Islamisation of Arabic virtues?

It has often been discussed in the traditional Islamic discourse that the teachings, morals and values of
Islam were a divorce from that of pre-Islamic period, commonly referred to as the Jahilliyah period.
Whether the aforementioned claim has any validity and substance needs to be critically examined as to
how and whether Islam actually negated some of the morals of the jahiliyaih period or whether it
streamlined and limited some basic human virtues and vices that were already encouraged and
denunciated by the Arabic and other ancient societies before the advent of Islam. This would be the
focus of the analysis in the paper as it would seek to compare and contrast some virtues which were
equally encouraged by both Islam and pre-Islamic societies but under a different light. For instance,
bravery and generosity was appreciated, whereas cowardliness and niggardliness were denounced in
the Bedouin culture and tradition both before and after the revelation of Islam. However, the scope and
relativity of the aforementioned vices and virtues were certainly clipped and given new dimensions.
Hence, it will not be wrong to say there were certain vices and virtues which were endorsed by the
Islamic traditions but were defined and maneuvered to fit the Islamic morality, ethics and teachings.

At the outset, it becomes very important to elucidate the basic social structure and class system
of the Arabic society before the advent of Islam in order to lay a basic framework for comparison. A
society which was composed of foragers, Bedouins and mercantilist, the Arabic society was a cauldron
of different tribes and cultures. However, the hot environment and harsh conditions of deserts coupled
with warring tribes and rigid belief system in the form of paganism had instilled in them a common
understanding and definition of bravery, courage, truthfulness, niggardliness and patience. Likewise,
their loyalty was affixed and pointed towards their kith and kilns as highlighted by a tribal form of
society. The advent of Islam, on one hand revolutionized their religious activities while on the other
hand, altered their ‘murwah’, the highest ethical ideals of the Jahiliyah, and compelled it to change and
refute the entirety of its dangerous excesses and adopt a more cultured and civilized version. (Izutsu,
2014)

Firstly, the virtue of generosity has been a universal trait. It has been appreciated by ancient
regimes, from the Greek philosophers to the Roman Empire to the expansive Macedonian states.
Likewise, it also founded its root, albeit in a unique way, in the Jahiliyah period, which connoted
generosity with Honor. As evident by the poet Zuahyr bi Abi Sulma, generosity had a direct relationship
with the growth of one’s honor in the pre-Islamic period. It was highly understood as chivalry, and
nobility and concocted as being ‘karim’ in the Arabian lexicon (Izutsu, 2014). In a similar light, Islam also
placed generosity as a noble virtue. The Holy Prophet was himself described as being lavishly generous
by his supporters such as Hassan bin Thabit. However, Islam had a different conception of chivalry and
looked down on boosting or dandyism. The Holy Quran in Surah Baqarah has repeatedly advised the
believers to refrain from ‘ostentatious display of wealth and charity lest they should waste what they
spend in the way of Allah. (). Similarly, wastefulness and prodigality, which form the other spectrum of
generosity, as considered as an equally repulsive vices. The Holy Quran in chapter 17 has highlighted
those who are wasteful as partners of Satan. Similarly, in chapter 25, it has delineated the pathway for
the servant s of Allah who adopt a middle ground between prodigality and miserliness. Hence, the
Islamic traditions have specifically highlighted the limits of generosity and demarcated between the
vices and virtues associated with it.

Furthermore, it has specifically laid down the criteria for the adoption of generosity as a model
of ‘murawah’, the highest ethical code of the Arabic society in the early days of Islam. Firstly, it deprives
the acts of generosity from any signs of worldliness and show marked by the Jahiliyah period, and
directs it towards attaining the pleasure of Allah only and not the society. Accordingly, the institution of
almsgiving as enunciated by the article of Zakat, its nisab, procedure and personal ethics came into
being, which refrains individuals from using alms giving as a mode of honor. The Quran explicitly
highlights this in the second chapter which it orders that those who who’s expended it with grudging
and disagreeable remarks will have their wage with their Lord. In other words, almsgiving was a religious
obligation and one needed to consider giving it thoughtlessly and liberally. Hence, generosity was
limited by some conditions by Islam which gave it a different flavor of the Jahiliayah period.

