A Reconstruction of the History of Yemen at the Dawn of Islam

The Yemen was a strategic geographic epicenter in pre-Islamic times. It came under the sphere of influence of the Kingdom of Aksum, the Byzantine empire, and the Persian empire. It was also home to the kingdoms of Ḥimyar and Sabā’. The Yemen was also at the center of important trading routes between China, India, Persia, Byzantium, Aksum and the Arabian Peninsula, with merchants from the Hijaz plying their trade there. Ẓafār, Najrān, and the port city of Qāna’ were important cosmopolitan cities comprising of different faith communities. Sūrat al-Burūj is believed by commentators to have made a reference to the massacre of the Christians of Najrān by Dhu Nuwās, the Jewish king.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)