Early-Medieval Arabian Desert oasis city-states Mecca and Medina (situated in modern-day Saudi Arabia) were political independent during the 5th & 6th Century A.D., prior to conquest by the Prophet Muhammad and his Islamic armies.
Unfortunately, scholars have located no written sources with which to test Dr. Kolkey’s thesis.
Ivan Lapidus – Ph.D. — Professor at University of California, Berkeley
Dear Dr. Kolkey:
Alas I don’t think i can help you here. All the sources for the Arab conquests were compiled long after the conquests, , even 100 and 200 years after, and we really don’t have enough reliable specific information about motives and factional interests behind the conquest. there were factional quarrels later in the Caliphate over the succession and the division of powers and spoils but nothing that goes back to Muhammad’s era in Mecca and Medina.
“Best regards,
Ira lapidus
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Mahmood A. Ibrahim – Professor California State University, Pomona
Dr. Ibrahim concurs that we lack any sources. Nonetheless, Dr. Ibrahim did add: “But I agree what you say about the decision making process.
Mahmood Ibrahim
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