جغرافيا جزيرة العرب

Arabic History Studies - Pre-Islamic Era

• The Arabian Peninsula is located in southwest Asia.
• The Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf separated the Arabian Peninsula from India and Persia during the Jurassic period.
• The Red Sea separated the Arabian Peninsula from North Africa during the Tertiary period.
• The Arabian Peninsula is surrounded by water except for the north.
• Geographers in antiquity divided the peninsula into three sections:
  • Arabian Petra (Tor Sinai).
  • Arabian Desert (large desert extending from the borders of Syria and Iraq to the Indian Ocean).
    • Types of deserts:
      • Samawa Desert: flat land with no stones, located in the north between Kufa and Syria, with few wells and springs.
      • Empty Quarter: large sandy desert, mostly barren and poor, located in the south, connected to the Samawa Desert in the north, extending east to the Arabian Gulf. It has few trees and palm trees and very little water except in a few valleys filled with rain water that quickly evaporates.
      • Harar (plural of Hara): any land with stones (black and sand); these stones are numerous in the Arabian Peninsula, especially around the city.

Arabian Peninsula in the Pre-Islamic Era

• Najd: Located south of the Syrian Desert between the Hijaz and the Eastern Province.
• Hijaz: Located south of the Sinai Peninsula, extending along the Red Sea from Aila (Aqaba) to Yemen. It's called Hijaz because it separates the Syrian/Palestinian valley from the desert. It is a poor area with many valleys, and it is hot, except in some areas like Taif. The Hijaz is historically important because it contains Mecca and Medina.
• Yemen: Located south of the Hijaz, a fertile and rich agricultural region, famous for its cities of Sana'a, Aden, and Najran. It has many mountains and valleys.
• Oman: Contains many lands with palm trees and crops; its people were known for their seafaring skills. The trade in the Indian Ocean between the eastern coast of the peninsula and India was well-established. Bahrain and the Eastern Province were located northwest of Oman.

Pre-Islamic Era: Views of the Origin of the Semitic People

• Some believe the Arabian Peninsula, especially the areas suitable for life, was once fertile but later experienced drought, thus burying the ancient civilizations.
• Some say Najd was the original home.
• Others say the center of the Arabian Peninsula was where the Semitic peoples originated.

Pre-Islamic Period: The Jahiliyyah

• The Jahiliyyah era is the pre-Islamic era in Arabic history.
• The term "Jahiliyyah" refers to the state of the Arabs before the emergence of Islam.
• The Jahiliyyah period lasted from prehistory until the emergence of Islam. It was a period in which the Arabian Peninsula was devoid of a law, prophet, or divine scripture.

Scholars' Different Perspectives on the Jahiliyyah

• Scholars disagree on the definition of the Jahiliyyah Period. Some propose it's the period without prophets between Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them). Others view it as the time of Abraham's (peace be upon him) birth or between Noah and Idris. One view is that the Jahiliyyah is the period between the dawn of history and the beginning of the Islamic era. Many scholars believe it was a period marked by polytheistic practices and tribal conflicts. It was a complex era, not a single continuous time period, but rather a series of time frames each with unique traditions and beliefs.

Different Arabian Groups in the Pre-Islamic Era

• Two main categories exist: extinct tribes and the Arabic-speaking tribes descended from Ishmael.
  • Extinct Tribes: 'Ad, Thamud, Tasm, Jadis, Amim, 'Aayl, Hjr, Jasm, and 'Amaleq.
• Arabic-speaking tribes: descendants of Ishmael.
• Another categorization includes "Arabic-speaking Arabs" (considered Semitic and among the earliest inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula), and "converted/Arabized Arabs" (descendants of Ishmael).

