war against or formed alliances with other tribes. War was a constant reality among Arabs; among the most famous of wars in their history was the War of Fijaar. But other than major wars, minor skirmishes or attacks were commonplaces. A member of one tribe might attack a member of another tribe for personal motives, such as revenge; or one tribe might attack another tribe for profit; the livelihood of some tribes actually depended upon the practice of attacking other tribes and taking all of their possessions by force. After such ruthless attacks took place, homes and entire villages were left empty, as if no one had lived there the day before.

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The Economic Situation Of The Arabian Peninsula

Since most of the Arabian Peninsula consists of vast desert land, its inhabitants did not work in agriculture, except in the extreme borders of the Peninsula - particularly in Yemen, to the south, and Syria, to the north - and in the odd scattered oases found in central Arabia. Without much vegetation in Arabia, it was sheep and camels that made for the livelihood of both desert and city dwellers. Tribes would go from place to place with their herds, looking for pastureland.

As for industry and manufacturing, Arabs were far, far behind other nations; they practically refused to work in those fields, instead allowing foreigners and slaves to do their work for them. Even when they wanted to rebuild the Ka’bah, they sought the help of an Egyptian, who had survived the sinking of his sea vessel in Jeddah, and who then settled in Makkah.

It is true that, without farming and manufacturing, Arabs were, compared to other peoples, at an economic disadvantage; but they did compensate in another regard: They were an advanced trading nation, by dint of their strategically sound location between Africa and eastern Asia.

It was primarily the city dwellers of the Arabian Peninsula who engaged in trade, and most successful among them were the people of the Quraish. The Quraish differed from other tribes in that they were the inhabitants of Makkah, which was considered to be holy by all Arabs; as such, they were able to travel in safety all over Arabia, for no tribe dared to attack the dwellers of the inviolable city of Makkah. Other tribes did not fare as well; their trading caravans were constantly being subjected to highway robbery by individuals and others tribes that made a living through attacking and robbing passing caravans, Allah 3 reminded the Quraish of this particular blessing in the Noble Qur'an:

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“Have they not seen that We have made (Makkah) a sanctuary secure, and that men are being snatched away from all around them? Then do they believe in Batil (falsehood - polytheism, idols, and all deities other than Allah), and deny (become ingrate for) the Graces of Allah?” (Qur’an 29: 67)

The Quraish dispatched two very large trading caravans on a yearly basis; one went in the winter to Yemen, and the other went in the summer to Ash-Sham (Syria and surrounding regions). They went in safety, while other tribes were constantly being attacked and robbed. Throughout every year, the Quraish sent many lesser caravans to the various marketplaces of Arabia (and perhaps even elsewhere). Allah 36 said:

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“(It is a great Grace and Protection from Allah), for the taming of the Quraish, (and with all those Allah's Grace and Protections for their taming , We cause) the (Quraish) caravans to set forth safe in winter (to the south), and in summer (to the north without any fear), So let them worship (Allah) the Lord of this House (the Ka'bah in Makkah) . (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear .’’ (Qur’an 106: 1-4)

The caravans carried all kinds of merchandise that was available in the Arabian Peninsula ~ such as perfume, incense, spices, dates, ivory, beads, skins, silk garments, and weapons. Some merchandise was produced in the Peninsula, but some was imported from abroad. The trading caravans would carry such items to Ash-Sham and elsewhere, and would then return with full loads of wheat, grains, raisins, oils, and clothing.

The Yemenis were also known for trading, for their economic activities were conducted on land and by sea; they traveled to the shores of Africa, India, Indonesia, Sumatra, and the islands of the Arabian Peninsula. Once the inhabitants of Yemen became Muslims, they used their previous travel experience and

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knowledge to help spread Islam to the above-mentioned lands.

Prior to the advent of Islam, usury was practiced on a widespread scale, perhaps having come to the Arabs from the Jews. In some cases, interest rates reached as high as one-hundred percent.

‘Ukaadh, Majinnah, and Dhul-Majaaz were the names of the most famous marketplaces of the Arabian Peninsula. Some historians relate that Arabs would congregate at ‘Ukaadh at the beginning of Dhil-Qai’dah; after twenty days passed, they would go to Majinnah. And when they saw the birth of the new moon for Dhil-Hijjah, they would go to Dhul-Majaaz, where they would stay for 8 days. Then they would go to ‘Arafah for the pilgrimage. And neither in ‘Arafah nor during the days of Minah did they conduct any business - not until the advent of Islam, for Allah 34 permitted them to do business ss during th those meee

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“There is no sin on you wif you seek f the Bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage by trading, etc.). Then when you leave ‘Arafat, remember Allah (by glorifying His Praises, i.e., prayers and invocations, etc.) at the Mash’ar-il-Haraam. And remember Him (by invoking Allah for all good, etc.) as He has guided you, and verily, you were, before, of those who were astray.” (Qur'an

These centers of trade remained open during the early days of Islam, but eventually closed down. During their heyday, ‘Ukaadh, Majinnah, and Dhul-Majaaz were not merely marketplaces; they were also centers of poetry and public speaking. Great poets and speakers gathered and competed against one another in their respective arts; thus they were centers that greatly served the advancement of poetry and the Arabic

Like most primitive cultures, customs and traditions passed down through the generations dictated the social norms of Arabs, the social status of individual tribesman, the relations between fellow tribesmen, and the relations between one tribe and another. The following are some of the basic realities of Arab society prior to the advent of Islam:

1) There was no limit to the degree to which the nobility felt proud about their ancestry and ranking in society

Arabs were obsessed with the idea of preserving their pure blood, and so they would not intermarry with other races. Islam brought an end to that, making it clear to Arabs that the only factors that make one person superior to the next are piety and good deeds.

2) Arabs were also obsessed with eloquent speech and purity of language

Perhaps the reason why poetry had a strong hold on the hearts and minds of Arabs is that it was the most beautiful way of expressing and recording for posterity - when a poem was especially good - facts about their noble lineages. It is not surprising, therefore, that Arab societies produced so many wonderful poets and public speakers. A single line of poetry had the potential of raising or lowering the status of a tribe. So just as a modern day country becomes thrilled when its favourite sporting team performs at a world-class level, an Arab tribe would become overjoyed if one of its members became a skilled poet.

3) Women were treated like merchandise

At least among most tribes, women were on an equal par with merchandise, in a very literal sense, for they were passed down through inheritance. If a man died, his wife was passed down to his eldest son - provided, of course, that she was not his actual mother. He then had the right to marry her, or even to prevent her

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