Early Jewish contact with Arabia occurred when Jews scattered throughout the world after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BCE, with some tribes settling in north Arabia. Later, some Jews returned to Judea after Cyrus freed them from Babylon. Christianity arrived in southern Arabia through Ethiopia and Egyptian monks in the 4th-6th centuries CE. Conflict arose between Christians and Jews in Yemen under the Jewish king Dhu Nuwas in the 5th century. Ibn Ishaq was an 8th century Arab historian and biographer of Muhammad known for documenting early Islamic history and traditions in his work The Sira of Muhammad.

3. Early Jewish contact with Arabia
(1K 10:10)

5.  Arabian Jews claimed that when
Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon
(Bukht Nassar) destroyed Jerusalem in 587
BCE, the Jews scattered throughout the
world, and it was at this time that several of
their tribes settled in north Arabia, notably in
the Wadi Qura, Tayma, and in and around
Yathrib (al-Madina).

6.  Later some of the Babylonian Jews freed by
Cyrus returned to Judea to renew Judaic life
and rebuild their sacred Temple. Most of the
Jews stayed behind in Babylonia and
became important traders and contributed
to the so-called "Silk Route" to the Far East
from the fifth century B.C.E. going through
the Arabian trade road of east Arabia down
to Aden and navigating from there towards
china

7. Christianity in Arabia
 In the south:
 through Ethiopia
 An Egyptian monk Faymiyyun
 The story of Njran and Ethiopian help
 Abraha’s attack on the Ka’ba
 In the north:
 Ghassanid and the Lakhmid

9. The Christians of Arabia
 According to Ibn Ishaq and other sources, Christianity was
said to have originally come to Najran in southern Arabia
(the Yemen) through the preaching of ascetic
monks, notably Faymiyyun and his disciple Salih. The
following is the legendary story of this monk:
 Faymiyyun was captured by the Arabs and sold as a slave
in Najran, where it did not take him long to convert his
master to Christianity. Faymiyyun’s reputation as a healer
and a man who could not be killed by snake-bite, soon led
to the conversion of the ruler of Najran (Abdullah b.
Thamir) and most of his people

10. Malkite Christianity
 Not so much is known about this early missions but it is
known to us that Emperor Constantine in 356 CE sent a
mission to south Arabia led by Theophilus Indus. The
motive of this mission was most probably political,
however, Theophilus succeeded to build a church at Aden
the famous harbour state. He also built another two
churches in the district of the Humyarites. Najran became
Christian a bit later by the above mentioned story of
Faymiyun

11. Jews fighting Christian in Yemen
 With the crowning of the Humayrite king Dhu
Nuwas (ruled between 517-525) and who was a
conservative fanatic Jew and psychologically
unstable, violence broke out between Christian and
Jews. Dhu Nuwas announced his anger against all
Christian in his kingdom and massacred many
Christians and turned also towards Christian of
Najran. Christian of Najran were monphysite who were
protected by the monophysite Abyssinian Christian
Emperor across the sea.

12.  Abraha took this chance to make an important
expedition to Mecca in which he probably came with
his army riding an elephant. This story is known to the
Arab historian as the year of the elephant and
identified with 570 AD, the year of the birth of the
prophet Muhammad. According to different
inscription Abraha died in the year 553 and whether he
really attacked Mecca is not clearly documented.

16. Who is Ibn Ishaq?
 Born in Madina 704 CE, (d. 767CE) from a
slave family of ‘Ayn al-Tamr in Iraq
 His father Ishaq Ibn Yassar was a collector of
Hadith
 Studied in Egypt and finally settled in
Baghdad

17. The Sira of Muhammad
Sira became a type of literature
which most historians used when
writing about Muhammad. In itself
also became the guiding line for
writing history through a
transmitted report which has to
come from at least two sources.

