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Refutations

Were Pre-Islamic Arab Lineages Corrupt? Quraysh Marriage Customs and the Jahiliyyah Marriage Suspicion Refuted

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Quraysh, Arab Marriage Customs, and the Suspicion Regarding Jahiliyyah Lineages

Table of Contents

Main Claim

Core ArgumentQuraysh or any of the Arabs did not recognize the validity of any type of marriage except that which was based on a dowry and bridal gift with witnesses, and this was the prevailing form of marriage among them, so they accepted no other.

Anything else was considered fornication and debauchery in their view. - See the fifth volume of Al-Mufassal by Jawad Ali -

The Prevailing Arab Marriage Form

Marriage Recognized by Quraysh and the ArabsThe valid and recognized marriage among Quraysh and the Arabs was the marriage based on:
  • dowry
  • bridal gift
  • witnesses

This was the prevailing form of marriage among them.

Anything Outside ThisAnything else was considered fornication and debauchery in their view.

Rare Deviant Practices

It is true that they had rare individual cases, which were not an original practice among them despite their scarcity, and they were frowned upon, with those who committed them regarded with eyes of disdain and contempt.

Important ClarificationThese rare cases were:
  • not an original practice among them
  • scarce
  • frowned upon
  • viewed with disdain and contempt

None of this was confined to them alone but was widespread among all neighboring peoples.

Indeed, it seeped into them from several Semitic peoples and civilizations, as Jawad Ali mentioned in Al-Mufassal, and some of those civilizations lived in a moral swamp to which even the Arabs of the Jahiliyyah never descended.

South Arabian / Sabean Society

Thus, when looking southward toward the Sabean society, which was a mixture of Arabs and other peoples like the Abyssinians and others, we find that some of them knew of the practice of “polyandry,” where one woman marries several men and bears children from them.

Research MentionedThis is documented in inscriptions, according to a research paper written by Professor Muhammad Marqatan, although he also emphasized that these were deviant and rare practices.

These Attacks on the Lineages of the Arabs Were Propagated by Persians and non-Arabs Hostile to the Arabs in Later Eras

Polemical ContextThese Attacks on the Lineages of the Arabs Were Propagated by Persians and non-Arabs Hostile to the Arabs in Later Eras

Evidence from Hind Bint Utbah

Among the things that demonstrate the falsehood of these claims is that it is reported of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that when Hind bint Utbah said to him:

Report of Hind bint Utbah”I pledge allegiance to you on the condition that you do not associate anything with Allah, do not steal, and do not defame.”

She said:

Hind’s Response”Or do you defame a free woman?”

Al-Iraqi mentioned in Tarh al-Tathrib, regarding Umar, his saying:

Statement Regarding Hind”Even if the hearts of women were on the heart of Hind, I would never defame any woman among them.” End.

Research Reference

ResearchGate Linkhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/342105078_nkah_zwaj_almsharkt_fy_alymn_alqdym_drast_thlylyt