the Persians employed elements that would be subversive or who would be used as a pretext when necessary. When the Persians the Arabs were powerful, they tried : of the real understanding of the role played by power in the relationship between nations. not within the scope of the Arab state to enjoy a life without this with the Persians against not in the Arabs' interest to involve

doi:10.4324/9780203038017-80

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the Persians employed elements that would be subversive or who would be used as a pretext when necessary. When the Persians the Arabs were powerful, they tried

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ABSTRACT

BAHRAININTHEAGEOFTHERIGHTEOUSCALIPHS Followingthedemiseofherleader,al'Ala'lbnal-Hadrami,Bahrain continuedtoparticipatenotablyinthemilitarycampaignsundertakenbytheMuslimsinthesefirstyearsoftheirhistory.Therewas nostrongoppositiontoanyoftheRighteousCaliphsatthetimeof thewellknownrivalries.Andtherewasn'tanyfeverishguardingof theseCaliphs,agreatdealofwhichwastobeseeninotherIslamic areasincludingEgyptandIraq,andalsoamongthepeopleofMedina themselves.Itappearsthattheevidenceuncoveredafterthat concerningreligioussectarianismandpoliticaldivisionswasnot stronginthispartoftheArabworld.Perhapsalltheinhabitantswere loyaltotheRighteousCaliphsasoneoftheirothermasters.Orit couldbethatallthepeopletherewereundertheprotectionofthese Caliphsthroughoutthattime.Howeverweknowthatthepeoplein thisareainclinedtowardsthefourthCaliph,theImamAliIbnAbi Talib,evenwhenhewasopposedbygroupsinGreaterSyriaand otherareas.ButthemenofBahraindidnotgivetheirsupporttothis Caliphaloneastherewereotherstrongleaderswhowereinfluential inthearea.AmongthesewereAbanIbnSaid,lbnal-'Asal-Thaqafi, AmrulbnUmmSalmaandMa'badlbnal-'Abaslbn'AbdalMuttalibas wellasotherleaderswhoagreedwiththeCaliph,whofoughtwith himandmadetheutmostsacrificesonhisbehalf.Muchisknown abouttherolethatthetribeof'Abdal-Qaisandtheotherelementsin theareaplayedinthecivilwarswhichtookplacetowardstheendof theeraoftheRighteousCaliphs.The'Abdal-Qaisboasteda considerablenumberofhorsemenwhotookpartinthesewars.55 TheCaliphmadeitclearhowgratefulhewastothegroupsfrom Bahrainwhohadfoughtalongsidehimandaswellaspraisingthem inthiswayalsogavethemhistrustandblessings.