Muslim Studies

and rejected the Prophet's promise with the words: "You bring us glad tidings; so why don't you give us something instead?" Entire chapters of the biographies of the Prophet The Sira, or traditional life stories of Muhammad. are usually dedicated to describing the unresponsiveness of the tribes to Muhammad’s call to faith. It is always the most blatant selfishness that they pitted against him. When he offered his message to the Banu 'Amir b. Sa'sa'a Original: Banû 'Amir b. Șaṣ'aa, their spokesman, Bayhara b. Firas Original: Bejḥara b. Firâs, replied: "If we were to pay homage to you now, and you overcome your opponents, will we then come to power after you?" . . . And when Muhammad referred him regarding this question of power to the decree of Allah Original: Allâh’s, who grants and withholds power as He pleases, the matter no longer pleased him at all, and he replied: "So we are to offer our necks as targets for the Arabs on your account, and if you prevail, then others shall have the rule? We have no use for this business." ¹

It is to this behavior of the Bedouins toward the emerging Islam Literally "submission" to the will of God. that we can attribute the clear traces of neglect and disregard for the Bedouins in the legislation, as recorded in the Tradition The Hadith, the body of reports describing the words, actions, and habits of the Prophet. attributed to the Prophet himself. For example, the Prophet is said to have forbidden partaking of gifts from a desert Arab, and he had to justify himself to his own circle when he allowed milk, which he received as a gift from Umm Sunbula Original: Umm Sunbulâ of the Aslam tribe, to be poured into his own vessels.² And even later, when the Muhammadan An older scholarly term for "Muslim." society had grown stronger and it came time for the followers of the community to receive their share of the material gain from wars and raids, the Bedouins were placed at a disadvantage compared to the city dwellers. This marginalization of the desert dwellers is still documented from the time of the Caliph 'Umar II Original: 'Omar II.; a later ruler known for his piety (reigned 717–720 CE)..³

Of course, the traditional reports used in the above explanations—and those which will be utilized as our observations continue—are not so well-attested as to be considered contemporary data from the period they are purported to originate from in the sources. Nevertheless, they can serve as living witnesses to the relationship of the unadulterated Arabic society to the new doctrine. For if the relationship of the Bedouins to the Muhammadan doctrine—even at the time of a strengthened, indeed dominant, Islam, during which the majority of the traditions were shaped—produced accounts drawn from experience, such as those shared above...