Political Conditions in Arabia

The only administrative body in Mecca was an assembly known as the Mela, composed of
the leaders and prominent figures of various tribes. This assembly had no executive power.
In the Mela, decisions were taken unanimously after discussing the matters and those
decisions were regarded as effective. Apart from this, every tribe was given the right to act
independently. In this structure, which had a simple political organization, the authority was
represented by the tribe leader, who was referred to with titles of sheik, reis emir,
rab, or sayyid. Tribal leaders were chosen from among the elders of each tribe; the person
chosen would be someone with status due to their wealth or honor. Each leader had equal
rights in the tribal gatherings. Their responsibility was to serve as a judge rather than to rule.
The leader had no power of sanction. Their main responsibilities were managing the tribal
meetings, representing the tribe in relations with other tribes, dealing with disagreements
within the tribe, issuing declarations of war, commanding the army during war, sharing out
loot, determining journeys and immigration periods and times, helping the poorer tribe
members, signing treaties, welcoming guests, rescuing prisoners of war, and paying blood
money. The matters related to justice were referred to arbitrators in Bedouin social life.
Anyone who did not obey the decisions of the arbitrators was expelled from the tribe. The
matters of the tribes were dealt with in the Mela assemblies. These assemblies also
consulted with the leaders. Punishments and rewards were only decided by the abovementioned assembly. Although tribe members respected the opinions of the leader and the
other prominent figures in the Mela, every member had a right of say.
The structure in question undoubtedly reflects the administrative traditions of Bedouin
Arabs who resided in deserts and lived in tents. As for the administrative structure of the
Mecca, in which people led a settled life, there was a more organized administration
tradition. In this structure, a Kaaba-centered administration was formed, as the Kaaba was
considered to be the reason for the existence of city. This administration determined the
means of living for the population, shaped the religious understanding and cultural structure
of the region, and was mainly composed of organizational services related to the Kaaba.
There were dozens of such duties being carried out when Islam was introduced. These
duties included service sectors, such as sidana (the administration, caretaking and
protection of the Kaaba), siqaya (finding and providing water for pilgrims), rifada (providing
food
for
poor
pilgrims),uqab (carrying
the
banner
in
war), qiyada (commandership), ishnaq (establishment and payment of debts and
fines), qubba (the tent where war equipment and ammunition were kept), ainna (bridling,
dispatching and control of battle horses), safarat (serving as an emissary), isar (method of
divining used to assist in decision-making, in particular related to important matters like
journeys and battles), government (dealing with cases), mahcara (the management of
money and jewelry donated to the idols of the Kaaba),imara (maintenance of peace and
quiet around the Kaaba), nadwa and mashwarat (consultancy assembly). Although some of

the duties that were shared out between the various branches of the Quraishi tribe were
not very important, they were created to keep the Quraishi happy and to prevent
competition and resentment among them. Moreover, the tribe members perhaps thought
that this division of labor would contribute to creating an orderly service and would attract
many pilgrims to the region.

The most remarkable feature of the political life of Arabia before Islam was the total
absence of political organization in any form. With the exception of Yemen in the southwest, no part of the Arabian peninsula had any government at any time, and the Arabs
never acknowledged any authority other than the authority of the chiefs of their tribes. The
authority of the tribal chiefs, however, rested, in most cases, on their character and
personality, and was moral rather than political.
The only law of the land was lawlessness. In the event a crime was committed, the injured
party took law in its own hands, and tried to administer justice to the offender. This
system led very frequently to acts of horrendous cruelty. Since there were no such things as
police, courts or judges, the only protection a man could find from his enemies, was in his
own tribe. The tribe had an obligation to protect its members even if they had committed
crimes. Tribalism or asabiyya (the clan spirit) took precedence over ethics. A tribe that
failed to protect its members from their enemies exposed itself to ridicule, obloquy and
contempt. Ethics, of course, did not enter the picture anywhere.
Since Arabia did not have a government, and since the Arabs were anarchists by instinct,
they were locked up in ceaseless warfare. War was a permanent institution of the Arabian
society. The desert could support only a limited number of people, and the state of intertribal war maintained a rigid control over the growth of population. But the Arabs
themselves did not see war in this light. To them, war was a pastime or rather a dangerous
sport, or a species of tribal drama, waged by professionals, according to old and gallant
codes, while the audience cheered. Eternal peace held no appeal for them, and war
provided an escape from drudgery and from the monotony of life in the desert. In many
cases, the Arabs fought for the sake of fighting, whether or not there was a cause belli.

