Blog #10

Q: The tribe has always been an important concept in Arabian and Islamic history, creating divisions among its dwellers and followers. How has this caused problems in the history of Islam?

A: The problem with having many small tribes and then declaring unification under the religion Islam is that tensions between tribes cannot be resolved by a simple declaration of unification under the common ground of religion. Even if every tribe follows Islam, tensions regarding property and such arise. In some cases different views regarding Islam will lead tribes to conflicts. For example when the holy black rock had to be placed back in the Kaaba in Mecca, the four main tribal leaders each wanted to place it themselves. If Muhammad had not intervened and found a solution a major conflict could have started. Another example is, after Muhammad's death tribes began to disagree on matters regarding Muhammad's teaching.