Kingdoms in Pre-Islamic Arabia

• The Arabs did not have a central government. Independent tribes made up of the pre-Islamic Arab communities.
• Jahiliyyah poetry reflects tribal pride and conflicts.
• The Arabian Peninsula was not a unified entity in terms of nationality, religion, or way of life.
• Pre-Islamic communities in the Arabian Peninsula varied by region. Arabs in the south (Yemen) tended to be settled, while those in the north (Najd) were more nomadic.
• Several regional kingdoms emerged, such as the kingdoms of Yemen (south), Hira (northeast), and Ghassan (northwest).
• Cities like Mecca, Medina, and Taif had specific political lives.
• The region was sometimes ruled by kings, local chiefs, and notables, such as the Hashemite clan (of Mecca).

Arabian Kingdoms

• Kingdom of Ma'in: Flourished in southern Arabia, benefiting from its agricultural potential and trade, located in the heart of Yemen.
• Kingdom of Saba (Sheba): Often referred to as Saba'i, encompassed the greatest extent of its power in the 950-115 BC period. Saba'i conquered Ma’in and dominated South Arabia's southern regions. Remained a powerful empire until the use of sea routes by Indian traders. Saba' was named after Saba, a descendent of Ya'rib, a descendant of Qahtan, the founder of the Arabs of the south. It passed through two prominent periods; the first concluded in 550BC, and the second ran from 650BC to 115BC, where kings held the title of 'King of Saba'. Archaeological remnants remain.
• Kingdom of Himyar: Southern Arabian authority fragmented after the fall of Saba, and local power holders ruled specific regions. Individual rulers were often identified by a title attached to their region, such as "Governor of such-and-such." These regions were sometimes collected under a single ruler's authority known as a "Province." Himyar ruled from 115 BCE to 300 CE, and its leaders were known as "Tubaba."

Foreign Invasions of Southern Arabia

• The Arabian peninsula became a target for foreign conquests throughout history, as shown through the conquests of Alexander the Great, Pompey, and others.
• The Romans and Persians attempted to expand their empires into Arabia. However, some efforts ultimately failed, primarily due to Arabia's harsh geographic features, like challenging weather conditions and lack of familiar water sources.
• Another major event occurred when the Abyssinians (an older name for Ethiopia) invaded Yemen and subjugated part of the Himyarite kingdom in 525 CE.

Arab Kingdoms on the Borders

• In the mid-third century CE, Arabs were between the two great empires of Persia and Rome.
• The Persians and Romans attempted to conquer Arabia but were often repelled.
• The Romans sought to establish a buffer zone of desert between their territories and their enemies.
• Persia aimed to incorporate Arabian tribes into their empire, leading to the emergence of the kingdom of Hira along the border.

Kingdom of Hira

• Located south of Kufa (Najaf). Some sources say the name is of Aramaic origin, meaning 'camp'.
• The first king was Malik bin Fahm, followed by 'Amr bin Fahm, and then Jadhma al-As'ar.

Kingdom of Ghassan

• Emerged in Syria as an independent polity during the 6th century CE.
• The Ghassanids allied with the Romans to counter the Persians.
• The kingdom was centered in modern Syria.
• Had a sophisticated culture, partly due to their interaction with the Hellenistic world.

Cities of the Hijaz

• Mecca: Located in the Hijaz, was a trading center.
• Medina: Located in central Arabia, a farming community.
• Taif: Located east of Mecca, a well-watered commercial center.

Religious Beliefs in Pre-Islamic Arabia

• Polytheism: Various forms existed, reflecting regional influences.
• Simple polytheism among nomadic tribes: worship of spirits in natural objects, such as trees, stones, and natural phenomena like wind, rain, and the sun and moon. In more developed regions, worship involved more complex rituals.
• Use of sacred stones/shrines, often located in Mecca (as some sites of pilgrimage), may indicate an earlier, more developed form of the worshiping practice.
• Christianity: Christian missionaries and clergy engaged in preaching and disseminating teachings in Arabian markets.
• Judaism: Predominantly established in Yemen and later spread across the region.
• Other religions: Sabians, Zoroastrians, and other groups also existed.

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