Arabian Customs and Law in the Light of the Prophetic Seerah and Islamic Shariah: A Proposed Research Study

Abstract

This proposed study examines the customs, legal traditions, and tribal practices of pre-Islamic Arabia in the light of the Prophetic Seerah and Islamic Sharīʿah. Arabian society before Islam was governed by an established system of customary norms that regulated family relations, commercial transactions, tribal administration, judicial practices, and religious traditions. Rather than rejecting these customs in their entirety or accepting them unconditionally, Islam adopted a balanced and reformative approach based on wisdom, gradual transformation, justice, and the objectives of Sharīʿah. The primary objective of this research is to analyse the Prophetic methodology in dealing with prevailing Arabian customs and laws by identifying the practices that were retained, those that were reformed, and those that were abolished. The study further explores the legal status of custom (ʿUrf) within Islamic law and examines how classical Islamic jurisprudence incorporated customary practices within the framework of Sharīʿah. Employing historical, analytical, and comparative research methods, this study will primarily rely on the Qur'an, the Sunnah, classical Seerah literature, authoritative works of Islamic jurisprudence, and historical sources on pre-Islamic Arabia. It is expected that the findings will demonstrate the flexibility and reformative nature of Islamic law and provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between customary law, the Prophetic model of social reform, and the objectives of Sharīʿah. The study also aims to contribute to contemporary discussions on Islamic legal thought and social transformation by presenting the Prophetic approach as a balanced model for engaging with cultural and legal traditions.