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The study of history and its methodology
Early Muslim Historiography
The pre-islamic historical mentality of the Arab before the emergence of Islam in Arabian country was basically on relating stories in a gathering forum. This is referred to as a Majaalis (assemble) which was a popular culture among the Arabs especially in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The Bedouins are known as the Nomadic Arabs, they are found in the villages and are said to be less civilized while the civilized Arabs are the Arabs that are found in the southern Arabian part precisely in Yemen. But the Bedouins are found in the northern Arab.
Majaalis is used to depict the Islamic Arabian culture, it is through this gathering that most people converged and have priviledge to exhibit their ability about their knowledge on past event.
Broad themes of Majaalis;
Stories of the heroic figures or ancestors of a particular tribes, the gods they worship, battles fought won by the tribes were often narrated. Thus the major themes of majaalis are:
a. Ayyam al-arab (battle days of the Arab)
b. Role played by certain in individuals (legendary/heroic)
c. Tribal pride
d. Social affairs
e. Genealogy (Descent)
THE AKHBAR (Story Telling)
Stories were told in animated and vivid form, the Arabs express their feelings with poem and laudable voice while telling stories is part of their culture. These explains the reason why the Arabs were able to preserve their culture as well as transmit its history in term of descent, genealogy and war records from one generation to another.
Story telling is said to be the culture of the Arab. Also the Arab culture prior to the existence of Islam is that they detested bearing a female child. If a woman gives birth to a female child, the husband will not rejoice and they prefer burying the female child alive.
The most exciting period of an Arabs is when a poet comes out of the family, when they gave birth to a male children and when their horse gives birth to male.
Emergence of Islam and the use of Akhbar
Unlike the Pre-Islamic Arabian Akhbar, the Qur’anic illustration of the stories is not couched within the tribal context but it is within the universal and religious context.
When the Prophet came with the Qur’an, there are several narrations that distinguished the Pre-Islamic history and Islamic Akhbar.
Early Muslim Historiography
The pre-islamic historical mentality of the Arab before the emergence of Islam in Arabian country was basically on relating stories in a gathering forum. This is referred to as a Majaalis (assemble) which was a popular culture among the Arabs especially in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The Bedouins are known as the Nomadic Arabs, they are found in the villages and are said to be less civilized while the civilized Arabs are the Arabs that are found in the southern Arabian part precisely in Yemen. But the Bedouins are found in the northern Arab.
Majaalis is used to depict the Islamic Arabian culture, it is through this gathering that most people converged and have priviledge to exhibit their ability about their knowledge on past event.
Broad themes of Majaalis;
Stories of the heroic figures or ancestors of a particular tribes, the gods they worship, battles fought won by the tribes were often narrated. Thus the major themes of majaalis are:
a. Ayyam al-arab (battle days of the Arab)
b. Role played by certain in individuals (legendary/heroic)
c. Tribal pride
d. Social affairs
e. Genealogy (Descent)
THE AKHBAR (Story Telling)
Stories were told in animated and vivid form, the Arabs express their feelings with poem and laudable voice while telling stories is part of their culture. These explains the reason why the Arabs were able to preserve their culture as well as transmit its history in term of descent, genealogy and war records from one generation to another.
Story telling is said to be the culture of the Arab. Also the Arab culture prior to the existence of Islam is that they detested bearing a female child. If a woman gives birth to a female child, the husband will not rejoice and they prefer burying the female child alive.
The most exciting period of an Arabs is when a poet comes out of the family, when they gave birth to a male children and when their horse gives birth to male.
Emergence of Islam and the use of Akhbar
Unlike the Pre-Islamic Arabian Akhbar, the Qur’anic illustration of the stories is not couched within the tribal context but it is within the universal and religious context.
When the Prophet came with the Qur’an, there are several narrations that distinguished the Pre-Islamic history and Islamic Akhbar.
