1. Pre Islamic Politics and Economy.
To explore the politics and economy of Pre-Islamic Arabia.
To evaluate this against Muslim beliefs about wealth.
Do Now:
Give three reasons for Mecca’s economic success.
Who were the most powerful tribe? In what way were they powerful?

2. Social & Economic Conditions in Pre-Islamic Arabia
What did Mecca’s existence depend on?
How did the Zamzam well enhance Mecca?
How did the Kaaba enhance Mecca?
The leading merchants of the city were the ………………tribe.
What led to Meccans performing a ritual suicide?
What economic arrangement existed to boost Mecca’s economy?
How did the concept of ‘alliances’ affect Mecca and its trade?
Explain how a class system developed in Mecca.
What was the impact of a merchant capital and class system upon Mecca?

3. Social & Economic Conditions in Pre-Islamic Arabia
10. How did Mecca’s political power increase?
11. What led to the Quraish being labelled, ‘the people of God?’
12. What led to Mecca becoming relevant to Arab merchants from all regions of Arabia?

4. Social & Economic Conditions in Pre-Islamic Arabia
13. What happened to the clans of the Quraish?
14. Why could the factions not be clan-based?
15. Explain the intraclass conflict with an example.
16. What two observations about the clans are made?
17. How did the competing powers for leadership help Muhammad?

5. Activation: Get into pairs
Activation: Get into pairs. One of you will research economy and one will research social and political status.
Task 1: You have a couple of minutes to read the information. Task 2: record it in your own words on your sheet.
Task 3: Teach the other person about what you have learnt. Help them fill in their grid in their own words.
NOT COPYING YOURS.
Be prepared to answer questions they might have.

6. Demonstration: Now your sheet is complete
Demonstration: Now your sheet is complete. Go through and highlight any qualities or positives things that the Arabians were doing which has transferred to Islam today.
The Monotheism of Christianity and Judaism which existed at the time. Including the Hanifs who were actively trying to change polytheistic beliefs.
There was some care for the poor within tribes and there was kinship and unity within certain tribes. Some even paid Zakat.
Pilgrims from the tribes were still performing Hajj.
There was a concept of Allah.
The Jinn are still a belief today.

7. Consolidation: What five laws/rules would you make Mecca follow in order to fix their society? How would each of them make a difference to the lives of the people?

8. Read:
1.) Dr Mohd Shukri
‘In search of an Islamic Educational Philosophy’.
Q: Which practices in Islam have come from Jahiliyyah and how are they different?

9. Politically and socially.....
The Quraysh were politically the most powerful tribe in Mecca.
They had alliances with different tribes secured by inter-tribe marriage. This meant they had more access to land and new markets.
The Quraysh had free right of travel as in return for armed protection they would promise to sell other tribes products at the markets. (Ilaf).
Socially Mecca was divided into bands. The wealthy merchants were at the top, then the free men, then the clients, then lastly the slaves.
A slave was either captured in war or was forced into slavery due to debt.
Some slave women were forced into prostitution.
Anyone who became poor was forced out of their tribe. There were however some tribes who paid Zakat and who cared for their poor with that money.

10. Mecca was economically successful because:
The location of Mecca was alongside the most important trade route in Arabia linking the Yemen and Syria as well as Egypt and Persia.
The Zam-Zam water well made Mecca a convenient stopping point for travelling tribes.
The Kab'ah meant that many different people visited Mecca to pay their respects to the idols.
The tribes worked hard – being ruined financially meant that you were a burden on your family, people who lost out often committed suicide.
There was a service sector for those who didn’t trade. Merchant caravans meant that there was a market for services e.g.: porters, guides, guards, shepherds, vets, entertainers and servants.