Economic Conditions
Economically, the Jews were the leaders of Arabia. They were the owners of the best arable
lands in Hijaz, and they were the best farmers in the country. They were also the
entrepreneurs of such industries as existed in Arabia in those days, and they enjoyed a
monopoly of the armaments industry.

Slavery was an economic institution of the Arabs. Male and female slaves were sold and
bought like animals, and they formed the most depressed class of the Arabian society.
The most powerful class of the Arabs was made up by the capitalists and money-lenders.
The rates of interest which they charged on loans were exorbitant, and were especially
designed to make them richer and richer, and the borrowers poorer and poorer.
The most important urban centers of Arabia were Makkah and Yathrib, both in Hijaz. The
citizens of Makkah were mostly merchants, traders and money-lenders. Their caravans
travelled in summer to Syria and in winter to Yemen.
They also travelled to Bahrain in the east and to Iraq in the northeast. The caravan trade
was basic to the economy of Makkah, and its organization called for considerable skill,
experience and ability.
The only administrative body in Mecca was an assembly known as the Mela, composed of
the leaders and prominent figures of various tribes. This assembly had no executive power.
In the Mela, decisions were taken unanimously after discussing the matters and those
decisions were regarded as effective. Apart from this, every tribe was given the right to act
independently. In this structure, which had a simple political organization, the authority was
represented by the tribe leader, who was referred to with titles of sheik, reis emir, rab, or
sayyid. Tribal leaders were chosen from among the elders of each tribe; the person chosen
would be someone with status due to their wealth or honor. Each leader had equal rights in
the tribal gatherings. Their responsibility was to serve as a judge rather than to rule. The
leader had no power of sanction. Their main responsibilities were managing the tribal
meetings, representing the tribe in relations with other tribes, dealing with disagreements
within the tribe, issuing declarations of war, commanding the army during war, sharing out
loot, determining journeys and immigration periods and times, helping the poorer tribe
members, signing treaties, welcoming guests, rescuing prisoners of war, and paying blood
money. The matters related to justice were referred to arbitrators in Bedouin social life.
Anyone who did not obey the decisions of the arbitrators was expelled from the tribe. The
matters of the tribes were dealt with in the Mela assemblies. These assemblies also
consulted with the leaders. Punishments and rewards were only decided by the abovementioned assembly. Although tribe members respected the opinions of the leader and the
other prominent figures in the Mela, every member had a right of say.
The structure in question undoubtedly reflects the administrative traditions of Bedouin
Arabs who resided in deserts and lived in tents. As for the administrative structure of the
Mecca, in which people led a settled life, there was a more organized administration
tradition. In this structure, a Kaaba-centered administration was formed, as the Kaaba was
considered to be the reason for the existence of city. This administration determined the
means of living for the population, shaped the religious understanding and cultural structure

of the region, and was mainly composed of organizational services related to the Kaaba.
There were dozens of such duties being carried out when Islam was introduced. These
duties included service sectors, such as sidana (the administration, caretaking and
protection of the Kaaba), siqaya (finding and providing water for pilgrims), rifada (providing
food for poor pilgrims),uqab (carrying the banner in war), qiyada (commandership), ishnaq
(establishment and payment of debts and fines), qubba (the tent where war equipment and
ammunition were kept), ainna (bridling, dispatching and control of battle horses), safarat
(serving as an emissary), isar (method of divining used to assist in decision-making, in
particular related to important matters like journeys and battles), government (dealing with
cases), mahcara (the management of money and jewelry donated to the idols of the
Kaaba),imara (maintenance of peace and quiet around the Kaaba), nadwa and mashwarat
(consultancy assembly). Although some of the duties that were shared out between the
various branches of the Quraishi tribe were not very important, they were created to keep
the Quraishi happy and to prevent competition and resentment among them. Moreover,
the tribe members perhaps thought that this division of labor would contribute to creating
an orderly service and would attract many pilgrims to the region.

