pre-Islamic

[ pree-is-lam-ik, -lah-mik, -iz- ]

adjective

1. existing prior to the ascendancy of Islam; pre-Muslim.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pre-Islamic¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Zarqa Al Yamama is the story of a blue-eyed tribal matriarch with the gift of foreseeing the future in pre-Islamic Arabia.

From BBC

Data gathered from the analysis of the four individuals' remains allowed researchers to characterise the genetic composition of the region's pre-Islamic inhabitants -- insights that could only have been obtained by directly examining ancient DNA sequences.

From Science Daily

The country has been ruled by hard-line clerics who preach a strict version of Islam since the 1979 Islamic revolution, who discouraged people from following pre-Islamic feasts and traditions.

From Seattle Times

While a number of walled oases dating back to the Bronze Age had already been documented, this major discovery sheds new light on human occupation in north-western Arabia, and provides a better grasp of local social complexity during the pre-Islamic period.

From Science Daily

Abdelaziz El Khayari, a professor of pre-Islamic archaeology from Morocco’s National Institute of Archaeological Sciences and Heritage, said that the site’s significance stems from its location on the water, which likely made it an important trading site, facilitating the exchange of materials including the import of Italian marble and export of African ivory.

From Seattle Times