The Origins of Islam
The Arabian Setting
Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
Tigris River
Euphrates River
Geography cont.
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Arabians were able to avoid foreign conquest for most of its
history because of the harsh environment.
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Most of Arabia was desert.
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This made survival difficult.
Arabian Deserts
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North: Nafud Desert
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South: Rub al-Khali (aka
“Empty Quarter”)
Rub al-Khali
Nafud
Rub al-Khali
Deserts
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used camels for transportation
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aka “ship of the desert”
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Why such a good choice? cab shut nostrils, flick sand
from eyes with third eyelid, leathery pads on feet,
remarkable digestive system, can go without water for
days
What were deserts like?
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Temperatures
❖ summer: 120+ degrees
❖ winter: below zero
Wind and Rain
❖ winds shape sand dunes up to 500 feet tall
❖ 10 inches or less of rainfall
some shrubs, tough grass for grazing animals (camels, sheep,
goats, jackrabbits)
Clothing
❖ Men: loose fitting, ankle-length gown, buttons at neck
❖ Women: long sleeve gowns that reach feet
Living
❖ tents made of goat hair
Water
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Arabia had no permanent rivers, which meant very little
water ran through the peninsula
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Arabians depended on oases.
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Oasis: a fertile place in the desert where a spring or well
provides a water supply
What was an oasis like?
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summer days so hot rainwater evaporates or sinks into deep
underground river channels
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oasis settlements depended on wells and springs to tap this
underground water supply
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vegetation: date palms, orchard crops, ground crops
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became habitat for animals
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critical for trade routes, caravans had to replenish water and
food supplies
A Tribal Culture
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Two distinct ways of life existed in Arabia
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Nomadic
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Sedentary
Nomadic
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people who move from place to place, with no fixed home
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aka bedouins
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lived in rural areas
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herded sheep and goats
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crossed desert on camels, stopped at oases
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fiercely independent and skilled
in warfare
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raided other tribes to obtain
animals and goods
Bedouin Tent
Sedentary
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meaning settled
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lived as farmers and traders
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tended field around oases
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traders lived in towns along trade routes
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traded: camel milk and meat, spices, perfumes, precious
metals, ivory, and silk
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Mecca was largest town
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trade and wealth brought new settlers, including
Christians and Jews
Political Organization
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both nomadic and sedentary peoples of Arabia organized
themselves into tribes
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loyalty was to the tribe and family above rulers
So where did Arabians
choose to live?
Coastal Plains
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flat, low-lying land
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separates plateau of land from sea
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Arabian Peninsula coastal plain = more humid than interior
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humidity allowed for cultivation of crops: coffee, grains,
fruits
most of trade cities and ports located here - connected
Arabs to Asia and Africa
Mountains
stretched along coast about 50 miles from sea
❖ moisture caught in mountains = frequent downpours and
flash floods during rainy season
❖ survival difficult for all but wild goats
❖ used terrace farming in mountains
❖ 20-30 inches annual rainfall
❖ raised banks to catch rainwater for irrigation
❖ crops = dates, oranges
❖ people lived in isolation, not easy to travel
❖ homes built with mud bricks
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