Before Islam, Arabia followed pagan practices introduced around 500 years prior by Amer. Amer, influenced by the idolatrous Amalik tribe, replaced the monotheistic religion of Ibrahim and Ismail with paganism, putting the idol Hubal in the Kaaba. Paganism spread due to Amer's status, the passage of time from Ibrahim, and ignorance of the original faith. People worshiped stones from the Kaaba, showing how paganism developed from proper rituals.

1. SEERAH OF THE
PROPHET(SWS)
Slides based on
Seerah Series done
by Yasir
Qadhi
SLIDE#:SL4.1
TOPIC:ReligiousStatusof theWorld Before Islam

2. PART I
(00:00 – 12:56)

3. • The situation of Arabia before the coming of
the Prophet(sws)
• Focus on the religious status before
• When understanding pre-Islam, we will learn to
appreciate Islam
• We can use opposites to appreciate things
– Light and darkness (ex)

4. • Every Ummah/ nation had a prophet
• The Arabs had Ibrahim(a) and Ismail(a)
• Ibrahim(a) had sanctioned many practices that
ran through till the Prophet
– An example^ is the sanctity/holiness of the city
of Mecca and the Haram
– Whoever enters the Haram, then that person is safe
– Everyone had to be in peace in that area à no war
in that area
– The rituals were established like tawaf
– The decoration of animals that were dedicated to
the poor of the Haram

5. • Where does paganism come from?
• The first person to change the religion of
Ibrahim and Ismail was a man named Amer. He
introduced some superstitions.
• The Amalik were a people that worshiped idols.
They were a powerful civilizations. Amer came
upon these people and learned from them that
they believed that the power they received was
from the idols.
• Amer then asked to take one of those idols
back. They gave him an idol named Hubal.

6. • Hubal became the main idol of the Quraish
• Amer put it in front of the Kaba and that is
when paganism started
• Amer also changed the Talbiyah à the call
during Hajj that was started by Ibrahim(a)
• They changed the part that refers to the fact
that Allah has no partner and made it so that
Allah is the boss but he has partners
• Arabs didn’t record things through dates. Like
the Chinese, they went by occasions (big events)
• They had no calendar

7. • Amer belonged in the generation during the first
century of the Christian era (the estimate)
• Around 500 years later is when the Prophet
(sws) came

8. Questions
1. What does it mean to use opposites to understand concepts?
2. What are some practices sanctioned by Ibrahim(a) that ran
through until the time of the Prophet(sws)?
3. Where does paganism come from?
4. Who were the Amalik?
5. What role did Amer play in introducing paganism to Arabia?
6. What is Hubal’s significance?
7. How did the Arabs keep track of time?
8. Approximately how many centuries passed in between the
introduction of paganism in Arabia to the coming of the
Prophet Muhammed (sws)?

9. PART II
(12:57 – 22:10)

10. • Question arises: how can one man change the
religion of their father, Ibrahim and Ismail?
• The inferiorty complex that Amer had to the
Amalkites because they were more powerful
(known to be undefeated, feared nation). They were
described to be giants(tall) or big in physique.
• Amer felt that this mighty nation, he felt that they
must be correct in everything.
• Its important for us to learn a lesson
• Just because a nation is powerful, technology,
architecture, etc. doesn’t mean that they are better in
everything, morals, ethics, theology, etc.

11. • Amer was not an ordinary person, he was the
chieftain of Khuja (another tribe that was in
charge of Mecca before Quraish). He was one
of the most respected cheifs of the area. His
people loved him. Because people loved and
respected him, they accepted what new
theology that was brought to them.
• Also, between Ibrahim(a) and Amer’s time there
was almost 2000 years.
• Quraish did not introduce paganism, they
adopted it from the Khuja’a.

12. • So, the three factors that allowed the change to
paganism:
– 1. Inferiority Complex (towards another civilization)
– 2. Person w/ Credentials
– 3. Ignorance (not knowing the original source)

13. • Shaitan also gives Wahi (revelation) but that
revelation is evil
• There are some books of history that claim that
Shaitan gave wahi to Amer about the idols.
• The people of Nuh(a) were the first to create
idolatry. They made idols of 5 righteous people.
These people were good and when they died,
the people started to create images to
remember their piety. Over time, the people
forgot the original purpose and started
worshiping these people’s idols.

14. • People began worshiping the stones that the
Kaba was built with
• Whenever caravans would pass the Kaba, little
stones would chip off and the people would take
it with them and worship these stones.
• These stones were the building blocks of the
Kaba

15. Questions
1. How can one man change the religion of their
father, Ibrahim and Ismail? Explain the three
reasons highlighted in detail.
2. What kind of wahi does shaitan give? What is
wahi?
3. Who were the first people to start paganism?
4. How did paganism first come to existence?
5. What did people do with stones that would
chip off of the Kaba?

16. The complete lecture can be found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ey7UAi_Emgs