Hijaz

The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of

Saudi Arabia

. It includes the cities of

Mecca

,

Medina

,

Jeddah

, Tabuk, Yanbu and Taif. It is also known as the "Western Province" in

Saudi Arabia

.Mackey, p. 101. "The Western Province, or the Hejaz .. It is bordered in the west by the

Red Sea

, in the north by

Jordan

, in the east by the

Najd

, and in the south by the 'Asir Region. Its largest city is

Jeddah

, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, with

Mecca

and

Medina

being the fourth and fifth largest cities respectively in the country. The Hejaz is the most cosmopolitan region in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Hejaz is significant for being the location of the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the first and second holiest sites in Islam, respectively. As the site of the two holiest sites in Islam, the Hejaz has significance in the

Arab

and Islamic historical and political landscape. The region of Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia, Arabic is the predominant language as in the rest of Saudi Arabia, with Hejazi Arabic being the most widely spoken dialect in the region. Hejazis are of ethnically diverse origins.

The region, according to Islamic tradition, is the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was born in Mecca, which is locally considered to have been founded by the Islamic prophets Abraham and Ishmael, and matriarch Hagar. The area became part of his empire through the early Muslim conquests, and it formed part of successive caliphates, first the Rashidun Caliphate, followed by the Umayyad Caliphate, and finally the

Abbasid Caliphate

. The Ottoman Empire held partial control over the area; after its dissolution, an independent Kingdom of Hejaz existed briefly in 1925 before being conquered by the neighbouring Sultanate of Nejd, creating the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd. In September 1932, the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd joined the Saudi dominions of Al-Hasa and

Qatif

, creating the unified Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Etymology

The name of the region is derived from a verb ''ḥajaza'' (), from the Arabic root ''ḥ-j-z'' (), meaning "to separate," and it is so called as it separates the land of the

Najd

in the east from the land of

Tihāmah

in the west.

History

Prehistoric and ancient times

One or possibly two

megalith

ic

dolmen

have been found in Hejaz.

The Hejaz includes both the '' Mahd adh-Dhahab'' ("Cradle of the Gold") () and a water source, now dried out, that used to flow north east to the Persian Gulf via the Wādi Al-Rummah and Wādi Al-Bātin system. Archaeological research led by of Boston University and the University of Qassim indicates that the river system was active and 2500–3000 BCE.

The northern part of the Hejaz was part of the Roman province of

Arabia Petraea

.

Era of Saleh

Saudi Arabia's and Hejaz's first World Heritage Site that was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is that of Al-Hijr. The name "Al-Ḥijr" ("The Land of Stones" or "The Rocky Place") occurs in the

Qur'an

, and the site is known for having structures carved into rocks, similar to

Petra

. Construction of the structures is credited to the people of Thamud. The location is also called "Madā’in Ṣāliḥ" ("Cities of Saleh"), as it is speculated to be the city in which the Islamic prophet

Saleh

was sent to the people of Thamud. After the disappearance of Thamud from Mada'in Saleh, it came under the influence of other people, such as the Nabataeans, whose capital was Petra. Later, it would lie in a route used by Muslim Pilgrims going to Mecca.

Era of Abraham and Ishmael

According to Arab and Islamic sources, the civilization of Mecca started after Ibrāhīm (Abraham) brought his son Ismāʿīl (Ishmael) and wife Hājar (Hagar) here, for the latter two to stay. Some people from the

Yemen

i tribe of Jurhum settled with them, and Isma'il reportedly married two women, one after divorcing another, at least one of them from this tribe, and helped his father to construct or re-construct the ''Ka'bah'' ('Cube'), which would have social, religious, political and historical implications for the site and region.

For example, in Arab or Islamic belief, the tribe of Quraysh would descend from Isma'il

ibn

Ibrahim, be based in the vicinity of the Ka'bah, and include Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. From the Period of '' Jāhiliyyah'' ('Ignorance') to the days of Muhammad, the often-warring Arab tribes would cease their hostilities during the time of Pilgrimage, and go on pilgrimage to Mecca, as inspired by Ibrāhim. It was during such an occasion that Muhammad met some Medinans who would allow him to migrate to Medina, to escape persecution by his opponents in Mecca.