Social Conditions
There is no doubt that the geography and climatic conditions of the region of the Arabian
Peninsula had a significant influence on shaping social life. As a matter of fact, the settled
people (hadari) who resided in the oases and the Bedouin nomads who resided in rural
areas constituted the two main elements of Arabian society during the Age of Ignorance.
This classification reflects the two dominant life-styles in the region, while also
demonstrating the distinctive geographical and climatic characteristics of the peninsula. The
predominant life-style of northern and central Arabia was a Bedouin life-style; these people
lived with limited opportunities in a region that was inhospitable geographically and
climatically. The settled people represented the southern life style, where a variety of
opportunities existed. This differentiation within Arabian society was first mentioned in the
Holy Quran. Those living in the villages and in the cities of the peninsula were referred to as
Arabs, whereas those living as nomads in the desert were called Arab: Bedouin.
Although the life-style of the Arabs is depicted as that of Bedouins who have settled, they
can be divided into two main groups with regard to the branch with which they were
affiliated. The first branch, the Arab-i Baida is an extinct Arab tribe that lived in the preIslamic centuries, mixing with other tribes and which became forgotten over time. The
second branch, the Arab-i Baqiya, continued their existence during the birth of Islam and
constituted the peninsula society; this group can be divided into two groups. The first group,
comprising the Kahtani tribes of Yemen origin, is called Arab-i Ariba and are the
descendants of Shem, the son of Prophet Noah, who was considered the second father of
mankind. These tribes had to leave their countries as a result of the Arim flood. The Huzaa
tribe migrated to Mecca, whereas the Aws and Hazraj went to Medina and became resident

in these locations. Some members of these tribes went to Syria and founded the State of
Ghassanid, whereas others went to Iraq and formed the State of Khiral. The Arab-i
Mustariba, the second branch of the Arab-i Ariba, are descendents of Ishmael. This branch
is connected to Ishmael, whose father Abraham came to Mecca and married a woman from
the Jurhum tribe of the Kahtanis. They are called theAdnanis, referring to Adnan, an
ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad; they are also called the Mudaris, the Meaddis, and the
Nizaris. One of its largest branches was the Quraishi tribe of which Prophet Muhammad was
a member. Most of the tribes affiliated with this clan resided in Mecca and in the
surrounding areas; they made up most of the society at that time.
Most of Arabian society could be classified as either Hadari or Bedouin in terms of their life
styles; the Bedouins lived a nomadic life in tents made of camel or goat hair, whereas the
rest of the population was comprised of settled residents living in villages, towns and cities
of adobe houses, the Hadari. When we consider that the location where Islam emerged was
central and northern Arabia, then the predominant life-style of this region, which has a
desert climate, is that of the Bedouins. Since ancient times camels have been domesticated
by the Arabs and have become indispensable components of desert life due to their
resistance to hunger and thirst; over time they have become a fundamental part of the lives
of the people living in this region. Camels are incredible animals that can carry up to 200
kilograms in heat of 57 C without drinking water for 17 days. In Bedouin life, where there is
constant migration, spurred on by climatic conditions, a herd of camels is a sign of great
wealth for people. Camels have stomachs that are large enough to store food for a week,
humps that serve as a food resource, noses that have special membranes that shut out sand
during a sand storm, eyes that have a double lining of eyelashes, ears with hairs on the
inside, a mouth and digestive system that can withstand eating thorny plants; they can
resist cold and hot weather and can drink 60 liters of water at once and distribute this water
rapidly throughout their body. In addition to all these features camels have powerful
memories that help them to follow ancient routes despite sand dunes that frequently
change their shape in sand storms. There can be no doubt that the camel is the most
suitable animal for this geography. The terms related to camels in Arabic are numerous
enough to fill a book and in the Age of Ignorance the camel often appeared among the main
subjects of poetry; from these two facts we can understand the importance of these animals
in Arabic society. Camels were able to transport water over long desert journeys. In the
development of civilization the camel also played a significant role in intercontinental trade
throughout the ancient world.
Although horses were preferred for sudden attacks or during visits paid neighboring tribes,
the camel, without a doubt, was the most common animal for transport in Arabian society
during the Age of Ignorance. The camel was, and is, also used for its flesh, milk, leather,
manure, wool and for providing shade.

Three things that can best define pre-Islamic Arabia are the desert, the camel and Bedouins.
The Bedouins, able to survive the harsh conditions of the desert with a miraculous animal
like the camel, generally lived inside tents made of camelhair. The Bedouins preferred
movable tents that were easy and practical to carry and their weapons, food and the fodder
and harnesses of their animals were protected by their tents.

