Lesson Plans
Lesson # 1
Subject: History
Date:
Class: Form 3
Time and Duration: 7.30 – 8:10 am (40mins)
Topic: Background of Arabia before Islam
Rationale: This is an introductory lesson, which aims at exposing students to the
geographical, socio-economic, political, and religious background of Arabia before Islam
started. It is the foundation for understanding the whole unit. Most of the events, beliefs,
culture and even practices to be dealt with in the next lessons have a bearing on the
background covered in this lesson. For instance, students will be able to understand why
the rich merchants of Mecca opposed and oppressed Muhammad when he started
preaching and why Muhammad reacted against idol worship in the Kaaba through the
knowledge learnt in this lesson. This lesson therefore will serve as prior knowledge for
understanding the coming lessons.
Prior Knowledge: Students have some knowledge of Arabia and the Arabs learnt in other
subjects both at primary and junior secondary levels and, as well as from the mass media.
Objectives: SWBAT:
o place Arabia in its geographical location.
o analyze the socio-economic, political, and religious background of Arabia before
Islam.
o appreciate the influence of geography on the socio-economic and political life of
Arabs before Islam.
Teaching Materials/Resources
o A map covering Africa, Europe and Asia showing Arabia and its borders
o Picture of the Kaaba shrine
o Handouts of religious groups in Arabia before Islam
Lesson Presentation
1. Anticipatory Set/Introduction (6 minutes)
o Ask students to individually write down anything they know about Arabia.
o After 2-3 minutes, ask students to share in pairs or in threes.
o Ask some students to share with the whole class what they had discussed.
o Introduce the unit topic and lesson topic
2. Development
Step Teacher Activity
1.
a) Ask students to form
groups of 5.
b) Hang map in front of the
class.
c) Ask students to study the
map and discuss the
geographical position of
Arabia in relation to her
neighbors and write their
points.
d) Ask students to take note
Student Activity
Materials
a) In groups studying the Map
map and discussing the
geographical location of
Arabia; also writing down
their points.
b) Taking note of important
towns of Arabia e.g.
Yathrib
(Medina)
and
Mecca.
c) Group presenting/sharing
what they discussed.
Time
10
minutes
of important places in
Arabia in their discussion.
e)
Supervise
group
discussions
f) Ask groups to share with
the whole class.
2.
a) Explain the socioeconomic life and political
organization of the people
of Arabia before Islam
started and ask students to
take down notes as they
listen to the explanation
-people were pastoralists
and nomads.
-moved in search of grass
and water for their camels,
goats and sheep.
-some people lived on
raiding
-others were traders
-most important centers of
trade were Mecca with a
good population of rich
merchants.
-Politically
loosely
organized
under
clan
leaders.
-Quraish
clan
more
influential both religiously
and economically.
b) Ask questions in the
course of the explanation to
check whether students are
following or not, e.g.
-Why was the Quraish clan
more important than other
clans?
-Why was Mecca the most
important city?
-Suggest reasons why the
people
were
loosely
organized.
-If you were living in
Arabia then, how would
a)
Listening
to
the
explanation and taking
down notes.
b)
Answering
oral
questions.
10
minutes
3.
you earn your living?
a) Give out handouts on
Four religious groups of
pre-Islamic Arabia and ask
students to read in groups
of 5 and discuss answers to
questions on the handout.
b)
Supervise
group
discussions
b) Go over the questions
with students.
c) Show students the
picture of the Kaaba
12
a) Reading and discussing Handouts
The picture minutes
in groups.
b) Writing down the of the kaaba
answers in their notebooks.
c) Answering the oral
questions.
d) Looking at the picture of
the Kaaba.
3. Conclusion (2 minutes)
Through a brief summary of the lesson by pointing out the geographical position of
Arabia, socio-economic, political and religious life of pre-Islamic Arabia.
Consolidation/assessment
As a homework assignment, students to write letters to their parents explaining what the
situation in Arabia was like in terms of socio-economic, political and religious life before
Islam.
Evaluation
Teaching Resources/materials for the lesson
Handout: Major religious groups in pre-Islamic Arabia
Many religions were practiced in Arabia before the emergence of Islam. These included
polytheism/paganism, Judaism, Christianity and Hanifism.
Arabian Polytheism
The Arabs worshipped many gods who were believed to dwell in sacred springs, trees
and stones. Mecca was the center of the pagan religion. This was where the Kaaba, the
Arabian Pantheon stood. The Kaaba was a black stone, which they believed fellow from
heaven. The Kaaba was surrounded by 360 idols – one for each day of the year.
Everywhere in Arabia there were sacred stones, or stone heaps, where the Arabs gathered
to worship to obtain special blessings from the gods. Arabs made annual pilgrimages to
Mecca to worship in the Kaaba. They also believed in jinn, the supernatural beings who
assumed earthly form to interfere in the lives of man, sometimes benignly but more often
maliciously. Sacrifices were common but burnt not offerings. The blood of the offering
was smeared over the stone altars and the worshipper ate the flesh. First fruits were also
offered to the gods and libations were poured out. In addition, hair offering formed part
of the ancient pilgrimage.
Besides the other deities, Arabs believed in the supreme god, whom they called
Allah. Allah was regarded the most divine of all deities and people united in the worship
of this god. Muhammad did not introduce the idea of the unity of god among the Arabs.
Nor did Muhammad invent the name Allah for the supreme deity. The idea was common
and so was the name.
Judaism
The Jews came to Arabia from the earliest times. Evidence shows that Jews settled in
Arabia as early as the time of David, and that their settlements continued the 5th century
of the Christian era. A number of native Arab tribes also embraced Judaism and at the
time of Muhammad, they were scattered all over the peninsula in small compact colonies.
Judaism believed in One True God. The Jews had a strong influence in Arabia because
they were believed to be descendants of Abraham whom the Quraish and other tribes
claimed as their ancestor.
Christianity in Arabia
The question how early and from what direction Christianity first entered Arabia is
difficult to answer. Christian communities were reported in Arabia as early as the 4th
Century AD. It was in Southern Arabia that the Christian faith exerted its greatest power
and made largest conquest. Like Judaism, Christianity believed in One God.
Hanifism
Besides the Jews and Christians, there were the Hanifs. They were numerous in Arabia
and they abandoned the worship of the pagan deities and they believed in one god though
they were neither Jews nor Christians. The Hanifs expressed their piety in the words;
“We have surrendered to God (Islam)”. They prohibited the slaying of female infants,
they acknowledged the unity of god and they rejected all idolatry. They also promised a
future paradise for the believer and hell for the wicked and they used words “the Merciful
and Forgiving” for the deity. These Hanifs were not found in Mecca and Medina alone,
but they were everywhere in Arabia.
(Source: Zwemer, S. M. (1907). Islam: Challenge to faith. New York: Student volunteer
Movement for Foreign Missions).
Questions for discussion
1. How many major religions existed in Arabia before Islam?
2. Of these, which one do you think was the most powerful religion in Arabia then?
Why?
3. From what you know about Islam how do you think these religions influenced Islam?
4.Would you consider Islam as a totally new religion in Arabia? Support your line of
thinking.
5. To which religious group do you think Muhammad belonged?
Map covering Africa, Europe and Asia showing Arabia and its borders
Source: humanheritage.glencoe.com
Picture of the Kaaba shrine
Source:humanheritage.glencoe.com