Pre-Islamic Arabia
Compared with the lands in the fertile crescent, the Arabian peninsula was
deficient in agricultural and usable natural resources. Consequently, it was
not coveted by many of the renowned empires of the past and was thus
spared much of the warfare and domination which was so characteristic of
the pre-Islamic Middle East. This general neglect of Arabia also made it a
relatively safe haven for those fleeing persecution and oppression in
neighboring lands.
The Jews
One of the earliest known groups of refugees to Arabia were the Jews. As a
result of the countless invasions of Israel over the course of centuries, Jews
had become quite numerous in Yemen and also had settlements^1 in Medina
(Yathrib), Khaybar, Fadak, Wadi al-Qura and Tayma', which were along
the trade routes to Syria. Together with these, there were substantial
numbers of Jews at Maqna, near the Gulf of Aqaba, and in Bahrain.^2 The
Jews were prosperous merchants, who aside from their agricultural
achievements, were also famous as manufacturers of ironware and
weapons. Although they remained a minority on the peninsul^3 a, they^4
appear to have been active in proselytizing some of the Arab tribes. The^5
Jews of Medina reportedly possessed copies of the Torah and^6 their rabbis
evidently also taught them from the Talmud and Jewish legends.^7
Nevertheless, the Jews had not translated their scriptures into Arabic in
written form before the advent of Islam.^8
Other Early Refugees
Although there is little direct evidence for their presence, it is relatively
certain that Ebionites, Elkasaites, Gnostics, Manichaeans, Arians or their
sympathizers were in Arabia, living dispersed among the general populace,
rather than in settlements of their own.^9