In a similar light, niggardliness was also considered as one of the most despicable qualities in the
Arabic society. On one hand, Zuhayr, a famous poet of the pre-Islamic Arabic society marked it a vice
which ostracized even the wealthiest of Arab (Izutsu, 2014). While on the other hand, the Holy Prophet
himself said that there is no disease more malignant than niggardliness (Asad, 2012). However, the
mercantilist society of Mecca deviated from the murawah of the Arabic society, as it viewed wealth and
niggardliness as the sign good financial power. Islam denounced niggardliness both in the personal and
religious sphere of an individual and differed from the traditional ideals of Arabic society. As far as the
religious sphere is concerned, Muslims are encouraged to spend in the way of God, whether it is
almsgiving, jihad or the betterment of Islamic society. It is equally important to mention that Islam
denunciates both the ‘bukhl’, which is the act of niggardliness, and the ‘shuhh’, which denotes the
rotten state of the soul, of the vice (Izutsu, 2014). Therefore, Islam embarks upon a middle ground
between the overzealous spending and miserliness and embarks upon a pure form of generosity as
opposed to the jahiliyah period.

Secondly, Islam also differentiated in the conception of courage and tried to limit its
consequences and domain. Courage was another prominent virtue in the paganist Arabic society. It was
deemed necessary for survival as imposed by the poet Zuahyr who painted bravery with an aggressive
and overwhelming undertone. However, Islam put a hold on the aggressive undertone of bravery
without losing its essence as the noble virtue. It allowed Muslims to wage war but only in the way of
Allah, and not for some personal reasons. As opposed to the Arabic tradition which espoused for a fight
to death approach, Islam allowed backtracking from a fight to regroup, as evident in the battle of Mutah.
Nonetheless, Islam categorically highlighted that the true fearing Muslims do not fear their enemies and
internalize bravery to fight in the way of Allah only.

Thirdly, loyalty was another virtue which underwent significant transformation in the Islamic
era. Whereas in the past, loyalty was only limited to one’s tribe, kiln and kith, Islamic teachings
envisaged loyalty or ‘wafa’ as a covenant between God and man and a social relationship amongst the
Muslim Ummah. As far as the former is concerned, the covenant is an extension of the one mentioned
in the Old Testament. However, Islam goes a step further when it envisages the covenant in terms of
being faithful, loyal towards God and becoming a ‘sadiq’ while opposing being a perfidious treacherous
towards Allah (Izutsu, 2014) . In this sense, the whole concept of loyalty between Muslims and Allah
underwent a significant change from being a worldly affair between society to a new religious contract
between man and God. This new social covenant based on loyalty viewed treachery an atrocious in itself
as highlighted in Chapter 8 of the Holy Quran where it explicitly says that God loves not the
treacherous(Asad, 2012). Similarly, kahyan or treachery against God is considered a graver crime that
treachery against fellow Muslim because a munafiq, a person who has the word of God on his tongue
but treachery in his heart, is a greater enemy of the God and Prophet as such individuals ultimately
betray themselves as enunciated in the Quran. Similalrly, the loyalty of a person towards God is further
tested in times of difficulties and ease both, as a person turn towards God in difficult times but acts
inimically against God when conditions favor him. Consequently, such cumulative acts are further
categorized under the segments of ‘khattar’ or ‘ghaddar’ by al-Baydaawi (Izutsu, 2014) .Hence, the
entire premise of loyalty was transformed radically form being a social construct to being a religious
obligation.

Fourthly, the virtue of veracity also changed significantly as it incorporated the subjectivity and
objectivity of accepting God, revelation and Islam as the ultimate truth. Though veracity was considered
a elevate virtue in the jahiliyah period, as it is often considered in different societies and civilization
throughout history, it took a radical approach in the Islamic era. In the first instance, it was litmus tested
to accept Allah as the ultimate truth as opposed to the idols of the pagans, which are referred to as
‘batils’ in the Quran, and creation of human malady. Likewise, the revelation of Holy Quran as the book
of God is another acceptance of the veracity of the Islamic society. The Holy Quran explicitly states that
the Holy Quran is the ultimate Truth from you Lord, so one should never be of those who doubt and
waver in its third chapter. Lastly, the two acceptance of the two aforementioned premised logically gives
credence to the notion that Islam, as a religion, is the ultimate conclusion of testing for truth.
Correspondingly, the claim of ‘haqq’ or Islam being truthful if further given weight when the Holy Quran
mention that Truth has come and Falsehood has vanished and surely falsehood is bound to vanish in its
seventeenth chapter. (Izutsu, 2014) As opposed to the life in Jahiliyah which was defined as a complex
system of taboos and customs based on paganism, veracity in the Islamic era was based on the
acceptance of God as the ultimate reality and blatant refutation of the sacred customs of jahiliyag as
forged lies against God.

