Najran
17.49166666666744.132222222222Koordinaten: 17 ° 30 'N, 44 ° 8' O
Najran (also Najran, Najran or Nagran; Arab نجران Najran, DMG Naǧrān ngrn from altsüdarabisch; earlier Abā as- Sa ʿ ūd / أبا السعود ) is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border. It is the capital of the province of Najran.
Geography and population
Najran is located in a wadi, which coming near Najran flows from the west into the desert. Najran is one of the fastest growing cities in Saudi Arabia: its population increased from 47,500 (1974) and 90 983 (1992 ) on 246 880 ( 2004).
History
Pre-Islamic period
In ancient times the name " Najran " referred to the whole oasis, the city (today the ruins al - Uchdud ) itself was most likely RagMat. The oasis of Najran was located in the settlement area of the Muh'amir and at the beginning of the incense route, why was their possession of great strategic importance. As early as 685 BC conquered the Sabaean Mukarrib Karib'il watar I. Oasis Najran, just destroyed his successor Yithi'amar Bayin to 510 BC RagMat. In the aftermath Najran seems under Minaean to be then dropped below Sabaean rule. The Roman general Aelius Gallus in 25 BC defeated the Nadschraniten in a major battle, according to Strabo, it was then the northern border city of Saba. In the middle of the 3rd century AD. allied themselves with the Nadschraniten the Abyssinians, which the governor SBQLM sent them the sabäo - himjaritische King Ilscharah Yahdib suggested this uprising but down.
328 AD Najran the target of a campaign of the North Arabian king Imru'l - Qais bin ' Amqu. Under Abyssinian influence developed in Najran, a large Christian community, which again teamed up at the beginning of the 6th century with the Aksumites. The professing to Judaism king Yusuf As ʾ ʾ ar ar Yath conquered Najran in the year 517 and caused a massacre of the Christians, who were henceforth known as the Martyrs of Najran. The massacre of up to 20,000 dead is mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura 85.
Islamization
To 630, a delegation of ministers from Najran to Medina. They brought to express that they are indeed add to the political power of the prophet, but did not want to convert to Islam because they found themselves in possession of the true religion. In this historical context, the Qur'anic statement is provided by the Islamic tradition that Jesus equal before God and Adam as he kun solely by the creative word ( "Be!" ) Was created (Sura 3:59 ). Mohammed is this Quran word have held against the Christian clergy from Najran, as there was a dispute over alleged by the Christians, Jesus 'divine sonship '. Then, so report the Arabic sources, he urged the clergy to bring about a divine judgment on the truth of the two religious positions by mutual cursing (cf. Sura 3:61 ), but what these rejected. Finally, it was agreed that the people of Nadchrān should pay an annual tribute to the Prophet 2000, for which, conversely, the Prophet granted them the protection of human life and religion. The contract on which is preserved in the Siyar of al- Shaybani and various works was renewed under the caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al - Khattab.
In the year 641 but the Najran Christians were confronted with the accusation that they had usury operated, and asked to leave the city. Many of them emigrated to Iraq, where they settled near Kufa in a place they called Nadschānīya. In the following time Najran lost its importance. According to the report of Ibn Al- Mujawir but Jews and Christians established in the 13th century, two -thirds of the population of Najran.
After the Saudi annexation
Saudi Arabia annexed Najran, which had previously belonged to Yemen in 1934. The majority of the inhabitants of Najran are Ismailis who identify today with the " Martyrs of Najran ". In the past there were frequent tensions with the Saudi government, as to feel discriminated against the Ismailis ..