Posted on 08/02/2026 6:22:43 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
In this video, we explore the history of Arabia before Islam, starting with the prehistoric period when the region was far greener than today, filled with lakes, rivers, and wildlife. We follow the transformation of this landscape into desert and how early communities adapted to it.
What Was Arabia Like Before Islam? | DOCUMENTARY | 38:22
Para Bellum | 140K subscribers | 1,362,096 views | March 29, 2026
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
Most people think of Arabia only as the birthplace of Islam, but long before the 7th century the peninsula was home to complex societies, powerful kingdoms, and vast trade networks that connected the ancient world.
...You will learn about the first urban centers in Arabia, including the trade civilizations of Dilmun and Magan, and how they linked Mesopotamia with the Indus Valley. We examine the rise of the great South Arabian kingdoms such as Saba, Qataban, Hadramaut, and Himyar, their advanced irrigation systems, and their control over the lucrative trade in frankincense and myrrh.
We also look at the nomadic Arab tribes mentioned in Assyrian and Babylonian sources, their role in regional politics, and their interactions with empires like Assyria, Persia, and Rome. The video covers the Nabataeans and their capital Petra, one of the most remarkable cities of the ancient world, as well as the development of the Arabic script.
Finally, we turn to Mecca and Medina before Islam, exploring their economic and religious importance, the role of the Kaaba, and the social changes that set the stage for the rise of Islam.
This is the story of Arabia before Islam, a region that was far more complex, connected, and historically significant than it is often assumed.
YouTube transcript reformatted at textformatter.ai *may* follow.
Mecca didn’t exist.
The weekly digest list of topics will be down below. Slow week.
Excerpts from the Mecca & Petra keywords, sorted:
Before Islam they prayed five times a day to a rock.
I recall a substantial art exhibition in one of the big museums about pre-Islamic art in Arabia. It is remarkable how dramatic the regression was after the contagion was unleashed. Pre-Mohammad, the region was a hub of complex trade networks with a culture that was open to cultural diffusion. Islam changed all that.
One time I started digging into the claim of how advanced Islam was for the world and what I saw was Islam would drag a civilized country down into backwardness and irrelevance in about 40 or 50 years, I think one country still seemed to produce some advances for about 170 years but I forget which countries and the detailed information.
And that’s different how?
mark
I think the standard story is that Mohammed converted a portion of Saudi Arabia and conquered the rest. With the exception of distant Indonesia, all Muslim countries were conquered.
The history of Mohammed is murky. He may be a legend, no more real than Paul Bunyan.
Arabia before and during the rise of Islam was a fascinating place. And as Islam began to rise, everyone realized what a problem it would be. There are records of the King of Ethiopia sending an offer to the Byzantines to create a joint army to invade and destory the Islamic forces and strangle Islam in the crib. And the Byzantines and Persians - foes for about 600 years- joined together to try to defeat Islam and stop it from taking over. The late 500s / early 600s AD were a fascinating period.
And they should have included 363, the year of the earthquake that devastated Petra;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/363_Galilee_earthquake
Furthermore, Mecca did not yet exist as a city in 570 during the Aksumite–Persian Wars.
Source Crone, Patricia. Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam. Princeton University Press, 1987:
https://syifafauzii5.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/meccan-trade-and-the-rise-of-islam.pdf
For further good info, see Dr Jay Smith, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, July 6, 2025. Both in PowerPoint and video. Probably on youtube.
“DISMANTLING ISLAM HISTORICALLY” A Response to Raymond Ibrahim on why Muhammad didn’t Exist Dr Jay Smith Calvary Chapel Chino Hills July 6, 2025
https://calvarycch.org/wp-content/uploads/Dismantling-Islam.pdf
82 pages
Thanks for posting. History BUMP!
It’s not. Same moon “ god”, different name.
Yep. That’s him.
Hmm.
Yemen WAS Christian.
Medina WAS a Sanctuary City...
I love that guy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
