Marriage in the pre-Islamic era took four forms.The first was the marriage practiced by people today, where a man would propose to another man for his ward or daughter, pay her dowry, and then marry her.Another form was where a man would say to his wife after she had become pure from her menstruation, "Send for so-and-so and seek intercourse with him." Her husband would then keep away from her and not touch her at all until her pregnancy by that man from whom she sought intercourse became evident. Once her pregnancy was clear, her husband could be intimate with her again if he wished. He did this out of desire for noble offspring. This type of marriage was called nikah al-istibda, the marriage of seeking offspring.Another form was where a group of fewer than ten men would gather and all have intercourse with the same woman. When she became pregnant and gave birth, and a few nights had passed after delivery, she would send for all of them, and none of them could refuse to come. Once they were assembled before her, she would say to them, "You know what you have done, and now I have given birth. He is your son, so-and-so." She would name whichever of them she chose, and the child would be attributed to him.The fourth form was where many men would gather and all have intercourse with a woman who did not refuse anyone who came to her. These were the prostitutes, who used to set up flags at their doors as a sign for whoever wanted them to enter. When one of them became pregnant and gave birth, the men would gather before her and summon the physiognomists, who would then attribute the child to whichever man they determined. The man would take the child as his own and call him his son, and he could not refuse this.When Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ, he abolished all the marriages of the pre-Islamic era except the marriage practiced by the Muslims today.
حدثنا أحمد بن صالح حدثنا عنبسة بن خالد حدثني يونس بن يزيد قال قال محمد بن مسلم بن شهاب أخبرني عروة بن الزبير أن
أن النكاح كان في الجاهلية على أربعة أنحاء فكان منها نكاح الناس اليوم يخطب الرجل إلى الرجل وليته فيصدقها ثم ينكحها ونكاح آخر كان الرجل يقول لامرأته إذا طهرت من طمثها أرسلي إلى فلان فاستبضعي منه ويعتزلها زوجها ولا يمسها أبدا حتى يتبين حملها من ذلك الرجل الذي تستبضع منه فإذا تبين حملها أصابها زوجها إن أحب وإنما يفعل ذلك رغبة في نجابة الولد فكان هذا النكاح يسمى نكاح الاستبضاع ونكاح آخر يجتمع الرهط دون العشرة فيدخلون على المرأة كلهم يصيبها فإذا حملت ووضعت ومر ليال بعد أن تضع حملها أرسلت إليهم فلم يستطع رجل منهم أن يمتنع حتى يجتمعوا عندها فتقول لهم قد عرفتم الذي كان من أمركم وقد ولدت وهو ابنك يا فلان فتسمي من أحبت منهم باسمه فيلحق به ولدها ونكاح رابع يجتمع الناس الكثير فيدخلون على المرأة لا تمتنع ممن جاءها وهن البغايا كن ينصبن على أبوابهن رايات يكن علما لمن أرادهن دخل عليهن فإذا حملت فوضعت حملها جمعوا لها ودعوا لهم القافة ثم ألحقوا ولدها بالذي يرون فالتاطه ودعي ابنه لا يمتنع من ذلك فلما بعث الله محمدا ﷺ هدم نكاح أهل الجاهلية كله إلا نكاح أهل الإسلام اليوم