Era of Muhammad

As the land of Mecca and Medina, the Hejaz was where Muhammad was born, and where he founded a Monotheistic ''Ummah'' of followers, bore patience with his foes or struggled against them, migrated from one place to another, preached or implemented his beliefs, lived and died. Given that he had both followers and enemies here, a number of battles or expeditions were carried out in this area, like those of ''Al-Aḥzāb'' ("The Confederates"),

Badr

and Ḥunayn. They involved both Meccan companions, such as Hamzah ibn Abdul-Muttalib, Ubaydah ibn al-Harith and Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas, and Medinan companions.Witness Pioneer "Pre-Badr Missions and Invasions"
/ref> The Hejaz fell under Muhammad's influence as he emerged victorious over his opponents, and was thus a part of his empire.Holt (1977), p. 57Lapidus (2002), pp. 31–32

Subsequent history

Due to the presence of the two holy cities in the Hejaz, the region was ruled by numerous empires. The Hejaz was at the center of the Rashidun Caliphate, in particular whilst its capital was Medina from 632 to 656 ACE. The region was then under the control of regional powers, such as

Egypt

and the Ottoman Empire, throughout much of its later history. After the Ottomans lost control of it, Hejaz became an independent state.

Brief independence

After the end of the of Ottoman suzerainty and control in Arabia, in 1916,

Hussein bin Ali

became the leader of an independent State of Hejaz. In 1924, Ali bin Hussein succeeded as the King of Hejaz. Then Ibn Saud succeeded Hussein as the King of Hejaz and Nejd. Ibn Saud ruled the two as separate units, known as the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd from 1926 to 1932.

In modern Saudi Arabia

On 23 September 1932, the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The day is a national holiday called Saudi National Day.

Culture

Religion

The cultural setting of Hejaz is greatly influenced by Islamic culture. Hejaz contains Makkah and Madinah where Islam was firstly established. Moreover, Qur’an is considered the constitution of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic law "sharia’" is the main legal source. In Saudi Arabia, Islam is not just adhered politically by the government but also it has a great influence on the people's culture and everyday life. The society is in general deeply religious, conservative, traditional, and family-oriented. Many attitudes and traditions are centuries-old, derived from Arab civilization and Islamic heritage.

Cuisine

Hejazi cuisine has mostly Arabian dishes like rest of Saudi Arabia. Grilled meat dishes such as

shawarma

and

kebab

are well-known in Hejaz. Some dishes are native to the Hejaz, like Saleeg. The Hejazi dishes are known for their spice.

Geography

The region is located along the Red Sea Rift. It is also known for its darker, more

volcanic

sand

. Depending on the previous definition, the Hejaz includes some of the mountains of the Sarat range, which topographically separate the Najd from Tehamah. Bdellium plants are also abundant in the Hejaz. Saudi Arabia, and in particular the Hejaz, is home to more than 2000 dormant volcanoes. Lava fields in the Hejaz, known locally by their Arabic name of ''ḥarrāt'' (, singular: ''ḥarrah'' ()), form one of Earth's largest alkali basalt regions, covering some , an area greater than the state of

Missouri

.

Flags

File:Flag of Afghanistan pre-1901.svg, Flag of the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661)
File:WhiteFlag.png, Flag of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)
File:BlackFlag.svg, Flag of the

Abbasid Caliphate

(750–1258)
File:Fatimid flag.svg, Flag of the

Fatimid Caliphate

(909–1171)
File:Flag of Ayyubid Dynasty.svg, Flag of the

Ayyubid dynasty

(1171–1254)
File:Mameluke Flag.svg, Flag of the Mamluk Sultanate (1254–1517)
File:Ottoman Flag.svg, Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1517–1916)
File:Flag of Upper Asir.svg, Sheikdom of Upper Asir (1916-1920)
File:Ottoman red flag.svg, Provisional flag of the Kingdom of Hejaz from 1916 to 1917
File:Flag of Hejaz 1917.svg, Flag of the Kingdom of Hejaz (1917–1920)
File:Flag of Hejaz 1920.svg, Flag of the Kingdom of Hejaz and the Sharifian Caliphate (1920 to 1926)
File:The Flag of Hijaz, part of the Kingdom of Hijaz and Najd.png, Flag of Hijaz, part of the Kingdom of Hijaz and Najd (1926–1932)
File:Flag of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd.svg, Flag of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd (1926 to 1932)
File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg, Flag of the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

