Life-of-Muhammad

2Life of Muhammad sathat in the Ka‘ba alone, the Sacred Mosque of all Islamand the house of worship built by Abraham as and hisson Ishmael, there were 360 idols. It seems that forevery day of the lunar year the Meccans had an idol. Inother big centres there were other idols, so that we cansay that every part of Arabia was steeped in polytheisticbelief. The Arabs were devoted to the culture of speech.They were much interested in their spoken languageand were very keen on its advance. Their intellectualambitions, however, were scant. Of History, Geography,Mathematics, etc., they knew nothing. But as they werea desert people and had to find their way about in thedesert without the assistance of landmarks, they haddeveloped a keen interest in Astronomy. There was inthe whole of Arabia not a single school. It is said that inMecca only a few individuals could read and write.From the moral point of view the Arabs were acontradictory people. They suffered from some extrememoral defects but at the same time they possessed someadmirable qualities. They were given to excessivedrinking. To become drunk and to run wild under theeffect of drink was for them a virtue, not a vice. Theirconception of a gentleman was one who should entertainhis friends and neighbours to drinking bouts. Every richman would hold a drinking party at least five times aday. Gambling was their national sport. But they hadmade of it a fine art. They did not gamble in order tobecome rich. Winners were expected to entertain theirfriends. In times of war, funds were collected throughgambling. Even today we have the institution of prizebondsto raise money for war. The institution has beenresuscitated in our time by the people of Europe andAmerica. But they should remember that in this theyonly imitate the Arabs. When war came, Arabian tribeswould hold a gambling party. Whoever won had to bearthe greater part of the expenses of the war.Of the amenities of civilized life, the Arabs knewnothing. Their chief occupation was trade, and to thisend they sent their caravans to far-off places, such as