Al-Shaam (الشام) is the historical name for the region that comprises present-day Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and parts of southeastern Turkey. In the Islamic sources ash-Shaam is regarded as a blessed land (ard mubarakah) on account of the important role it played in the history of the prophets, the revelations and the rise of great civilisations.
Both before and during Islam, al-Shaam was one of the most important regions in the world, a crossroads of religion, trade and politics that held both spiritual significance and strategic value.
Al-Shaam before Islam
Before the coming of Islam, al-Shaam was one of the most developed and prosperous regions in the world. The area lay under the influence of successive great powers, among them the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and later the Byzantine Empire.
The Arab tribes of the south had maintained trade contacts with ash-Shaam for centuries. The famous caravans of the Quraysh travelled to ash-Shaam in the summer, as mentioned in the Qur’an:
“For the accustomed security of the Quraysh, their accustomed security [in] the caravan of winter and summer.”
*(Surah Quraysh, 106:1–2)*³
The route to al-Shaam was the most important commercial artery of Arabia. From Mecca, goods such as leather, dates and frankincense were traded for Byzantine products such as linen, olive oil, wine and metals.
In addition, al-Shaam was of great religious importance, for it was the region in which many prophets of Banu Isra’il (عليهم السلام) lived and preached.
Sources
Qur’an, Surah Quraysh (106:1–2).
Sahih al-Bukhari, book on the beginning of the revelation (Hadith 7).