Last but not the least, the notion and conception of patience also changed dramatically in the
early Islamic era. In the harsh conditions of Arabia, patience and determination were considered to be
the absolute requirements for bravery. Patience was considered to be the food for the soul to survive
the sufferings and difficulties of life in the Jahiliyah period. However, Islam changed the conception of
patience as something very personal to an individual to one charged with religion direction as defined by
patience in the way of the God in the Holy Quran in various chapters. It signifies and appeals to the
moral foundations of martyrdom and unflinching bravery in the cause of religion. Moreover, Islam
closely identifies patience with taqwa or fear of Allah and promises believers of their rewards and
blessings of being patient in testing times(Izutsu, 2014). The Quran explicitly mentions and order the
believer to seek help in patience and sabr and give good tidings to the people who remember Allah in
testing times. This was particularly important in the backdrop of persecution of Qurash and other
infidels against the Muslims in the early days if Islam. The transformation of the understanding of sabr
laid the foundations of early Muslim resistance and perseverance against the heinous crimes, boycotts,
migrations and battles against the Muslim community and empowered the early Muslims to take on the
tribulations with firm faith. Consequently, the notion of patience took an important change and fueled
the flames of tolerance and firmness of faith among the believers.
 The list of Arabic virtues that were transformed, though not exhaustive, certainly reflects upon
the general tendencies of a comprehensive religion trying to influence the private, religious and public
spheres of its followers. However, the categorization of the bravery, patience and loyalty as only Arabic
virtues can be a bit problematic. Even in the cultures and civilizations that predated the Arabic society,
these virtues were certainly found in more or less similar version. Loyalty in the Greek and Roman
empires was always shown towards the city-states, tribes, families and kilns. Similarly, bravery was an
equally dignifies quality in the Chinese, Roman and Hellenic societies, as epitomized by the legendary
warriors of Alexandra, Caesar to name a few. The Greek philosophers, similarly, propagated for the
many of the virtues mentioned above. Moreover, St Augustine used the philosophy of natural law to
demarcate between the spectrum of various vices and virtues. Hence, the claim made by Toshihiko
Izutsu that the old ‘Arabic’ virtues were Islamized is certainly weakened when one looks at the historical
adaption and acceptance of the aforementioned virtues. This raises a significant question as to whether
these virtues and vices were only related to the Arabic culture only, or only a certain component of
these qualities were altered according to the Arabic culture by the Bedouin. Whatever the case maybe,
the claim that Islam radically transformed the old ‘Arabic’ virtues only could be a generalized statement,
which when looked under a microscope under a critical lens, could become an exaggerated statement.

All in all, there is certain truth to the claim that Islam changed the conception of Arabic virtues
and took the out from a private sphere of individuals and expanded it into the religious and social
sphere. It limited and streamlined some virtues such as bravery and patience, shifted its domain from a
human experience to a religious and spiritual affairs while denouncing certain vices such s niggardliness
and treachery at the same time. The use of the phrase, ‘in the way of Allah’ in both Islamic literature,
and revelations certainly lend credence to the notion that ‘Arabic’ virtues were taken form a secular
domain to a religious one. However, one can still argue whether the term Arabic virtues could be
questioned as these virtues and vices had been appreciated and denounced by different empires and
cultures dating before the Arabic culture. Likewise, even a cursory glimpse over the Islamic history
would be sufficient to highlight that the Islamisation of Arabic virtues soon evaporated into thin air
when loyalty, bravery and other qualities, which were supposed to be utilized and directed towards the
path of Allah only, were used to consolidate the Umayyad, Abbasids and Ottoman dynasties.
Biblography

Asad, M., 2012. Message Of The Quran. [Place of publication not identified]: Islamic Book Trust.

Izutsu, T., 2014. Ethico-Religious Concepts In The Qur'an. Montréal: McGill-Queen's University Press.