Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam
Institute ofAsian and African Studies at the Hebrew University The Max Schloessinger Memorial Foundation offprint from JERUSALEM STUDIES IN ARABIC AND ISLAM 8 1986 FROM JAHIUYYA TO ISLAM I Part II THE MAGNES PRESSOTHE HEBREW UNIVERSITY-JERUSALEM J5AI 8. 1986 THE KAcBA Aspects of its ritual functions and position in pre-Islamic and early Islamic times Uri Rubin The history of the Ka-ba in pre-Islamic times, as recorded in the Arab sources, is, in many cases, related from a specific Islamic viewpoint, and formulated in a special Islamic terminology, which has, sometimes, un- dergone a process of adaptation and re-adaptation. But, in spite of these disadvantages of the Muslim records, which have already been noticed by western scholars, lone may still come across many passages which seem to reflect the authentic pre-Islamic reality of the Ka-ba. Even pas- sages containing details which appear to be contradictory, or, inconsis- tent, or even legendary, are, more often than not, most revealing with respect to the history of the Ka-ba, The present study is based upon the assumption that much of the inconsistency in the information about the Ka-ba, as recorded in our sources, is essentially the result of real changes and developments which took place in the structure, ritual functions and position of the Ka'ba in pre-Islamic times, and in the attitude of the worshippers towards this sanctuary since it became part of Muslim worship. Some of these changes and developments are studied in the present article, the outline of which is as follows: 1.
[Show full text]