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Near the time of the Romans, the Arabpeninsula, which had been previouslydominated by many Empires, kingdoms and

peoples was dominated by the Arab cultures. These shall not mean they were newly

arrived. They had been there for at least 1.5Kyears.

Proof of it is the fact that they are Semitic. Where does the word Semitic come from? Semitic is an eponymous

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Other eponym peoples: The Greeks

(Hellenes) who were divided in Eonians,

Durians, Achaeans and Ionians.

Noah had three sons:

Shem (who settled in that which is theArab Peninsula today), Ham and Japhet.

Ham (Who settled in north Africa) Japheth (Who settled North-east of the

Tigris-Euphrates)

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Semitic languages: Hebrew, Assyrian,

Aramaic and Arab.

Hamitic languages: Coptic (old Egyptian),Beriberi, Amharic.

Japhetic languages: Persian, Hindi, Greek,Latin and Germanic languages (therefore

all the famous Indo-European)

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By the 5th and 6th Centuries Economy influencedthe geo-political order till then existing in thePeninsula:

1) The Western Roman Empire had fallen; 2) TheByzantine Empire was not in its best shape; 3)There were riots in the northern part of Africaand the Arab Peninsula because nobodycontrolled the trading routes anymore.

This was an advantage for the nomadicBedouins. Who started controlling a new tradingroute: reaching the Mediterranean throughMecca and Yemen.

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The Arab Peninsula was those days friendlier to

the traveler than today. Most probably there

were lesser deserts and more oasis.

Opposed to what is normally believed, thenomads (later Bedouins) were not the ones that

always played the most important role.

There was a numerous farming population thatwere along small villages or little trading cities.

Finally, there were aristocratic cities of

Merchants (Mecca, f. e., ruled by the Qurays)

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Their History is known thanks to

scriptures:

1) Thamudeans (Central Arabia); 2)

Zaphites (North Arabia); and 3) Nabatheics(Near Syria and Mesopotamia). From theselast one, very close to Aramaic, derived the

Arabic scripture.

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Arabs were quite modern in their religious

beliefs:

Although Polytheistic, neither Allah nor Christwas unfamiliar to them (there were even two

Christian principalities settled in Gassani(southern Syria, near Constantinople) and

Lamji (west from the Euphrates).

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Born in Mecca ca. 570 b. C. within the tribe ofthe Qurays, but from a decadent branch.

Being a totalOrphan without grandfathers ,he was raised by his merchant uncle Abu

Talib.

Marries his boss Khadijah (40), owner of the

caravans that he led, at the age of 25, withwhom he would get 7 children from whichonly one child survived: Fatima.

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According to both sources, Muhammad beganto receive the visits from Archangel Gabrielaround the age of 40.

Began to preach in 613 convincing first hisrelatives: Khadijah and Ali. Later he starts beingfollowed by a couple of freed foreign slaves andoutcasts.

Mecca refuses to listen to the Prophet.

His lucky strike comes in 622, when he is calledto mediate between the Jews and Arabs fromJatrib. This travel is known as the Hegira andrepresents year one in the Islamic Calendar (16th

day of July).

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Muhammad became popular after his mediationand got new followers, founding the first Islamiccommunity.

He became the leader of them based on theprinciple of non-separation between religion andpolitics.

This let him return to Mecca 8 years laterfollowed by enough fighters to conquer his

birth-city. This would result very convenient, dueto the economic and trading importance ofMecca.

The Prophet died in 632

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Quean consists in 114 Chapters.

Just as any other religious book is dietetic.

Departing from 5 moral principles.

What is Qurans distinction?

It isOPENLY political: Whoever obeys the

messenger, obeys Allah (in that order). After Muhamads death the Shariah was

written. This document is the equivalent to

the Halajah.

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Some normative corollaries* :

No gambling

No pork

No alcohol No dishonest behavior.

Arranged marriages.

Polygamy restricted. No holy images.

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The death of Muhammad represented, logically, apolitical problem:

In an growing permeation of males perspective,

Muhammad had no son, but only daughters. After his first wifes death, Muhammad married

several more times. All of them with women comingout of either rich or political families.

Therefore, Abu Bakr, his father in law, was namedcaliph.

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By year 711 AD was already spread throughNorth Africa, Middle East and IberianPeninsula.

Four were the first Caliphs to lead thespreading of the new religion: (Abu Bekr,Omar,Othman and Ali)

It expanded through the concept of jihad,

what means Holy War with the goal toconvert every country in the world whatevermeans.

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By 711, Muslim forces under the leadership of

Tariq gad conquered the Iberian Peninsula,

putting an end to Visigothic rule there. Tried to conquer farther until they were

defeated by Charles Martel at Tours in thebattle of Poitiers in 732.

They had total control over Spain 800 yearsuntil 1492.

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