Arabia was a male-dominated society. Women had no status of any kind other than as sex
objects. The number of women a man could marry was not fixed. When a man died, his son
inherited all his wives except his own mother.
A savage custom of the Arabs was to bury their female infants alive. Even if an Arab did not
wish to bury his daughter alive, he still had to uphold this honorable tradition, being
unable to resist social pressures.
Drunkenness was a common vice of the Arabs. With drunkenness went their gambling. They
were compulsive drinkers and compulsive gamblers. The relations of the sexes were
extremely loose. Many women sold sex to make their living since there was little else they
could do
The Shihab (az-Suhri) said: 'Urwah b. az-Zubayr informed him that Aishah, the wife of the
Prophet (God bless and preserve him), informed him that marriage in the Jahiliyah was of
four types:
One was the marriage of people as it is today, where a man betroths his ward or his
daughter to another man, and the latter assigns a dower (bridewealth) to her and
then marries her.
Another type was where a man said to his wife when she was purified from her
menses, Send to N and ask to have intercourse with him;' her husband then stays
away from her and does not touch her at all until it is clear that she is pregnant from
that (other) man with whom she sought intercourse.
When it is clear that she is pregnant, her husband has intercourse with her if he
wants. He acts thus simply from the desire for a noble child. This type of marriage
was (known as) nikah al-istibda, the marriage of seeking intercourse.
Another type was when a group (raht) of less than ten men used to visit the same
woman and all of them had to have intercourse with her. If she became pregnant
and bore a child, when some nights had passed after the birth she sent for them, and
not a man of them might refuse.

 When they had come together in her presence, she would say to them, You (pl.)
know the result of your acts; I have borne a child and he is your (sing.) child, N.'
naming whoever she will by his name. Her child is attached to him, and the man may
not refuse.
The fourth type is when many men frequent a woman, and she does not keep
herself from any who comes to her. These women are the baghaya (prostitutes).
They used to set up at their doors banners forming a sign. Whoever wanted them
went in to them. If one of them conceived and bore a child, they gathered together
to her and summoned the physiognomists.
Then they attached her child to the man whom they thought (the father), and the
child remained attached to him and was called his son, no objection to this course
being possible. When Muhammad (God bless and preserve him) came preaching the
truth, he destroyed all the types of marriage of the Jahiliya except that which people
practice today.

Religious Conditions
The information available about the pre-Islamic religions of the Arabs is primarily based on
Arabic scriptures and archeological data. However, the materials within these documents,
rather than providing explanations for basic religious issues, such as faith principles, worship
and prayers, present information only about the names of the gods and the idols. In
addition to the scriptures and archeological works concerned with pre-Islamic Arabian
religions, it is also possible to make use of Assyrian, Hebrew, Greek and Latin sources, as
well as the poetry from the Age of Ignorance and proverbs which provide direct information
about pre-Islamic Arabian society. Other than these varied, but limited sources, there is
reliable and detailed information related to the religions of the polytheist Arabs in the
Quran, and Quranic studies, such as tafsir, hadith, siyar and in Islamic historical sources. In
particular, those which are concerned with the time right before the advent of Islam and the
first period after this are particularly helpful.
Idolatry
Although, different faiths, such as Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Sabi and Hanafiyyah
were common among the Arabs before the advent of Islam, the most common religious
belief was no doubt a form of paganism. In particular, the creed of the Bedouins was
dominant, and it represented the oldest and primary form of Semitic belief. There are some
claims suggesting that the adoption of idolatry by the Arabs in fact took place in later
periods, and that to begin with the Arabs did not deny the presence of one Creator, but that
with time they acquired idols which they used as mediators, thinking that this was the only

