Abū Al-Ḥasan Al-Masʻūdī on pre-Islamic Arab Religions and Belief

Abstract

This study aims to shed light on one aspect of the contributions of an early Muslim historian of religion, Abū al-Ḥasan al-Masʻūdī. It focuses on al-Masʻūdī’s work on pre-Islamic Arab religions and beliefs. The study is based on textual analysis of al-Masʻūdī’s treatment of the issue in his Murūj (The Meadows), and comparisons are made with al-Masʻūdī’s treatments of the non-Arab religions.