Was the Jāhiliyya Arab Waiting for a Prophet? The Perception of Prophet at the Period of Jāhiliyya in the Context of Deus Otiosus
Journal Title: Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi - Year 2018, Vol 59, Issue 1
Abstract
Was the Jāhiliyya Arab Waiting for a Prophet? The Perception of Prophet at the Period of Jāhiliyya in the Context of Deus Otiosus This article attempts to answer the question whether or not the pagan Jāhiliyya Arabs had a prophetic expectation in Arabian Peninsula that was home to different religious traditions. It primarily discusses whether the idea of a supreme being found in the Jāhiliyya Arabs’ polytheist understanding of god may have had any influences on this point. The powers of this god, a Deus Otiosus, who was transcendent but far away from intervention, were transferred into idols, who were assigned as the interlocutors of the divine assistance to Jāhiliyya Arabs in their daily life. This indicates that there was no expectation of a warner or a prophet coming to them, to tell “the truth”, and arrange their lives. Furthermore, it is also remarkable that the Arabs turned to the Ahl al-Kitāb, who were awaiting a prophet, when they needed to consult about the situation of the Prophet Muhammad. That the Ḥanīfs attempted to support the idea of a prophet based on a Jewish-Christian ground, and that the false prophets emerged only after the apostleship/risāla of Muhammad also indicate that there was no expectation of a prophet in the mind of the Jāhiliyya Arabs
Authors and Affiliations
Mehmet Alıcı
Keywords
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- DOI 10.1501/Ilhfak_0000001485
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