This work is intended as an introduction to the history of the Near East in the early Islamic period, from the time of the Prophet to the vast upheaval caused by the arrival of the Seljuk Turks in the mid-fifth to eleventh centuries. In it, I have attempted to strike a balance between a presentation of factual material, which may seem too dry, and speculative interpretation. Some will no doubt find this approach traditional and unadventurous, but I have tried to bear in mind the needs of the reader who is approaching the history of the Near East for the first time and requires a basic framework of chronological narrative. At the same time, I have tried to avoid the impression that Islamic history is full of ephemeral rulers and pointless battles and to devote space to long-term social and economic changes and to the positive aspects of Muslim government and the immense achievements of the period, which are too often neglected in Western writing. Whether I have reached the right balance is for the reader to judge. In writing this book, I am deeply conscious of the debt I owe to many scholars who have worked on the period. I have been especially helped by the works of W.M. Watt on Muhammad and F.M. Donner and M. Morony on the Islamic conquests. The articles of G.M. Hinds on the reign of ‘Uthma-n and the battle of S·iff ı ̄n are of fundamental importance. For later periods, I have been greatly helped by the work of J. Lassner and F. Omar on the ‘Abbasid caliphate, R.M. Adams on the economic and archaeological background to the breakup of the caliphate and the works of R. Bulliet and R. Mottahedeh. Although we may disagree on some interpretations, I owe much to the teaching of M.A. Shaban. I should also draw attention to the excellent and wide-ranging studies of W. Madelung and C.E. Bosworth, both of whom have contributed greatly to our understanding of the period. It is inevitably invidious to single out individual authors, and there are many others to whom I owe much. The list of secondary sources at the end of this volume gives details of works I have found useful. I must emphasize that all the errors in this work are my own. I owe particular debts of gratitude to Professor P.M. Holt, who has edited this volume with the greatest care and saved me from numerous mistakes. I would also like to thank friends and colleagues who have encouraged me, and especially Helen and Robert Irwin for friendship and hospitality in London.
H. Kennedy, St Andrews, February 1985