THE HAZARDOUS TASK of reconstructing the history of the Arab polity during the first Islamic century has long occupied modern scholarship. Admittedly, the cardinal difficulty lies in the fact that almost everything that has reached us concerning this period comes from traditional Muslim compilations, the main aim of which was to establish a paradigm of sacred history for it. In an attempt to contribute to the study of this paradigm, but without going beyond the scope of the present enquiry, we shall proceed to re-examine some of the material on issues of direct relevance to our topic.

As noted by von Grunebaum, the importance of the Arab-Persian battle of Dhū Qār (in ca. AD 610) for the future relations between these two peoples cannot be denied. We may concede the truth of the view that without the Arab victory in that battle the future of the region, and with it, that of Islam as well, would have been different. The problem, however, lies in the fact that the only sources on Dhu Qār are traditional Muslim ones that not only present it within the framework of the crucial stage in the birth of Islam, but also advance the notion that the Prophet himself expressed satisfaction with the Arab victory. A close examination of the relevant traditions, however, reveals that they were basically the product of two mid-second/eighth century figures: Ibrāhīm al-Taymī (his exact death date is unknown) and Mu﹜:lammad ibn Sawā’ (d. 187 /802). A third figure from approximately the same period, Khalid ibn Sa'id al-Umawī, circulated a similar variant of the Prophet's reaction through a family isnād. The main elements reiterated by these traditions are I) the Prophet's statement that the Arabs/ var. Banu Ba.kr gained justice ( inta§afii) from the Persians ( ‘ajam ), 2) the information that the Arabs used Mu﹜:lammad's name as their battle slogan (shi ‘ār), and hence, 3) the Prophet's statement: “They were victorious through me” ( bī nu§irū), upon hearing the outcome of the battle.

Now, for one who finds history in these traditions there is a good case in all this for a national Arabian position adopted by the Prophet oflslam against the Persians.