(1973–present)

Cities

Al Bahah Region:
* Al-Bāḥah

Al Madinah Region:
* ''Al-Madīnah Al-Munawwarah'' (

Medina

)
* Badrبـتـصـرف عـن مـجـلـة الأمـانـة الـعـدد عـشـرون شـوال 1419 تـصـدر عـن أمـانـة الـمـديـنـة الـمـنـور�
إمـارة مـنـطـقـة الـمـديـنـة الـمـنـورة

* ''Yanbuʿ al-Baḥr'' (Yanbu)

Makkah Province:
* Aṭ-Ṭāʾif
* ''Jiddah'' (

Jeddah

)
* ''Makkah'' (

Mecca

* Rābigh

Tabuk Region:
* Tabūk

International tourism development

As a component of Saudi Vision 2030, a 28,000 square kilometer tourism destination is under development on the

Red Sea

coast between the towns of Umluj () and Al-Wajh (), in the northern section of the Hejazi coast. The project will involve "the development of 22 of the 90+ islands" that lie along the coast to create a "fully integrated luxury mixed-use destination." and will be "governed by laws on par with international standards".

Demographics

The Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia, containing 35% of the population of Saudi Arabia. Most people of Hejaz are Sunni, Sunnis with a Shia minority in the cities of Medina, Mecca and Jeddah. Many consider themselves more cosmopolitan because Hejaz was for centuries a part of the great empires of Islam from the Umayyads to the Ottoman Empire, Ottomans. People of Hejaz, who feel particularly connected to the holy places of Mecca and Medina, have probably the most strongly articulated identity of any regional grouping in Saudi Arabia.

Gallery

File:Mina 2.JPG, The camp of Mina, Saudi Arabia, Mina on the outskirts of Mecca, where Pilgrimage#Islam, Muslim pilgrims gather for the ''Hajj, Ḥajj'' (Greater Pilgrimage). ''Masjid Al-Khayf'' is visible to the right.
File:Pilgrims must spend the time within a defined area on the plain of Arafat. - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg, Pilgrims gathering at the plain of Mount Arafat
File:جبل أحد.jpg, Mount Uhud in the area of Madinah
File:DL1W7080.jpg, The Al-Balad, Jeddah, old city of

Jeddah

File:Kaust-night-view.jpg, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) campus at night
File:Al Wajh Beach.jpg, Beach promenade in Al-Wajh
File:Albaha.JPG, Al-Bahah City, located above sea level
File:1قرية ذي عين.jpg, Dhi 'ain village located in Al-Bahah Province, Al Bahah Province

Notable Hejazis

* Salih of Thamud

Al-Abwa'

* Musa al-Kadhim ibn Ja‘far al-Sadiq, descendant of Muhammad

Mecca

Pre–6th century CE

* Qusai ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn An-Nadr ibn Kinanah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'ad ibn Adnan the descendant of Isma'il ibn Ibrahim ibn Terah, Azar ibn Nahor, son of Serug, Nahor ibn Serug ibn Reu ibn Peleg ibn Eber ibn Salah (biblical figure), Shelakh,Book of Genesis, Chapters 10, 11, 16, 17, 21 and 251 Chronicles, Chapter 1 Chief of the Tribe of Quraysh, and an ancestor of Muhammad
* Abd-al-Dar ibn Qusai, Qusai's son Abd-al-DarSUNY Press :: History of al-Tabari Vol. 39, The
the father of Uthman the father of Abdul-Uzza the father of Barrah bint Abdul Uzza, Barrah the maternal grandmother of Muhammad
* Abd Manaf ibn Qusai, paternal ancestor of Muhammad
* Abd-al-Uzza ibn Qusai, Abdul-Uzza, son of Qusai, and an ancestor of Barrah bint Abdul-Uzza
* Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, Hashim, son of Abd Manaf, paternal great-grandfather of Muhammad, and the progenitor of Banu Hashim in the Tribe of Quraysh
* Hubbah bint Hulail ibn Hubshiyyah ibn Salul ibn Ka‘b ibn Amr al-Banu Khuza'a, Khuza'i, wife of Qusai, and an ancestor of Muhammad
* Atikah bint Murrah ibn Hilal ibn Falij ibn Dhakwan, wife of Abd Manaf, and an ancestor of Muhammad

