Question:
Was Islam present in Arabia 1400 years ago? Which religion did the Arabs follow? We know Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received prophethood at age 40. How was his life before that?
Answer:
The Arabs before Islam followed the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) in name, but they had corrupted it with idol worship. They believed in Allahﷻ as the supreme Creator and Sustainer, but they worshipped idols as intermediaries.
There were also a few people (Hunafa) who remained on the pure monotheism of Ibrahim (AS), rejecting idols. Among them were Waraqah ibn Nawfal, Zaid ibn Amr ibn Nufail (who was the uncle of Umar ibn Al-Khattab).
The Prophet ﷺhimself never worshipped idols. He was protected from major sins like adultery, drinking alcohol, and lying. He was known as Al-Amin (the trustworthy). However, he followed the general religious practices of his people, which were based on the corrupted remnants of Ibrahim’s (AS) religion.
He did not have a revealed scripture or a specific law (Shariah) before prophethood. Allahﷻ says in the Quran (Surah Ash-Shura 42:52): “You did not know what the Book was, nor what was faith.” And in Surah Ad-Duha (93:7): “He found you astray (dhaallan) and guided you.” The word ‘dhaallan’ means one who is lost or on the wrong path.
The Religion of the Pre-Islamic Arabs:They claimed to follow the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (AS).
They believed in Allahﷻ as the Supreme Creator and Sustainer (“Who created you?” “Allahﷻ”).
However, they corrupted this belief by introducing Shirk. They believed they could not approach Allahﷻ directly, so they took idols (Lat, Uzza, Manat) as intermediaries to get closer to Allahﷻ. This is the same mistake many Muslims today make by praying to saints at dargahs.
The State of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) Before Prophethood was;
Personally Pure: The Prophet (ﷺ) was known as Al-Amin (the trustworthy). He never committed major sins like adultery, drinking alcohol, or lying. Allahﷻ protected him.
Religiously Lost: Regarding formal religion, the Quran is clear. Allahﷻ says: *”He found you astray (dhaallan) and guided you.”* (Surah Ad-Duha 93:7). The word “dhaallan” means one who is lost or on a wrong path.
He did not know the Book or Faith: “And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command. You did not know what the Book is or what is faith…”* (Surah Ash-Shura 42:52). This proves he had no prior revealed scripture or complete theological knowledge.
Following the Remnant: He followed the general, corrupted practices of his people (the Quraish) but refrained from idol worship. He was a Hanif (a monotheist follower of the pure religion of Ibrahim). He was not a Jew, Christian, or a polytheist idol-worshipper.
Evidence of Monotheism: When Zaid ibn Amr ibn Nufail (a known Hanif) was offered meat sacrificed by the Prophet (ﷺ) to idols, Zaid refused to eat it, and the Prophet (ﷺ) accepted his reasoning and did not force him. This shows the Prophet (ﷺ) was not a rigid idolater.
Conclusion: Before prophethood, the Prophet (ﷺ) was personally pure, a monotheist (Hanif), and followed the remnants of Ibrahim’s (AS) religion. However, he was not on the complete, revealed path of Islam, as he did not know the Quran or faith. This is why Allahﷻ says He “guided” him from being “astray.”
This clearly indicates that before prophethood, he was not on the correct, complete path of Islam as revealed later. He was on the path of his people, which was a deviation from true Tawheed.
However, he was personally pure from major sins. So, the Prophet’s life before 40 was pure in character but not on the complete, revealed religion of Islam. He was a Hanif, a monotheist follower of Ibrahim (AS), not a polytheist idol-worshipper.