Fairs in the Hijaz region and it s surroundings before Islam

The Arabian Peninsula is divided into five regions, with Hejaz being the most important among them. The main cities of the Hejaz region are Mecca, Medina, and Ta'if. Due to Mecca's geography, which is not suitable for agriculture, the inhabitants relied mainly on trade for their livelihood. The city's trade remained closed until the time of Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. With an initiative led by Hashim and his brothers, trade in Hejaz, especially Mecca, opened outward. Trade agreements called ilaf made with neighboring tribes and regions were the main reason for this expansion. The fairs established in Hejaz contributed not only to commerce but also to the development of literary and religious life. In the Arabian Peninsula, 29 fairs were held across Yemen, Sham, Iraq, Bahrain, and Hejaz. Of these, thirteen—including Ukaz, Majanna, Zulmijaz, Hubasha, Hazwara, Kasib, Safasif, Muzahim, Bani Kainuka, Nabat, Zubala Badr, and Natat—were located in Hejaz and its surroundings, the focus of our study. Fairs were classified as temporary or seasonal based on their timing. Ukaz, Majanna, Zulmijaz, and Hubasha fairs were held only during the sacred months, while the others were generally open year-round. At these fairs, agricultural, industrial, and animal products as well as slaves were sold. Agricultural goods like barley, wheat, and flour, alongside olive oil mainly brought from the Sham region, were available. Among industrial products, processed leather was sold the most. Cosmetics such as musk, amber, and incense were also traded. Slaves and concubines from Yemen, Byzantium, and Abyssinia were sold at the fairs too. The fairs affected religious and literary life as well. Arabs worked hard to prevent security issues during fairs, solving these through religion. They established the sacred months during which warfare was forbidden and applied this as a religious rule. Another problem was the Hajj season constantly shifting to different times, coinciding with major fairs and harming trade. To prevent this, Arabs used the nesî practice to postpone some months and fix the Hajj season at a specific time. Besides religion, fairs positively influenced literary life. Poets eager to gain fame came to fairs to recite poems and sometimes competed with others. Poets with authority, like Nabiga, especially attended Ukaz, encouraging others to present their poetry. The Mu'allaqat, some of the finest poems recited at fairs, gained great fame. Fairs also helped introduce writing to Hejaz, especially to Mecca.