The Emergence Of Islam In Late Antiquity: Allah... 🆒
Constant conflict between the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires created a power vacuum in the Arabian Peninsula.
The emergence of Islam is increasingly viewed by scholars not as a sudden rupture, but as an integral part of Late Antiquity (c. 600–750 CE). This period was defined by:
The first Islamic century shared administrative, monetary, and cultural patterns with the Byzantine era , indicating continuity rather than immediate separation. 2. Pre-Islamic Allah: The "High God" The Emergence of Islam in Late Antiquity: Allah...
A "kaleidoscope" of religious change where polytheistic systems were collapsing in favour of monotheism (Judaism, Christianity) and dualism (Zoroastrianism).
Scholars generally agree on the Semitic roots of the word, though they debate the exact path of its development: Description Linguistic Connection A contraction of al-ilāh ("The God"). Common Arabic philology Aramaic Borrowing Borrowed from the Syriac Alāhā or Aramaic ʼElāhā . Biblical Aramaic cognates Semitic Root Derived from the West Semitic creator god ʾIlu (El). Akkadian ilum , Hebrew Eloah 4. The Transformation: Paleo-Islam to Imperial Monotheism Constant conflict between the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires
Contrary to some traditional views, the name was well-known in Arabia long before Muhammad’s mission.
Notably, while other deities were represented by idols (such as Hubal ), no known iconic representation of Allah existed in the pre-Islamic period. 3. Etymology and Linguistic Origins This period was defined by: The first Islamic
The transition of Allah from a high god among many to the exclusive deity of a new empire involved several stages: THE EMERGENCE OF ISLAM IN LATE ANTIQUITY | Almuslih