How did the other religions end up on the Arabian Peninsula?
Judaism
The Jews migrated from Palestine to Arabia in two phases. In the first phase, King Bukhtanassar (Nebuchadnezzar II) destroyed their temple and took them captive en masse. As a result, a number of Jewish communities migrated around 587 BCE to the northern part of the Hijaz.
The second phase was the Roman occupation of Palestine. As a consequence, many Jews migrated to the Hijaz, specifically Yathrib (which would later become Madinah), Khaybar and Tayma. They converted many tribes to Judaism, built fortresses and castles, and lived in villages. Judaism played an important role in the political life of the pre-Islamic era. By the time the Prophetic Mission began, there were already well-known Jewish tribes such as:
- Khabeer
- Al-Mustaliq
- An-Nadir
- Quraidhah
- Qaynuqa
Judaism was first introduced to Yemen by As’ad Abi Karb. He had travelled to Yathrib to wage war, and while there he converted to Judaism. He returned and brought two rabbis from Banu Quraidhah to teach the people of Yemen the new religion. Judaism gained a foothold and spread further. After the death of As’ad Abi Karb, his son Dhu Nawas came to power and attacked the Christian community in Najran, forcing them to convert to Judaism. When they refused, he ordered a pit to be dug and set ablaze, after which all the Christians were thrown in. It is said that between 20,000 and 40,000 Christians were murdered in this way. This is believed to have taken place in the year 523, and this story is recounted in the Quran in Surah Al-Buruj.
Christianity
Christianity made its entrance through Ethiopian and Byzantine colonists who settled on the Arabian Peninsula. The presence of the Abyssinians began in the year 340 and lasted until 378; through them, Christianity reached Yemen. Around this time, a Christian missionary named Fimion had arrived in Najran to invite the people to Christianity. Because of his good reputation, they responded positively and converted to Christianity.
In the year 525, the Abyssinians returned to Yemen in retaliation against the injustice of Dhu Nawas. They then began to propagate their religion aggressively. They even built a church and called it the Yemeni Ka’bah, with the aim of luring Arab pilgrims to Yemen instead of Makkah. Moreover, they intended to destroy the Ka’bah. The most prominent Christian tribes were:
- Ghassan
- Taghlib
- Tai’
- A number of Himyarite kings
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Majus (Zoroastrianism)
Besides Christianity and Judaism, there were also Majus present. This faith was especially popular among the Arabs who lived near or under the influence of the Persian Empire. They were known for worshipping the elements, fire in particular. They built Houses of Fire in various places for worship. Within these houses, people adhered to strict rules and prayer, but outside they were free to do as they pleased. In essence, there was therefore little difference between the Majus and people who followed no religion at all.
The Corruption of the Religions
The religions on the Arabian Peninsula became corrupted. For the Jews, this meant that they placed their rabbis as lords alongside Allah ﷻ. Their goal became the acquisition of wealth and power, even if it meant losing their religion. Their religion became a soulless set of rituals and they were heavily influenced by neighbouring nations or the nations that had subjugated them. The Jews also maintained certain superstitious practices.
As for Christianity, distortions and false interpretations corrupted its pure teachings. It was no longer a purely monotheistic religion. Practices that deviated from original monotheism, such as the Trinity, came increasingly to the fore and were integrated into Christian doctrine. Isa ﵇ had invited people to worship Allah ﷻ alone. The early Christians strayed from the path to the point that the Trinity was incorporated into Christian doctrine in the 4th century.
By the time the Prophet ﷺ received the command to invite people to Islam, the Arabian Peninsula was saturated with polytheism and superstition. It was as if the adherents of the various religions were competing with one another to determine who was best at venerating their false gods.