Chief of the Prophets — Page 4
Chapter One 4 land of Midian where Moses as was married is to the west of Al-Ḥijr towards the coastal area. 5. Ḥa*ramaut : Ḥaramaut is a famous place east of Yemen. The territory of Muhra is also located towards the east of Ḥaramaut. 6. Oman : Oman is towards the east of Arabia; its capital is Muscat. 7. Al-Aḥqāf : Al-Aḥqāf is a vast and famous region between Yamāmah and Ḥaramaut. The nation of ‘Ᾱd, to whom Ḥūd was sent, lived in this region. 8. Al-Ḥisā ’ ’ ’ ’ (or Al-Aḥsā) : Al-Ḥisā’ is a coastal area towards the east and next to the Persian Gulf. The islands of Bahrain are close to it; therefore, sometimes Al-Ḥisā’ is refered to as Bahrain. Pearls are often dug up from the coastal area of Bahrain. People Arabia is sparsely populated on account of a shortage of rain, vastness of the desert and limited agriculture. Nevertheless, a population of 7 to 8 million inhabits the country, which is sizeable considering the conditions. With respect to the races living there, historians have divided Arabian tribes into the following groups: 1. ‘Āribah (Ancient Arabs): These are the ancient and original tribes of Arabia, which have been further divided into two groups: a. Bā’idah (Perished or Extinct Arabs): The Bā’idah are the ancient and original tribes that vanished well before Islam, whose detailed history is not available