ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books History of Islam Chapter Three : Sects and Religions in the Arabian Peninsula and Its Surroundings Despite the fact that at the advent of Islam the prevailing belief of the Arabs involved idol-worshipping, there were different religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Hanifiyyah, Manawiyyah, Sabian and other schools practiced in different localities of Arabia. Thus, the Arabs did not follow a specific sect.

For this reason, there was a sort of fatigue and delusion among the followers of these sects. we will hereinafter deal with each of these sects, yet briefly: Monotheists Monotheists or Hanifiyyah[^114] were those who, despite the infidels and atheists, believed in One and Only God and probably believed in the punishment of the Doomsday. Some members of this group believed in Christianity; but historians have included them with the Hanifiyyah.

Among the Hanifiyyah are the following individuals: Waraqah ibn Nawfal, `Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, `Uthman ibn Huwayrith, Zayd ibn `Amr ibn Nufayl,[^115] al-Nabighah al-Ja`di (Qays ibn `Abdullah), Umayyah ibn Abil-salt, Qiss ibn Sa`idah al-Iyadi, Abu-Qays surmah ibn Abi-Anas, Zuhayr ibn Abi-Sulma, Abu-`amir al-Awsi (`Abd `Amr ibn sayfi), `Addas (the servant of `Utbah ibn Rabi`ah), Ri'ab al-Shanni, and Bahira the monk.[^116] Some of these people were among the distinguished philosophers or poets.

Of course, the secret behind their inclinations towards monotheism lay in their pure and clean human nature and their bright thoughts. The prevalent ill-ominous sects of those days could not satisfy their spiritual needs. These distinguished individuals deeply believed in Almighty God and refrained from following an illogical set of beliefs such as those of idol-worshippers.

Christianity and Judaism, too, had lost their vigor and spirituality with the passage of time and could not offer any means of tranquility to those men. For this reason, we observe that some of these God-seekers suffered the pains of journeys to find the truth. They had long discussions with Christian and Jewish scholars.[^117] They impatiently looked for the signs of prophethood of the Holy Prophet to which there were numerous references in the Holy Books.

Since they could not reach any accomplishment, they accepted the very first principle of monotheism. However, we do not know anything about the way they carried out their religious ceremonies.