Geography of the Arabian Peninsula

Geography of the Arabian

The Arabian Peninsula is an area in the form of an island located between the continents of Asia and Africa, as if the Arab region were the heart of the earth (world). In the west the Arab region is bordered by the Red Sea, in the east it is bordered by the Persian Gulf and the Omani Sea or the rivers of the Dajlah (Tigris) and Furat (Euphrat). The south is bordered by the Indian Sea and the north by the Sahara Tiih (sea of sand between the land of Syria and the river Furat). That is why the Arab region is known as an island and is called Jaziratul-Arabiah. [1]

The area of the Arabian Peninsula is approximately 1,100,000 square miles or 126,000 square farsakhs or 3,156,558 square kilometers. One third of the land is covered by a sea of sand, of which the largest is the one known as ar-Rabi 'al-Khaly. Not only with sand, but also filled with large stones or high rocky mountains. Among them, the biggest and the highest is the one known by the name Jabal as-Sarat. In this sand island there are no rivers that flow because the valleys are briefly watery and briefly dry, some of the water flows into the desert and some into the ocean. Such a large area, at that time, was inhabited by 12 million people, but some say 10 million.

The Arabian Peninsula is divided into 8 parts, namely; Hijaz, Yaman, Hadramaut, Muhrah, Oman, al Hasa, Najd and Ahqaf. The locations of these areas are;

Hijaz is located in the southeast of Tunisia on the shores of the Red sea. The area was called the Hijaz because it covered the area between the Tihamah and Najd areas. It is in the Hijaz area that is located a city known as Makkah, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. In the middle of this city lies a Masjidil Haram. In the center of the large mosque lies a holy house known as the Ka'bah or Baitullah.
Yemen is located in the south of the Hijaz, it is called Yemen because the area is located to the right of the Ka'bah. If we face east, to the left of the region lies the land of Asier. Within that area there were several large cities such as the cities of Saba (Ma'rib) Shan'a, Hudaidah, and Adn. The land of Yemen is an area that is the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered on the west by the Red Sea, on the south by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Hijaz, and on the east by Hadramaut.
Hadramaut is located in the east of Yemen and on the edge of the Indian Ocean.
Muhrah is located east of Hadramaut.
Oman is located to the north along the Persian Gulf and to the southeast by the Indian Ocean.
Al-Hasa is located on the coast of the Persian Gulf and extends to the bank of the river Furat.
Najd is located in the middle between the Hijaz, al-Hasa, the Sahara, the land of Sham and the land of Yamamah. The land of Najd is a high and wide plain, and is continuous in the north with the land of Syria, in the east with Iraq in the west with the Hijaz and in south with Yamamah.
Ahqaf is located in the southern Arab region and southwest of Oman. The Ahqaf area is a low plain. [2]

Such condition of the area can protect it from attacks, and the invasion of criminals as well as the spread of religion. In an area as large as such a river does not exist, the rain that will be used as a guide in regulating a business is also uncertain, except for the Yemen area which is located in the south which is very fertile and has quite a lot of rain, the other Arab regions consist of mountains. mountain highlands, barren valleys and arid nature. [3] This very dry and very arid region is due to the water vapor that surrounds it (the Red, Indian and Arabian seas) which cannot fulfill the need to cool such a vast land area.

As mentioned above that most of the peninsula is the Sahara desert which is located in the middle and has different conditions and characteristics, therefore it can be divided into three parts, among them

The Sky Sahara extends 140 miles from north to south and 180 miles from east to west, it is also called Sahara Nufud. Oases and springs are very rare, wind gusts often create dust fog which makes this area difficult to reach.

Southern Sahara which stretches across the Sahara of Heaven to the east to southern Persia. Almost entirely of land is hard, barren and undulating sand. This area is also called al-Rabi al-Khaly (the quiet part).
Sahara Harat, an area consisting of clay which is black rock like burning. Clusters of black stones spread across the breadth of this Sahara, totaling 29 pieces. [4]

After we know the Geographical condition of the Arabian Peninsula, it can be imagined that this area is so vast, besides that because of its strategic location it is not surprising that this area became a stopover for trade caravans who came and went to the center of commerce, as well as being the center of goods exchange activities. -goods between merchants from Central Asia, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Ethiopia, Persia, and Ruum.

Meanwhile, at the time of the Prophet and his Companions of the Arabian Peninsula at that time, it was flanked by two major countries, namely Persia in the East and Rome in the West and the city of Mecca as the center of its government. From a geographical perspective, the city of Mecca is almost located in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula. [5] This peninsula is located in southwest Asia. To the north it is bordered by the mainland of Syria, to the east by the Gulf of Parsi and Oman, to the south by the Indian Ocean, and to the west by the Red Sea. Most of the area is a barren area, there are no rivers that flow regularly and there are only a few which are sometimes inundated, but often dry. Here and there are only desert areas in the form of mirages as far as the eye can see. [6]

Seeing its very strategic geographical location, Makkah became a stopover for trading caravans who came and went to the center of commerce. In Makkah there were markets for the exchange of goods between traders from Central Asia, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, India, Iraq, Ethiopia, Persia, and Rome. [7]

Geologically, [8] this area is more accurately called the Son of the Arab Continent because it has its own tectonic plate, the Arabian Plate. The country of Saudi Arabia covers almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. Most of the inhabitants of this peninsula live in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The peninsula contains large amounts of petroleum and is home to the holy cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina, both in Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are home to major Arabic language television stations such as Al-Jazeera.

Geographically, this peninsula consists of:

a central plateau with pasture for livestock, and a fertile valley;
ring desert, Nefud to the north, rocky, Greater Arabia, complementary to the Sahara, to the south, sandy, said to be 600 feet deep, and the Dahna between; and
stretches of coastal land, generally fertile in the west and south.

Arabia has no lakes or rivers, only wadis, most often dry; the climate becomes hot and arid, forestless, and therefore few wild animals; a trading nation with no roads or railways, only caravan routes, still the birthplace of races which were widespread across the globe, and of a religion that had been the living clue to thousands of people that were widespread during about the 13th to 14th centuries.

Sometimes the term Middle East is used only of the peninsula, but usually refers to a larger area; the Arabic term, however, is often used to refer only to Saudi Arabia. At other times the term Arabic can mean the entire Arab World, stretching from Morocco in the west to Oman in the east. Arabia as the place where Islam originally developed.

Source:

Moenawar Chalil, Kelengkapan Tarikh Nabi SAW. Jil 1 (Jakarta, Gema Insani Press, 2001)

Muhammad Husain Haekal, Sejarah Hidup Muhammad SAW, (Jakarta: Lentera Antar Nusa, 2001 )

Badri Yatim, Sejarah Peradaban Islam Dirosah Islamiah II, (Jakarta: Raja Grafindo Persada, 2002 )

Departemen Agama, Al-Qur’an dan Tejemahannya Juz 1 – 30 edisi baru ( Surabaya : UD Mekar Surabaya, 2000 )

Muhibbin, Hadits – Hadits Politik ( Yogyakarta : Pustaka Pelajar, 1996 )

Abdurrahman Asy Syarqowi, Muhammad Sang Pembebas, terj. Ilyas Siraj ( Yogyakarta : Pustaka Pelajar, 1998 )

Geography of the Arabian Peninsula