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Al-Sham is the land north of Arabia where Damascus lies; before Islam it was ruled by Arab kings serving Byzantium — the Daja'ima then the Ghassanids until Yarmuk in 13 AH. Ibrahim migrated through it from Harran to make Palestine his base, and Amr ibn Luhayy saw its people worshipping idols and brought Hubal to Mecca.

Al-Sham is Arabia's northern borderland with part of Iraq in al-Raheeq's description, and the seat of the Arab kings serving Byzantium — the Daja'ima then the Ghassanids until Yarmuk in 13 AH; the Romans installed the Daja'ima of Quda'a against the desert Arabs and Persia, then the house of Ghassan overcame them and Rome made them kings of Syria's Arabs. Into it Ibrahim migrated through Harran to make Palestine his base; Jafna the Azdi settled it, father of the Ghassanids; Quda'a moved there when Ardashir seized the Arabs. Amr ibn Luhayy saw its people worshipping idols and approved — Syria being the land of prophets — and brought Hubal to Mecca; many were Sabians of old. The peninsula's north was the nations' landing place: west the gate of Africa, east the key of Europe.

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Al-Sham is Arabia's northern boundary together with part of Iraq in al-Raheeq's description, and the seat of the Arab kings serving Byzantium — the Daja'ima to the Ghassanids until Yarmuk in 13 AH. Its geography: the peninsula's northwest side is the gate into Africa and the northeast the key to Europe, making the north the landing place of nations and the exchange centre of trade, culture, religion and the arts. Its reports: Ibrahim migrated from Ur to Harran then made Palestine his mission base; Jafna ibn Amr the Azdi settled it with his sons — father of the Ghassanids; Quda'a moved there when Ardashir seized the Arabs on his border; and Jeremiah took Ma'ad ibn Adnan there at Nebuchadnezzar's campaign in the author's account. Its Arab kings: Rome installed the Daja'ima of Quda'a to restrain the desert Arabs and serve against Persia, then the house of Ghassan overcame them and Rome made them kings of Syria's Arabs, the desert tribes nominally subject. In its religion: Amr ibn Luhayy saw its people worshipping idols and approved — Syria the land of prophets and books — bringing Hubal to Mecca; many of its people were Sabians of old; and its crafts stood at the marches with Yemen and al-Hira.

Summary

Syria is the northern boundary of the Arabian Peninsula, together with part of Iraq, in the description of The Sealed Nectar ². It was the seat of the Arab kings who acted as agents of Rome, from the Dajaima to the Ghassanids ³.

Location

The north-western part of the peninsula is a gateway into the African continent, and the north-eastern part is a key to Europe. The north of the peninsula was therefore a point of descent for peoples and a centre for the exchange of trade, culture, religion and the arts ⁴.

The stories of Abraham and the tribes

Abraham migrated from Ur to Harran, and then to Palestine, which he made the base of his call ⁵. Jafna ibn Amr al-Azdi went to Syria, where he and his sons settled; he was the father of the Ghassanid kings ⁶. Qudaa migrated to Syria when Ardashir took control of the Arabs settled on the edge of his realm ⁷. In the author's account, the prophet Barmiya took Ma'add ibn Adnan to Syria at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion ⁸.

The Arab kings there

The Romans made the Dajaima, from Qudaa, to stop the desert Arabs from causing trouble and to serve as a force against Persia. Then the Ghassanids prevailed over them, and the Romans made them kings over the Arabs of Syria until the Battle of Yarmouk in 13 AH ³. The tribes of the Syrian desert were subject to the Ghassanids in name only ⁹.

Religion

Amr ibn Luhayy saw the people of Syria worshipping idols. He approved of it and thought it true, because Syria was the place of the messengers and the scriptures, so he brought Hubal to Mecca ¹⁰. Many people of Syria followed the Sabian religion in ancient times ¹¹. Crafts were practised in the outskirts of Syria, along with Yemen and al-Hira ¹².

For young visitors

Syria is the land north of the peninsula, where Damascus is. Its kings were Arabs who served the Roman emperor.

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Sources

Ahsan al-Taqasim fi Ma'rifat al-Aqalim of al-Muqaddasi , pp. 132-133

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.15

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.27

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.16

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.18

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.17

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.25

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.28

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.32

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.35

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.41

al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.46

Umar ibn al-Khattab

Second caliph (634–644); under his rule the early community conquered Syria, Egypt and much of the Sasanian Empire. Remembered in Sunni tradition as al-Faruq, the model of just rule. ومن مناقبه في الصحيح القصر الذي رآه له النبي في الجنة فأخلى النظر إليه حياءً لغيرته ، ولبن الرؤيا الذي أوله النبي بالعلم فناوله إياه. ويروي هو صعوده إلى مشربة النبي حين اعتزل أزواجه فرأى أثر الحصير في جنبه فبكى فقال له «أما ترضى أن تكون لهم الدنيا ولنا الآخرة». ورأى حلة سيراء عند باب المسجد فعرضها على النبي ليلبسها يوم الجمعة وللوفد فقال «إنما يلبسها من لا خلاق له في الآخرة» ثم أهداها إليه بعد فكساها أخاً له مشركاً بمكة.

al-Sham (Greater Syria)

At a glance