What religion did people in Islamic countries practice before Islam came into being?
I don’t know about the other nations but the Turks accepted (and were forced into) Islam mostly when they were settled in Central Asia. During those times, a sizeable number of Turks were following shamanistic and animistic beliefs. Besides, those who were in frequent contact with China were supporting Confucian ideas. However, historians with relevant knowledge on ancient Turkish religions propose that as a nation Turks were generally united under a religion of the “Sky God”. The religion of the “Sky God” used to support the already militaristic and rigid social life of the Turks. Although it was a religion which resembled monotheism, belief of the “Sky God” incorporated many shamanistic and animistic ideas in itself. It was a common practice in ancient Turks to revere natural elements such as fire, water, etc. in addition to their belief that trees, rivers and animals were holy. (It is important to note that the formal history education in Turkey strongly asserts that this religion o
