Nor is this unprecedented: the people of Bahrain have remained people of Islam and virtue since the time of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

{Their delegation from ‘Abd al-Qays came to Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with al-Ashajj among them. Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them, “Welcome to the delegation, without disgrace or regret!”

They said, “O Messenger of Allah, this tribe of unbelievers from Mudar stands between us and you, and we can reach you only during a sacred month. Give us clear, decisive instructions that we may follow and convey to those we have left behind.”

He said, “I command you to believe in Allah. Do you know what belief in Allah is? To testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, to establish prayer, to give zakat, to fast Ramadan, and to pay one-fifth of whatever spoils you acquire.”}

Hajj had not yet been made obligatory at that time.

{He said to al-Ashajj, “You possess two qualities that Allah loves: forbearance and deliberation.”

He asked, “Are these two qualities I have cultivated, or two with which I was created?”

He replied, “Two qualities with which you were created.”

He said, “Praise be to Allah, who created me with two qualities that He loves.”}

They then established Friday prayer in their land. The first Friday prayer held in Islam after the Friday prayer in Medina was held at Juwāthā, a village in Bahrain. They remained steadfast in Islam when Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died and some of the Arabs apostatized, and they were led in battle by their governor, al-‘Alā’ ibn