ABSTRACT
WiththeappearanceofIslam,theGulfArabs'economybecame aforceservingtheburgeoningIslamicstate,thatis,theArabs' adoptionofIslamimposedonthempaymentofthealmstax,alarge amountbecauseoftherichestheyhadaccumulatedthroughtrade. Al-BaladhirimentionedthattheIslamicstate'sgreatestincomeatthe timeoftheProphetcamefromBahrain:'Al-'Ala'Ibnal-f.Ia<;Iramisent theProphetmoneyfromBahrainamountingto80thousand,more thanheeverreceived,beforeorsince'.23AbiiHurayra,agovernorof Bahrainatthetimeof'UmarIbnal-Khagab,isquotedassayingthat hecameto'UmarfromBahrain,'Imethimatthelasteveningprayer andgreetedhimandheaskedmeaboutthepeopleandthensaid: "Whathaveyoubroughtwithyou?"Isaid:"Ihavebrought500 thousand."Hesaid:"Doyouknowwhatyouaresaying?"Isaid:"I havebrought500thousand."Hesaid:"Whatareyousaying?"Isaid: "100thousandand100thousandand100thousandand100 thousandand100thousandandthataddsuptofive."Hesaid: "Indeed,youaredozing,gobacktoyourfamilyandsleepandwhen youwakeup,cometome."'AbiiHurayrasaid:'SoIcametohimin themorningandhesaid:"Whathaveyoubrought?"Isaid:"500 thousand."Hesaid:"Honestly?"Isaid:''Yes,Iknownothingbut this."'24So,itisclearthatBahrain'srevenuesfromtradeandpearls becamesomeofthemostimportantfortheIslamicstateandwere thedirectcauseofthedevelopmentofthe'divan'asasystemof recordingincomeandexpenses.
