In the time before and during the coming of Islam, alongside the polytheistic Arabs and the Jewish tribes there also lived various Christian tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. Their presence was concentrated above all in the north (under Byzantine influence) and the south (under Ethiopian influence), and these tribes formed an important bridge between the Arab world and the two great empires of that age: the Byzantine and the Sassanid empire.
The Islamic sources, among them Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir, refer to these communities in the context of both diplomacy and war. Their history reflects the religious diversity of Arabia during the Jahiliyya and the early period of Islam.
The spread of Christianity in Arabia
Christianity reached Arabia in the first centuries after Isa (عليه السلام), through missionaries from Syria, Palestine and Ethiopia. The teaching spread along the trade routes and was reinforced by the influence of the Byzantine Empire in the north and the kingdom of Aksum (Ethiopia) in the south.
Various forms of Christianity were present:
- Nestorian communities under Persian influence
- Monophysite communities in the Byzantine south
- And smaller Greek Orthodox groups
Arab tribes usually adopted the faith of their political allies, so that religion, tribe and geopolitics became closely bound up with one another.
The principal Christian tribes
Ghassan (غسان)
The Ghassanids were originally South Arabians who moved to Syria and settled there as allies of the Byzantine Empire. They adopted Christianity in its Monophysite form, and their role was strategic: they guarded the frontiers of Byzantium against incursions by Arab tribes from the desert.
The Byzantine emperors recognised their leader Harith ibn Jabalah as “king of the Arabs.” When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ sent his letters to various rulers, the Ghassanids too received an invitation to Islam, but they remained loyal to Byzantium.¹
Banu Taghlib (بنو تغلب)
The tribe of Banu Taghlib lived in the north of Najd and was a branch of the tribe of Rabīʿah. They were known as proud Arabs who adopted Christianity yet preserved their Arab identity.
After the rise of Islam they came under Islamic rule. Instead of jizyah they paid sadaqah, as a symbol of their Arab standing, while keeping their faith.²
Their poets, among them ʿAmr ibn Kulthum, played a great cultural role, and their presence in the Islamic state shows the tolerance of Islamic law towards the Ahl al-Kitab (the People of the Book).
Najran (نجران)
Najran was a flourishing city in South Arabia with an ancient Christian community. Its inhabitants were known for their churches, priests and scholars.
According to the Islamic sources, in the time of King Dhu Nuwas, a Jewish ruler over Himyar, a persecution of the Christians of Najran took place. They refused to renounce their faith, whereupon many were burned alive in trenches full of fire.
During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ a delegation from Najran came to Medina. They discussed with him ﷺ the nature of Isa (عليه السلام) and were permitted to continue practising their faith under Islamic authority.⁴
Tay (طيء)
The tribe of Tay lived in the region of Aja and Salma (present-day Ha’il). Within the tribe there were both Christians and pagans. Their leader ʿAdi ibn Hatim (رضي الله عنه), son of the famous poet Hatim al-Tai, was a Christian, but later converted to Islam after a meeting with the Prophet ﷺ.⁵
His conversion played a part in the Islamisation of his tribe, and his generosity was praised by the Prophet ﷺ.
Political alliances and the causes of conflict
The Christian tribes in the north were mostly under the influence of the Byzantine Empire. Their alliances were politically motivated: they served as a buffer against the Arab tribes that stood under Persian influence.
The Battle of Mu’ta (غزوة مؤتة)
The first great confrontation between the Muslims and Byzantine allies took place in the year 8 after the Hijra. The cause was the murder of al-Harith ibn ʿUmayr al-Azdi, the envoy of the Prophet ﷺ, by Shurahbil ibn ʿAmr, a governor of the Ghassanids.⁶
The Prophet ﷺ sent an army of three thousand men. Among the commanders were Zayd ibn Harithah (رضي الله عنه), Jaʿfar ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) and ʿAbdullah ibn Rawahah (رضي الله عنه), all of whom fell in the battle. The command was taken over by Khalid ibn al-Walid (رضي الله عنه), who succeeded in withdrawing the army safely.⁷
This battle was the beginning of open tensions between the Muslims and Byzantium, and showed the growing strength of the Islamic state.
Christian influence in the south
In the south, especially in Yemen and Najran, Christianity arrived through missionaries from Ethiopia. The kingdom of Aksum supported the Christian communities and invaded Yemen to protect them from the persecutions of Dhu Nuwas.
Later Abraha al-Ashram, the Ethiopian governor of Yemen, seized power. He built a great church in Sana’a and tried to replace the pilgrimage to Mecca with a pilgrimage to his church. When the Arabs refused this, he marched with an army of elephants against the Kaʿbah, whereupon Allah ﷻ destroyed this army entirely, as related in Surah al-Fil.⁸