Eastern Arabia: The Strategic Prize
Bahrain (in the early Islamic sense) was not just the island — it encompassed the entire eastern Arabian coast, including modern Qatif, al-Ahsa, and coastal Oman. It was the wealthiest part of Arabia: dates, pearls, fishing, and the transit trade with Persia. Whoever governed Bahrain controlled significant revenue for the nascent Islamic state.
The Prophet recognized this and sent al-Ala ibn al-Hadrami — not a prominent sahabi but a man the Prophet personally vouched for with an extraordinary promise regarding intercession.
Mundhir ibn Sawa and Bahrain’s Conversion
The Prophet wrote to Mundhir ibn Sawa, the local ruler, inviting him to Islam. Mundhir replied with a nuanced letter indicating his own conversion but acknowledging that parts of his population — particularly the Zoroastrians (Majus) — would not convert. The Prophet’s response was practical: the Majus may continue their practice and pay jizyah. This exchange is cited as an early precedent for Islamic governance of non-Muslim minorities.
The Ridda and Recovery
When the Prophet died, Bahrain’s tribal confederacies collapsed their Islamic commitments — partly religious apostasy, partly tax revolt, partly tribal politics. Al-Ala remained in Bahrain with loyal forces and tribal allies and was able to hold the provincial capital. When Abu Bakr’s armies were freed from the Arabian core, al-Ala completed the suppression and re-established Islamic governance.
See also: Seerah Zaid Ibn Arqam, Seerah Al Mughira Ibn Shuba, Seerah Nuaym Ibn Masud Al Ashjai, Seerah Jabir Ibn Samurah, Seerah Saad Ibn Muadh