The Impact of Religious Practices on Shaping Cultural Habits: The Case of Child Sacrifice among the Pre-Islāmic Arabs from the Qur’ānic Perspective

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

It is a good introduction to the topic. However, the author(s) should be more precise on the methid used for the abalysis of the selected texts. Also, the author(s) should add references to the following sources:

-Ramazan Altıntaş. 2007. Bütün Yönleriyle Cahiliyye. İstanbul: Pınar yayinlari.

-Harun Ogmus. 2013. Cahiliyye Döneminde Araplar. İstanbul: İz yayıncılık.

Adem Apak. 2012. Anahtarlariyla İslam Öncesi Arap Tarihi ve Kültürü. İstanbul: Ensar yay.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor English editing is necessary for improving the quality of the article.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer;

Thank you very much for your contribution to my research.

1. The sources you pointed out have been referenced accordingly.
2. In the introduction of the study, clearer information has been provided about the method used for analyzing the narrations and verses.
3. The entire article has undergone thorough English language review by an expert.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article presented, as presented, makes no new contribution to Religious Studies and has severe problems in terms of the validity of the argument. I want to point out the main issues that recommend not publishing it in its current stage:

a) The article's perspective appears rooted in an apologetic interpretation of the Koran. It reads the Koranic scriptures as a historical chronicle of the Arab world, based on a religious narrative that establishes an unquestioned divide between the pre and post-Islamic eras.

b) The article simplifies the diversity of the pre-Islamic Arab world into Koranic categories, as if this rich and complex world could be distilled into a single narrative.

c) The practice of child sacrifice is universalised in a very reductionist way, without any confrontation with the extensive bibliography that has explored this theme in the Ancient Near East and the Ancient Mediterranean. Nor is there any discussion of anthropological theories of sacrifice (e.g. René Girard). The bibliographical exploration is confined to the Arab Islamic world.

d) The article aims to illuminate culture-religion relations through the study of child sacrifice. However, it does not provide a satisfactory review of this problem or present any critical theory that would allow us to understand the boundaries and intersections between "culture" and "religion."

Author Response

Dear Reviewer;

Thank you very much for your valuable feedback and contributions. I would like to address a few points related to your evaluation.

While acknowledging that there could be various reasons for the custom of killing daughters in the pre-Islāmic period, this study aims to emphasize that one of the primary reasons was the cult practice of offering children as sacrifices to gods. Therefore, the scope of the research has been limited to identifying narrations (riwāyāts) of child sacrifice to deities in the pre-Islamic period and interpreting relevant verses. Hence, the research does not claim to examine and discuss the issue of child sacrifice in different religions and cultures. Hence, it has limited itself to referring to sources related to the topic. As you have also pointed out, there are already studies available on this topic.

The research does not impose a theological assumption on the reader. On the contrary, it seeks an alternative interpretation related to the topic. This alternative interpretation has been supported both by historical data and by a semantic analysis of the term used in the Qur'an to justify the killing of children. There appears to be a relationship between the theological perceptions of pre-Islamic Arabian societies, particularly regarding female children, and their practice of killing them. At least the relevant riwāyāts and Qur’ānic verses allow for the establishment of such a relationship. The Qur’ān also serves as a historical source that illuminates the pre-Islāmic era. However, Islāmic scholars have generally attributed the relevant statements in the Qur’ān to the cultural customs of pre-Islamic Arabs and have neglected the religious dimension of this practice. Therefore, the research focuses on this neglected dimension.

As you pointed out, the introduction of the study references research conducted in the Western world on the practice of child sacrifice in pre-Islamic Arab culture.However, as you pointed out, Girard's studies typically focus on ancient Mediterranean cultures such as Ancient Greece and Rome. No direct study by Girard on child sacrifice rituals in the pre-Islamic Arab world has been identified. Therefore, historical and anthropological theories of sacrifice constitute a separate research topic that exceeds the scope of our study. However, following your suggestion, the introduction briefly touched upon historical and anthropological theories of sacrifice, and the research methodology has been clearly defined. Additionally, following your suggestions, the introduction and conclusion of the article have been improved.

I thank you once again for your valuable critiques and contributions.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author is dealing with a controversial subject, one that lends itself to a wide range of interpretations among scholars. From the knowledge I have of such a specific subject, it seems to me that the consideration of the primary and decisive importance that the cultic and religious aspect would have on the practice of infanticide (especially female infanticide) is not so widely shared among scholars, but is mainly the result of the author's reading. Such a reading may be justified (even if it should give an account, however brief, of how Muslim authors always tended to evaluate pre-Islamic culture and religion negatively), but his lexical interpretation of the terms in the last part of the text remains somewhat indebted to clarity and completeness. In addition, he should mention, perhaps in the bibliography, other significant positions in which the cultic aspect of this terrible practice is certainly present, but together with other aspects and, above all, never takes precedence, as the text seeks to demonstrate.

