Arabian Mythology

Genie is the English term for the Arabic   legendary magic carpet  Aladdin and Myth Exorcism in Islam

Arabian mythology comprises the ancient, pre-Islamic beliefs of the Arabs. Prior to the arrival and initial codification of Islam on the Arabian Peninsula in 622 CE, year one of the Islamic calendar, the physical centre of Islam, the Kaaba of Mecca, did not hold only the single symbol of "the God" as it does now. The Kaaba was instead covered in symbols representing the myriad demons, djinn, demigods and other assorted creatures which represented the profoundly polytheistic environment of pre-Islamic Arabia. We can infer from this plurality an exceptionally broad context in which mythology could flourish.


Relation with Islamic mythology
Stories of genies, magic lamps, flying carpets, and wishes contained in tales from the Arabian Nights and other works have been passed down through the generations. Islamic mythology has probably been influenced to a large degree by Arabian mythology and the two are often difficult to distinguish.

The concept of the Evil Eye is mentioned in the Qur'an, in Surat al-Falaq (in which one is told to seek refuge "from the mischief of the envious one as he envies"). The Hand of Fatima is sometimes used to neutralize the effect of Evil Eye, though its use is forbidden in Islam, as are all talismans and superstitions. Among traditional muslims, various verses from the Qur'an such as an-Nas and al-Falaq are sometimes recited for blessing, or protection from such superstitions.

 Pre-Islamic religion

There is very little material on which to base a description of pre-Islamic religion, particularly in Mecca and the Hijaz. The Qur'an and the hadith, or recorded oral traditions, give some hints as to this religion. Islamic commentators have elaborated these hints into a coherent account that most academics doubt in part or in whole.


Muslim view
Islamic scholars say that the Kaaba, the sacred edifice towards which all Muslims pray, was built by the patriarch Abraham and his son Ishmael. One of the cornerstones of the Kaaba, the Black Stone, was sent down from heaven. The Kaaba was the center of Islam, as revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and it was maintained by Ishmael's descendants for generations. However, Ishmael's descendants, the Arabian tribes, fell into idolatry and filled the Kaaba with idols. They still remembered Allah, the one god, but accepted idols as his "associates". There were a few hanif who still maintained the pure Abrahamic faith, but they were few and had no power to cleanse the Kaaba. Then came Muhammad,the last prophet of Islam, and denounced idolatry. After he took power in Mecca, he destroyed the idols in the Kaaba and re-established the pure and ancient worship.

(Shi'a Muslims -- as well as a few Sunni -- believe that Muhammad and his family, including his cousin Ali, were hanif and thus never sullied by worship of idols.)

The Muslim view of the pre-Islamic religion, then, is that it was pagan, barbaric, and idolatrous. The most important gods were evidently Hubal and the three "daughters of God", Manat, Allat, and al-Uzza. Islamic traditions supply the names of hundreds of other gods as well. The Arabians sacrificed animals to the gods and made pilgrimages to cult centers. Mecca was only one of many cult centers.


Academic views
Academics believe that the stories of Abraham and Ishmael and the divine origin of the Kaaba are myths. Most academics do accept that the Kaaba was a cult center housing a number of gods, that it was a pilgrimage center, and that the Black Stone was a feature of the pre-Islamic Kaaba. However, there is not enough evidence to prove the theories one way or another.


 Pre-Islamic warfare
The raid of other tribes (especially the bedouin)of goods or the caravan was one reason for confrontation. The ambush and surprise attacks were very important tactics usually utilized. Arab warriors usually tried to avoid killing during these fights in order to not have a blood feud erupt. Individual fighters would come forth and anounce who he was and the name of his ancestors and their deeds. Also there were regular armies such as those of the Ghassanids and the Lakhmids.

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