This book is an attempt at a reconstruction of complex relations between Byzantium and the Arabs from the sixth to the eighth century. It discusses the religious and political situation in the Middle East on the eve of the Arab conquest, characterises the attitude adopted by the inhabitants of Byzantine provinces toward the Arab invaders, analyses the administrative structures of Byzantium and the Umayyad state, and presents the life of Christian Churches under the Arab rule. Written in a clear, direct style, free of scholarly jargon, this collection of essays is based on both Byzantine and Arab sources, as well as on a wide selection of scholarly literature, originating from both the Western and Middle Eastern cultural circles. The monograph has been prepared by the scholars associated with the Waldemar Ceran Research Centre for History and Culture of the Mediterranean Area and South-Eastern Europe of the University of Łódź (Ceraneum). One might note, with a considerable degree of satisfaction, the initiative of Łódź Byzantinists aimed at increasing the role of Polish historiography in the scholarly world. It has taken up the form of a work in English, devoted to an event of worldwide importance, a clash of the newly emergent Islam with the refined culture of the Roman Mediterranean.

Introduction 10 Part I. Before the Conquest 16 1. Geography and Environmental Conditions of Syro-Palestine. The Region’s Geopolitical Importance in Late Antiquity Paweł Filipczak 16 2. Arabs, (H)agarenes, Ishmaelites, Saracens – a Few Remarks about Naming Teresa Wolińska 31 3. The Arabs before Islam – the Birth of the New Religion Marek M. Dziekan 47 4. The Goddesses of Pre-Islamic Arabia (Al-Lāt, Al-‘Uzzā, Manāt) Zofi A. Brzozowska 64 5. Irfan Shahîd’s Theme System or John Haldon’s Myth of Themes. A Short Review of the Two Main Ideas of Themes in Syria Paweł Filipczak 92 6. Byzantine Church before the Arab Conquest. Historical-Theological Aspects of Divisions in Churches of the East Sławomir Bralewski 101 7. Difficult Neighbours. Enemies, Partners, Allies Teresa Wolińska 159 Part II. The Conquest 214 1. Byzantium on the Eve of the Arab Expansion. Some Aspects of Government during the Reign of Heraclius I (610–641) Teresa Wolińska 214 2. Arab Expansion on Byzantine Territory (632–718) Błażej Cecota 232 3. The Character of the Invasion. A Discussion of the Causes and Immediate Effects of the Muslim Expansion Teresa Wolińska 279 4. Resistance, Passivity or Collaboration? Christians in Syria and Egypt Facing the Arab Conquest Teresa Wolińska 297 Part III. After the Conquest 324 1. Administration of the Arabic World: from Tribalism to the Umayyad Caliphate Hassan Badawy, Błażej Cecota 324 2. Economic Institutions of Early Islam. The Creation of Bayt al-Māl ( ). From Tribal Treasury to the “Ministry of Finance” Hassan Badawy 347 3. Christian Communities in the Territories Conquered by the Arabs (Seventh– Eighth Centuries) Marta Woźniak 365 4. The Byzantines in the Context of the Ḳur’ān Marek M. Dziekan 399 5. The Arabs and Islam in the Eyes of the Byzantines Teresa Wolińska 427 6. A Byzantine Heritage? Outline of Art and Architecture of Early Islam (Seventh– Eighth Centuries) Marta Woźniak 448 Sources – a Brief Overview Błażej Cecota, Marek M. Dziekan, Teresa Wolińska 472 A Short Review of Arab Sources Marek M. Dziekan 472 Greek, Syrian and Coptic Sources for the History of Byzantine-Arabic Relations in Sixth–Eighth Century Błażej Cecota, Teresa Wolińska 480 Abbreviations 494 Bibliography 502 Indices 576 Illustrations 602