Although most of the Arabs were illiterate and uneducated during the Jahili era, they had a strong desire for literature. Many of them used to practice lyric poetry by word of mouth. At that time there was an annual fair called Uqaz Mela in Arabia. Famous poets of that time used to recite their poems in fairs. The poems which were considered the best were written in gold letters and hung on the walls of the Holy Kaaba.
The greatest wealth of Arabic literature is ‘As-Sabul Mu’allaqat’ (The Seven Hanging Poems) composed during the Jahili period. Arabs gained world fame during the Jahili era due to their poetry. Their poetry was very high in quality. Hazrat Ibn Abbas (RA) said, “When you do not understand something in the Book of Allah, then look for its meaning in the poetry of the Arabs.” Because poetry is their biography.” (Al-Mufachhal)
This means that in the cultural life of ancient Arabs, there were numerous proverbs, legends, funny stories and rhetoric, but the main means of practicing their culture was poetry.
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