pre-islamic arabia:poetry,tribal rivalry and heroism 19oases, was arid. The inhabitants, who had a Semitic origin, lived a
primitive life, residing in tents and moving with their flocks in pur-
suit of pastoral locations. As mentioned earlier, the inhabitant of the
desert, the Bedouin, developed a high level of endurance, individu-
alism, hospitality and fortitude, which might be regarded as a prod-
uct of the hardships of the desert life. Furthermore, the Bedouin
strongly adhered to their history, language, religion and traditions,
and any “liberated” ideas of changing his inherited set of beliefs and
customs would be strongly resisted. This, despite the negative approach
to change, helped preserve one of the main assets of the Arab her-
itage, the language.
Sedentary life existed in pre-Islamic Arabia in oases and caravan
centres, though Bedouins’ characteristics were the main nature of
the society (Shahid, 1970). Most important of these sedentary set-
tlements and most mentioned in early Islamic history were Makkah
and Yathrib. Makkah was the city where the Prophet of Islam was
born, in 570 or 71 A.C., and proclaimed his message, and Yathrib
was the city to which he emigrated, in 620 A.C., which was called
al-Medìnah after the emigration, meaning the city.
Makkah, like Palmyra, grew around a spring-water in the middle
of the desert. Two major factors played a significant role in the eco-
nomic development of Makkah, its strategic location on the South-
to-North trade route and its reputation as a sacred shrine. With its
fresh water supply and geographical location on the trade route from
South Arabia to Syria, Makkah occupied a strategic position on the
route and partially took over the trade from the South Arabians.
Makkah grew wealthy and Makkahn merchants became rich and
powerful (Œassan, 1959). The sacred features of the caravan city
emerged from the belief that Makkah was the place where Prophet
Ibràhìm left his second wife and son in the middle of the desert
with little to sustain them, and the spring was the water sent to them
by the divine power. Makkah became the centre of pilgrimage, which
was a source of income to the city. The caravan and pilgrimage city
developed an advanced social and political system with some aris-
tocratic features in those families which were leading the trade and
organising the pilgrimage seasons. The tribal features were still, how-
ever, predominant in the Makkahn society (ibid.).
Yathrib, al-Medìnah, was another sedentary city approximately
200 miles to the north of Makkah. Despite the similarity of the tribal
set up of the society in both cities, they differed in their economic