way to reach God; it is also stated that the Arabs adopted idols from foreign elements. This
claim is based on the thesis that the people of Mecca were introduced to monotheistic
belief after the construction of the Kaaba by Prophet Abraham. It is thought that when the
descendants of Abraham and his son Ishmael were leaving the city of Mecca, as their needs
could not be met there, they took along them small stones which they had removed from
Kaaba; they revered these stones which they considered sacred, and in this way departed
from the original monotheistic faith.
The reverence shown to these stones became a form of worship in the third century, when
Mecca and the Kaaba fell under the control of the Khuzaa tribe. According to one account,
Amr ibn Luhay, one of the leaders of this tribe, took an idol named Hubal from Damascus
when he went there for purposes of trade, bringing the idol to Mecca, where he erected it
in the courtyard of Kaaba, and invited people to worship it. This act was the beginning of
idolatry in the peninsula; it quickly spread and became the dominant belief of the people in
the region. The number of idols brought to the Kaaba increased day by day, until there were
finally a great number; every tribe, every family even, had their own idols. It is known that
the number of idols in the Kaaba reached 360 just before the advent of Islam. The most
famous of these idols in the Hejaz were Hubal, Isaf, Naila, Wadd and the three goddesses
Lat, Manah and Ozza, who were known as Allahs daughters. Hubal was the first idol
brought to the Kaaba and it was the most respected idol. Hubal was made of red agate and
had a human form. It was accepted as a god by all the Arabian tribes. While being
transferred from Syria, Hubals hand was broken, and it was replaced with a golden hand by
the Quraishi polytheists. As for the god Isaf of Safa and Naila of Marwa, they were
representative of two people having sexual intercourse in the Kaaba. Wadd was the idol of
the Khuzaa tribe; this was a statue of a colossal man. Lat was one of the oldest idols of the
Arabs and was regarded as a goddess who represented the sun. In what remnants can be
found of statues of Lat, she was depicted sometimes as a part of the sun, sometimes as a
naked woman, and sometimes as a horse. Ozza was not only worshipped in the Hejaz, but
also in regions like Iraq, Damascus, Nabat and Safa. Ozza was one of the largest idols of the
Quraishis. As for Manah, she was the goddess of faith who had a temple at the seaside, and
was glorified by many tribes other than the Quraishis. She was one of the most notable
goddesses, especially in the Hejaz region. Although the number of idols and the importance
attributed to them varied in the Kaaba, these idols were respected by all tribes.
Although the Arabs in the Age of Ignorance basically worshipped idols, they also accepted
the existence of a superior God called Allah, who they saw as the creator. As a matter of
fact, there were people who adopted Hanafiyyah, the religion of Abraham in the region; this
fact is seen as evidence that monotheism was not an unknown concept in the Arabian
Peninsula at the time. It is interesting that this belief, which was known to have existed in
the years after the birth of Jesus, particularly in southern Arabia, and which probably came
to Mecca via trade activities, found a place also in the poems of the Age of Ignorance. It is

particularly interesting that the word rahman, used in the poetry of the Age of Ignorance
to define Allah, had no plural form and was considered to denote a single God.
As stated in the Holy Quran (Al-Zumar, 39/13), the polytheist Arabs worshipped idols so that
they could come closer to Allah. They knew that Allah, who waters the earth, causes the
crops to grow, and provides the flocks commanded by humans, is the Creator of all things,
the Lord of the earth, Owner of the heavens and the earth. They would pray to Allah in
tumultuous times and swear grave oaths in the His name. They even allocated some portion
of their crops to Allah. They prayed to Him in dangerous situations, but they forgot Him
when situation passed. They sacrificed animals in the name of idols, but they also
worshipped Allah. All these examples show that the Arabs faith in Allah was very
ambiguous and there was a conflict in faith. Although the idols were seen as mediators on a
conscious level, they were concerned in all parts of daily life and were the dominant objects
of worship.
The words sanam and wathan were the most frequent words used by the Arabs in the Age
of Ignorance for their idols. Sanam was used to mean statue and it refers to a thing
worshipped other than Allah. The word nasb, which means obelisk, was used for idols
made of stone.
As a natural result of idolatry it became important in Arabia to have an idol or a temple. In
Arabia before the advent of Islam stones were erected in front of the Kaaba or temples. The
places where people worshipped in groups had many idols and religious ceremonies were
carried out in the form of circumambulation. These temples were greatly respected by the
Arabs. Although they were usually called bayt, the temples in the shape of cubes were
called kaaba. The Temple of Riyam in the Sana region of Yemen was among the most
famous temples in the Age of Ignorance.
In this pre-Islamic Arabic faith, the main purpose of worship was to accomplish a number of
worldly aims. Worship was performed in the form of prayers, sajda (bowing down) and
circumambulation of the temples, the sacrificing of animals and giving of charitable alms. In
their prayers, people usually asked for health, wealth, victory and children. They requested
help and forgiveness from the idols so that their prayers would be accepted. In this pagan
belief, where the main purpose was to achieve worldly pleasures, although there was no
obvert belief in an afterlife there was ambiguity. The dead were buried with goods like food
and clothing, and animals were left to die near a grave in the belief that the dead would use
these animals on the Day of Judgment. This demonstrates that there was a subconscious
belief in the afterlife.
The most important place in this pre-Islamic belief was without a doubt the Kaaba and its
surroundings. As a matter of fact, it is known that pilgrimage to the Kaaba was the most
common and the regular form of worship during the Age of Ignorance. In the pilgrimage
season, during which fighting was prohibited and conflicts among the tribes came to a halt,
every tribe would circumambulate the Kaaba. They would stop in front of their own idols,
bow with respect and utter a prayer. To symbolize purification from sins, the
circumambulation was generally performed naked. Although the circumambulation