18. Description of the Sira
 Describing the situation of the Arabs on the time of
the advent of Islam
 Giving an account of a number of individuals who were
seeking the right religion before the mission of
Muhammad
 Giving an count of the early life of Muhammad, his
first marriage and early mission in Mecca

19.  The difficulties with the Maccians and the first immigration to Ethiopia
 The period of Madina: the encounter with the Jews and the pact of
Madina
 The starting of war with Mecca
 The conflict with the Jews
 The war against the Jews
 The conflict with the Christians and the Najran community
 The victory of the Muslim, entering Mecca and the death of
Muhammad

20. The search for a new religion
 The story of Salman, Zayd Ibn ‘Amr, Warqa Ibn Nufal

21. The story of Muhammad
 Messianic concept and
infallibility:
annunciation of his birth
(to his mother and to
some Jewish rabbis),
prophecies from the
Bible
 The meeting with Bahira
 The sign of last prophet

22. Muhammad’s mission
 The seclusion of
Hira’
 Warqa Ibn Nufal
the cousin of
Khadija and
Muhammad

23. Muhammad and Ethiopian Christians
 Postive experience:
 Christian from
Ethiopia come to
know about Islam.
They cried when
they heard the
Qur’an

24. Judaism in Madina and Mecca
 The pact of Madina: this agreement
demonstrates the number of Jewish tribes in
Madina,
 although Benu Qurayza and Benu Qayqna’
are the two famous and authoritative rich
tribes, it seems that there were also many
other small Jewish tribes

25. The beginning of the conflict with the Jews
 Jews challenging Muhammad’s knowledge: they said
to Quraysh to ask him three questions
 To tell the story of young men who disappeared
 To tell the story of a man who travelled all over the
world (al-Khider)
 To give the truth about the soul
 The problem of Rajm stoning

26. Who is Abraham: Christian, Jews or
a Muslim
 Then the Jewish rabbis disputed with
the Christians of Najran saying,
'Abraham was no other than a Jew.' And
the Christians from Najran said,
'Abraham was no other than a
Christian’.

27.  Then Allah revealed the verse, 'Why do you
quarrel about Abraham, when the Torah and
the gospel were not sent down until after his
time. You have disputed about things you
know , why then do you dispute about
things you know not? Allah knoweth, but
you know not. Abraham was neither a Jew
nor a Christian. He was an orthodox
Muslim, and he was no idolater.

28. The ascension of Muhammad

29. The changing of the Qibla
Muhammad! What has turned
you away from the qibla you used to face? You
allege that you follow the religion of
Abraham; return, then, to the qibla of the
religion of Abraham,
'But they slyly intended thus to
turn him away from his religion. Then Allah
revealed the words: 'Foolish men say
"What hath turned them away from the qibla to
which they prayed?" Reply, "Allah's
is the east and the west, He leads whom He will
to the straight path." ' And Allah said,
'Turn thy face to the holy mosque [the Kaba at
Mecca ; and wherever you are, turn thy
face to that.'

30. The community of Najran

31. A deputation of Christians from Najran, consisting of sixty riders, arrived on a visit to
the apostle; among them were fourteen of their most respected men, three of whom
were entrusted with the management of their affairs. The leader of the people, the
chief councillor whose advice they always followed, was Abdul-Masih. Their
administrator was al-Ayham. Their bishop, scholar, religious leader and master of
their schools, was Abu Haritha, who was respected among them and a renowned
student with an extensive knowledge of their religion; the Christian princes of
Byzantium had honoured him with gifts of goods and servants, built churches for him,
and venerated him for his learning and religious zeal. On the way to visit the apostle,
'

32.  Abu Haritha said to his brother, 'This is the prophet
whom we were expecting.' His brother rejoined, 'Then
what hinders you from acknowledging him?' Abu
Haritha replied,
 'Those who have paid us respect, given us titles and
shown us favours, are opposed to him; if I
acknowledge him, they will deprive us of all we enjoy.

33. Divine worship of Jesus
 Then a Christian asked
Muhammad, 'Do you want
to worship Him as we
worship Jesus, son of
Mary?' The apostle
replied, 'Allah forbid that I
should worship anyone
besides Him, or command
any other besides Him to
be worshipped. Allah has
not sent me to do that."