02.19. Upheaval in Arabia

Upheaval in Arabia

Only rarely does the Bible mention Arabia by name. It usually refers to the peoples of the region by the family or tribal groups to which they belonged, such as Dedan, Kedar, Sheba and the like.¹ Many of the peoples were descended from Noah, Abraham and Esau.² The present-day country that encompasses these ancient tribal lands, Saudi Arabia, is home to Islam’s two most sacred locations, Mecca and Medina. Mecca was the home of Muhammad, the founder of Islam.³ Muhammad grew up with a strong interest in religion, but was disillusioned with the corrupt idolatry around him. When almost forty, he began to have visions which he interpreted as divine revelations. Some early ideas came from Judaism and Christianity, but later he added Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Arab and Hindu elements. He was swept along by the belief that there was only one God, and that he, Muhammad, was God’s last and greatest prophet. When the citizens of Mecca showed no great enthusiasm for his ideas, Muhammad tried to win them by preaching care for the family, love for children and peace to people everywhere. He had little success. After twelve years, he could tolerate the ridicule and opposition no longer, and fled to Medina (AD 622). This flight, known as the Hijrah, is the starting point for the Islamic calendar. This flight to Medina marked a radical change in Muhammad’s views. He turned from pacifism to violence, plundering the camel caravans and gaining support from Arab tribes by sharing the profits with them. He strengthened the alliances by marrying prominent tribal women. In 630, he returned in triumph to Mecca, purified the city, banished idols, and rededicated the city’s ancient Arab shrine, the Kabah. By the time he died, all Arabia belonged to Islam. It was now more than merely a religion. Islam had become, and remains, a religious ideology with social and political objectives. Today Saudi Arabia is the world’s most dangerous country for Christians.

1. Isaiah 21:13-17; Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 25:23-24; Ezekiel 27:20-22 2. Genesis 10:1-32; Genesis 25:1-6; Genesis 36:1-43

3. Islam takes its name from an Arabic word meaning ‘submission’; that is, submission to God (Allah). ‘Muslim’ comes from the same root.

Mosque, sign of Islam’s presence