The Historical Context of the Debate on Apostasy and the Roots of Intolerance

On the eve of Islam in the sixth century CE, in the west of the Arabian peninsula, several religious traditions and religious communities were in existence, including idolatry, Christianity and Judaism. Christianity was widespread throughout Arabia. Nestorian and Jacobean communities were prominent in the north and north-east of the Peninsula. In the south, one of the most important Christian communities was in Najran.1 Jewish communities also existed in relatively large numbers, in particular in Tayma’, Fadak, Khayber, Wadi al-Qura and Yathrib (Medina).2