Since

* Ab (Semitic), Abu Qasim ibn Muhammad, al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib
* Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Uthman Abu Quhafah ibn Amir ibn Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b, father-in-law of Muhammad, and Caliph
* Umar ibn Al-Khattab ibn Nufayl ibn Abdul-Uzza the descendant of Banu 'Adiy, Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, father-in-law of Muhammad, and Caliph
* Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, and Caliph
* Hamzah, son of Abdul-Muttalib, and a paternal uncle of Muhammad, and other ''Muhajirun'' or Meccan followers of Muhammad, including Ubaydah and Sa'd
* Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib, Abu Talib, son of Abdul-Muttalib, Chief of Banu Hashim, paternal uncle of Muhammad, and the father of Ali
* Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, Chief of Bani Hashim, and the paternal grandfather of Muhammad
* Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn Abdul-Uzza ibn Qusai, and other Meccan Muhammad's wives, wives of Muhammad
* Fatimah, other Muhajirun#Daughters of Muhammad, daughters of Muhammad, and other Muhajirun, Muhajir women
* Umm Ammar ibn Yasir, Ammar Sumayyah bint Khayyat, wife of Yasir ibn Amir, Yasir ibn Amir ibn Malik al-Ansi, believed to be the first martyr from the followers of Muhammad
* Aminah bint Wahb ibn Abd Manaf ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilab ibn Murrah, wife of Abdullah, and the mother of Muhammad

Medina

Pre–6th century CE

* Salma bint Amr, Salmah, daughter of Amr, wife of Hashim, and a great-grandmother of Muhammad

Since

* Caliph Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan, and other Descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib, sons of Ali and Family tree of Muhammad, grandsons of Muhammad born in Medina
* Caliph Umar II, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan, Abdul-Aziz ibn Marwan ibn Al-Hakam ibn Abi al-'As ibn Umayyah ibn Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusai, great-grandson of Umar ibn Al-Khattab
* Hasan of Basra
* Muhammad al-Baqir ibn Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, Ali Zaynul-Abidin, grandson of Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn the grandsons of Muhammad
* Zayd ibn Ali, Zayd ibn Ali Zaynul-Abidin ibn Husayn ibn Fatimah bint Muhammad, half-brother of Muhammad al-Baqir
* Ansar (Islam), Ansari women
* Ja'far al-Sadiq ibn Muhammad al-Baqir
* Malik ibn Anas, Malik the son of Anas ibn Malik ibn Abi Amir al-Asbahi (not Anas ibn Malik, Anas the companion of Muhammad)
* Ali al-Ridha ibn Musa al-Kadhim ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq
* Fatimah bint Musa ibn Ja'far, sister of Ali al-Ridha
* Abu Ali al-Hadi, Ali Muhammad al-Jawad ibn Ali al-Ridha

Ta'if

6th–7th centuries CE

* Uthman ibn Affan ibn Abu al-'As ibn Umayyah ibn Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf, son-in-law of Muhammad, and Caliph
* Urwah ibn Mas'ud, Chief of Banu Thaqif
* Nafi ibn al-Harith, Physician

Since

* Sharif Ali ibn Ajlan ibn Rumaithah ibn Muhammad, son-in-law and successor of Sultan Ahmad of Brunei, father of Sulaiman (Brunei), Sultan Sulaiman, and a descendant of Muhammad

See also

* Al Baydha Project
* Desert of Paran
* Hejaz Vilayet
* Hejazi turban
* Hijazi script
* Midian
* Syria (region)#Sham, Relationship between the Hijaz, Shaam and Yemen
* Sharifate of Mecca

Explanatory notes

References

Further reading

* PBK, first edition: 1987.

External links

*

{{Authority control

Hejaz,
Geography of Saudi Arabia
Historical regions
Historical regions in Saudi Arabia
Megalithic monuments in the Middle East
Red Sea