Two short studies to consult in this regard could be: 

1. Avner Giladi, Some Observation on Infanticide in Medieval Muslim Society», International Journal of Middle East Studies, vol .22 (1990/2), pp. 185-200;

2. Ikka Lindstedt, The Qur'an and the Putative pre-Islamic Pracrice of Female Infanticide, Journal Of International Qur'anic Association, 2023 (8/1), 5-29; 

Best Regsards

GS 

 

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer;
Thank you very much for your contribution to my research. 
1.    The two sources you mentioned have been cited in the introduction, especially in the context of literature review.
2.    The section containing etymological explanations has been reviewed again and some additions have been made.
3.    In the conclusion, references have been made to other reasons for the practice of killing infant girls, with clearer statements indicating that the underlying main reason is related to cultic and religious rituals.

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The research is a paraphrasing of previous studies; it is written as a coherent whole and has a logical structure. However there there is too much repetition, wich can make the reader feel a bit tired. 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer;

Thank you very much for your contribution to my research.

1. The article has been reviewed and repetitive phrases have been replaced with alternatives or sometimes omitted from the text.
2. Following your suggestions, the introduction of the research has been reviewed again.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author has introduced some remodelling that has improved the focus and context of his arguments. However, from my perspective, there is still a problem regarding the nature of the research: is it a linguistic study of Koranic literature (analysing the lexicon and semantic constructs), or is it a question of using this literature as a document to characterise a pre-Islamic religious/cultural practice? The lack of clarity on this aspect seriously limits the scientific scope of this study. Looking at all the analytical procedures and the various arguments, at the current stage of writing, the author continues to use the Koranic text as if it were a primary source on pre-Islamic societies, suspending any consideration of its mythical dimensions and renouncing consideration of the history of its writing. Ultimately, the fundamental question remains: is this a linguistic study of Koranic literature or a religious history research of pre-Islamic societies?

Author Response

Dear reviewer, thank you for your valuable criticism and evaluation.

Regarding your questions, I can say the following;

It is difficult to assert that historical studies are independent of linguistic research, as history is conveyed to us through language. Therefore, a correct understanding of a historical event depends on accurately identifying the linguistic implications of the narratives transmitted about that event. Accordingly, linguistic analysis of the relevant expressions regarding the killing of children in the Qur'an also assumes a historical dimension. Additionally, the claim that children were offered as sacrifices to gods is not solely based on linguistic analysis of relevant expressions in the Qur'an. The study also incorporates historical sources on the subject. Accordingly When we look at historical accounts independently of the Qur'an, it becomes clear that pre-Islamic Arabs had a theological perception specifically regarding female children. Their view of angels as daughters of Allah, naming their idols with female names, and in some accounts, dressing and adorning female children in a ritualistic manner before taking them to be sacrificed, indicate a ritualistic practice where gods were considered to have greater rights over female children. These historical indicators suggest that this practice was indeed a ritual. The relevant expressions in the Qur'an support this understanding. Therefore, if this observation were solely based on linguistic analysis of the Qur'an, your criticism would be valid.

Moreover, we hold the view that the Qur'an serves as a historical document illuminating the pre-Islamic period. While this aspect has been highlighted in research on the subject, it has not been discussed in the article as it pertains to a different study. Nonetheless, comprehensive studies have been conducted on this topic. Some of these studies include: "The Value of Historical Source of The Qur'an" by Belkıs Özsoy Demiray, “The Value and Importance of the Qur’an as a Source for Siyer” by Adem Apak, "The Qur'an as Text" by Wildcat Beeston et al., "The Qur'an in Its Historical Context" edited by Gabriel Said Reynolds, and "The Qur'an and Its Historical Context" by Nevin Reda.

The question here then becomes: Is there any connection between the pre-Islamic Arabs' theological understanding of female children and their cultural practice of killing them for various reasons? The relevant interpretations and findings throughout the study suggest the existence of such a relationship. Of course, we are not making a blanket statement, but we propose that this aspect should be considered in the evaluation.

Why is this important? Because certain theological assumptions play significant roles in legitimizing cultural practices that may be incorrect or even seen as barbaric. When a thought is associated with God and belief, it becomes easier to convince people of that thought. Therefore when criticizing such practices, it becomes crucial to examine the issue from a more fundamental perspective. As a result, this research appears to be an investigation that examines the religious structure of the Jahiliyyah period, during which the Qur'an emerged, by analyzing both relevant narratives and verses.

I thank you very much for this valuable discussion.