ABSTRACT
A "Muslim " is "one who submits" or "one who commits himself to Islam." The pre-Islamic prosperity of the communities of Al-Hijaz, the west coastal mountain home of Islam, was primarily due to the passage through them of the spice-laden caravans of the south. The principal ceremonies in Mecca involve devotions with the whole body. They begin with circumambulation of the Ka'ba. The core of religion—which may be practiced even by a non-Muslim—is to repent of one's sins, purge the heart of all but God, and by the exercises of religion attain a virtuous character. The Caliph 'Umar's laws, designed to keep the Arabs permanently Arabian as a culturally distinct military unit, were soon and inevitably modified. The Hashimite clan to which Muhammad belonged was one of those most influential and disinclined to civic struggle. Muhammad now made sure of his political and prophetic ascendancy in Arabia.
