1A: The extent to which the jahiliyyah influenced Muhammad’s teachings.
For Against
- Religion - Muhammad inherited the rich Arab-Jewish - Religion - Muhammad profusely rejected any
heritage of monotheistic values. The idea of Jesus as a polytheism which was the most prominent in the
messenger was maintained as well as the idea of Allah. jahiliyyah.
- Social values - Muhammad upheld the Arab ideas and - Social values - Muhammad challenged many norms
social values. values of honour, loyalty and justice. and values of the jahiliyyah that didn’t reflect Quranic
- Ummah - reflected tribal society in many ways as a tight teaching e.g, he established more protections for
knit community women and orphans and slaves.
- Ummah - The ummah was a wider community that
brought together the fractured society caused by the
feudal system of the jahiliyyah.
Quran - “kill not your children for fear of want: we shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily, killing them is a
great sin.”
Conclusion:
Muhammad was influenced by the way in which he grew up and the society during the jahiliyyah but it is important to note that it
did not control him. Rather, he intentionally selected the positive values that reflected the teachings of Islam and condemned that
which went against them.
, 1A: The possibility of the failure of Islam in Makkah
For Against
- Muhammad’s values directly contradicted that of the - Muhammad’s values appealed to the weak in the
Makkan people as he warned people against Makkan society, including women and slaves. Thus, he
polytheism and the pilgrimage to Makkah for the idols. always had support amongst a large proportion of
After 13 years, there were still very few muslims in society, if unspoken.
Makkah. - Muhammad’s life was protected by Allah. It was not
- Muhammad’s life was threatened in Makkah. He was chance that saved him but God’s will e.g, Ali in
lucky not to die despite the Quraysh plotting to kill him Muhammad’s bed, the cave and the spider.
as Islam would have failed.
Conclusion:
Undoubtedly, Allah had decreed that Islam would prosper and it has, so any speculation or analysis into what may have
happened is futile. The success of Islam was predetermined.
For Against
- Religion - Muhammad inherited the rich Arab-Jewish - Religion - Muhammad profusely rejected any
heritage of monotheistic values. The idea of Jesus as a polytheism which was the most prominent in the
messenger was maintained as well as the idea of Allah. jahiliyyah.
- Social values - Muhammad upheld the Arab ideas and - Social values - Muhammad challenged many norms
social values. values of honour, loyalty and justice. and values of the jahiliyyah that didn’t reflect Quranic
- Ummah - reflected tribal society in many ways as a tight teaching e.g, he established more protections for
knit community women and orphans and slaves.
- Ummah - The ummah was a wider community that
brought together the fractured society caused by the
feudal system of the jahiliyyah.
Quran - “kill not your children for fear of want: we shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily, killing them is a
great sin.”
Conclusion:
Muhammad was influenced by the way in which he grew up and the society during the jahiliyyah but it is important to note that it
did not control him. Rather, he intentionally selected the positive values that reflected the teachings of Islam and condemned that
which went against them.
, 1A: The possibility of the failure of Islam in Makkah
For Against
- Muhammad’s values directly contradicted that of the - Muhammad’s values appealed to the weak in the
Makkan people as he warned people against Makkan society, including women and slaves. Thus, he
polytheism and the pilgrimage to Makkah for the idols. always had support amongst a large proportion of
After 13 years, there were still very few muslims in society, if unspoken.
Makkah. - Muhammad’s life was protected by Allah. It was not
- Muhammad’s life was threatened in Makkah. He was chance that saved him but God’s will e.g, Ali in
lucky not to die despite the Quraysh plotting to kill him Muhammad’s bed, the cave and the spider.
as Islam would have failed.
Conclusion:
Undoubtedly, Allah had decreed that Islam would prosper and it has, so any speculation or analysis into what may have
happened is futile. The success of Islam was predetermined.