constituted the basis of the pilgrimage, the pilgrimage also included visits to other temples
in the region where other idols were located. No living creatures would be killed in the
temples, which were believed to have the traces of Gods existence and which, accordingly,
were considered to be sacred. For that reason, such places were ideal shelters for people
who were victimized by tribes and who feared for their lives. The Arabs at this time would
give various presents, including perfume, to the gods in the temples, and they would make
offerings and sacrifice animals for them. It is also known that the Arabs fasted like the Jews
and Christians, and circumcised their sons. Although it is known that there were practices
like ghusul (total ablution of the body), washing the dead and wrapping them in shrouds, it
is not known how common these acts were.
The polytheist Arabs would ask for help from the idols in order to accomplish important
issues; they sought solutions to their problems by using divining arrows and they would
make such actions religious duties. They would make prophecies based on the flight of birds
or the direction taken by animals; they would use amulets and talismans to protect
themselves from the evil eye. The polytheist Arabs would make offerings for the dead who
were buried with their belongings and they erected statues or stones by their tombs.
Hanafiyyah
Before the birth of Islam the Hanifs were notable for their resistance to the Quraishi
paganism and the distance they maintained from the People of the Book, the Christians and
Jews. They played a preparatory role in the spread of monotheistic belief throughout the
peninsula and in the emergence of Islam. Despite not having great numbers, and leading
solitary and separate lives, which was representative of their fear of God, the Hanifs
succeeded in becoming prominent components of the Age of Ignorance, both with their
simple life style and the virtues they represented, racially, intellectually and culturally. This
community is praised in the Holy Quran (Al-Hajj, 22/30-1). They played a great role in the
spreading of the religion propounded by Abraham, which they said was based on
monotheistic belief.
Christianity
Although, as seen above, Judaism had a limited effect on pre-Islamic Arabian society,
Christianity played a much greater role. Christianity started to prevail in the Arabian
Peninsula from the 4th century on, from Syria in the north to Abyssinia/Ethiopia in the
south. Christians from Syria were composed of dissident groups who could not be
accommodated in the Byzantine lands, due to sectarian conflicts within the eastern church.
These people were effective among the Ghassani and Hira Arabs in northern Arabia, causing
the Christianization of many Arab tribes.
The spreading of Christianity in eastern Arabia occurred with the Abyssinians. Apart from
the Abyssinians who tried to make Najran one of the important centers of Christianity in the
Arab lands, the support given by the Eastern Roman Empire, which wanted to dominate the
Sassanians, was also effective in spreading Christianity throughout the region. In particular,

with the limited spread of Judaism, which started with the acceptance of Judaism by the
Himyari King, Zu Nuvas, Christianity lost much of its influence in southern Arabia; the region
was later re-Christianized with the involvement of the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of
Abyssinia. Abyssinian forces even accomplished their aims in southern Arabia, marching on
the Hejaz with their governor Abraha, but this campaign failed.
It is stated that one of the reasons for the rapid spreading of Christianity throughout the
Arabian Peninsula was the fact that it was much more attractive in appearance than the
primitive and simple structure of idolatry; the Christian culture, with its rituals, religious
apparel, grandiose temples, statues and icons attracted the Arabs. The poems written to
express the attraction of Christianity among Arabs are evidence of this. The intense
propaganda of Christian missionaries and priests had a significant effect in the process of
the spread of Christianity. The main area in which Christianity spread was northern Arabia,
but it was also influential in the coastal areas of the peninsula and Yemen. Among the
Arabian tribes in which Christianity was effective, we can count the Kudaa, Ghassan, Lahm,
Taglib, Bakr, Bahra, Amila, Sulayh and Iyah.
Furthermore, there were communities, though small in number, that worshipped stars and
other stellar objects in the environs of Yemen and Iraq, and there were Zoroastrians who
worshipped fire around Bahrain.