Islamization and Arabization of Egypt

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Mar 22, 2007 at 19:49

Hi dhimmi no more,

Thanks a lot for your reply .

Your argument is very consistent and the authorities you quote compelling. Yet , all this argument holds as far as written sources as such are concerned. But here I sense a little problem , if I may voice my doubts as a non-expert . Is this literary tradition the only source ? Can't it be checked somehow by some extra-literary sources ? How about early Moslem numismatics e.g. ? As soon as Moslems conquered a province in Iran they issued "new" coins with "Bismillah" on the face of it. Otherwise these early Sassanian-Arabic coins looked like the coins issued under Chosroes II and Yezdigert III. But they contain in some cases also information on when they were issued . And what is surprising is that some of them are dated after the "hijra" !

Some retain old Persian chronology after Yezigerd III (632) or others prefer Yezdigert III 's death (651). It is also remarkable that these coins have sometimes names of the Arab governors of the provinces where the coins were issued. These names are confirmed by later Arab chronicles where also dates are given. (A.I. Kolesnikov , The Arab conquest of Persia , Moscow 1982 , p. 48-49 referring to the works by J. Walker , A catalogue of the Arab-Sassanian coins, London 1941; G. Miles , Rare Islamic coins [in:] "The American Numismatic Society . Numismatic Notes and Monographs" , New York 1950, nr 143 et al. )

How do you see such evidence in favour of some traditional accounts ?

Finally just like in case of Homer or early Roman history it will be archaeology ( if it is ever given a chance in Dar-al-Islam ) not literature that will conclusively decide if the views you presented on early Islam (sorry , I still find them hypercritical) are exact or exaggerated. Of course , this can only happen , if Moslems become so weak as not to be able to exterminate bold archaeologists excavating their "holy" places.

> It could also mean that indeed the arab polity that invaded the Middle east did not have an identified religion and Islam just did not exist as we know it and it was still in the process of being formed in the Middle East and not in the Hijaz and all that had to be done is to look back and find find a prophet and for reasons we still do not understand the Arab polity elected this new religion that was emerging and this indeed as was explained by becker is a better explanation for the linguistic/cultural shift and then the relligious shift that took place in Egypt following the arab invasion which means that the arabs were only catalysts for such change.

To put it bluntly , whose corpse is lying in the Green Mosque in Medina in your opinion then , if it isn't that of Muhammad ( with the two first caliphs waiting the advent of Isa ibn Miriam ) ? A forensic anaysis might decide many a doubt and date , might it not ?

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