Jews v Arabs, related to Q in New

[Loosehead]

Just been reading the very interesting link about the sons of Abraham etc being the start of Jews + Arabs about 4000 years ago. The Islamic religion existed from approx 621AD so what religion where the Arabs before Mohammend and the start of the Koran etc? and what convinced them to sign up to what must have seemed like a maverick new religion at the time?

[Catso]

I heard a very interesting view on this on R4 last week. From a serious academic-historian-type bloke. I can't post details though, or I'd get all sorts of grief :-(

As you can surmise, it wasn't exactly 'uplifting', and proposed some rather down-to-earth reasons for the rapid expansion of Islam. It also went a long way towards explaining why we're in the mess we are now.

[jake-the-peg]

There were a number of religions being practiced in Arabia at the time, tribal polytheism, Christianity Judeism, Zoroastrianism etc.

Yes there was quite a resistance at first! there's a nice summary here:
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrm s/islam.html

[Clanad]

Prior to Mohammed having his night visions (or flight) which is referenced in The Koran, in Sura 17:1, which states, "Glory be to Him who made His servant [Mohammed] go by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest [or remotest] Mosque", the 'religion' of the middle east consisted of a number of different nature based beliefs, including the worship of the Moon God (or godess) still represented by the Crescent and Star seen atop most Mosques. (Also embodied in the Ka'ba which houses the Black Stone, which was revered in Mecca in pre-Islamic times. It became a Muslim relic after Muhammad founded Islam, and pilgrims to Mecca try to stop and kiss it while circumambulating the Ka'ba during the hajj. It is generally believed to be a meteorite.)
"Late Islamic masculinization of the Arabian Goddess, Al-Lat or Al-Ilat - the Allatu of the Babylonians - formerly worshipped at the Kaaba in Mecca. It has been shown that 'the Allah of Islam' was a male transformation of 'the primitive lunar deity of Arabia.' Her ancient symbol the crescent moon still appears on Islamic flags, even though modern Moslems no longer admit any feminine symbolism whatever connected with the wholly patriarchal Allah." (Source: Payne, Robert; The History of Islam, Dorset Press, NY 1959/1987 )
Space and time aren't sufficient to describe how the Muslim faith spread as a new belief, however you might see http://san.beck.org/AB13-MuhammadandIslam.html
for a balanced view of the spread of Islam (be prepared for a long read, however)...

[Loosehead]

thanks all very helpful