The Sacred in Pre-Islamic Poetry

In The Sacred in Pre-Islamic Poetry, Dr. Abdullah Al-Baradi offers a rigorous academic investigation into the spiritual and religious worldview of the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula through its poetic heritage. The book moves beyond viewing pre-Islamic poetry merely as historical or martial records, framing it instead as a rich repository of early Arab metaphysics, mythology, and sacred rituals.

Al-Baradi categorizes and analyzes various expressions of the sacred, including sacred spaces (shrines, sanctuaries, and idols), sacred time (holy months and ritualistic seasons), as well as animal and mythical symbolism. Utilizing methods from cultural criticism, comparative religion, and literary analysis, the author reconstructs the complex belief systems and existential perceptions embedded within the ancient Arab consciousness.

Because it provides an innovative, interdisciplinary look at pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, uncovering the hidden religious, mythological, and anthropological layers of ancient Arabian culture.

For researchers and scholars in Arabic literature, literary criticism, anthropology, history of religions, and readers interested in pre-Islamic Arabian history and mythology.