The Prophetic Method

in annexing the comparatively fertile and prosperous parts of the country. Syria was under Roman rule in the north of the peninsula, governed by Arab chieftains who owed allegiance to Caesar. In the southern territory of Yemen, the Persians held sway and ruled during the time of the Prophet by a governor named Bazan. The only regions to have retained their independence were Hijaz, Tahamah and Najd. Besides, these were only rocky deserts, with the occasional oasis in the wilderness. The Caesars and the Khusraus considered Arabia their property: that was why, when the Prophet wrote to the Emperor of Persia inviting him to accept Islam, that proud monarch tore up his letter and said indignantly: He writes to me—and he is my slave! Abrahah’s attack on the Ka’bah in the year of the Prophet’s birth (A.D. 570) was part of this encroachment of foreign powers on Arab territory. Before the advent of Islam, the Ka’bah had been a centre of idol worship for the whole of Arabia: every tribe had erected its idol there and considered its precincts sacred. Throughout the year, people would flock to Makkah from far and wide to pay their respects to the Holy Ka’bah and make offerings to the idols lodged there. The economy of Makkah benefited greatly from this constant influx of pilgrims, and Abrahah desired to divert this great source of wealth towards his land—Yemen, which lay southeast of Makkah. He was willing to resort to any means to achieve his ends by killing the previous Yemenese governor, taking over the country, and forcing the king