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.
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al-Sham (Greater Syria)
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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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