Saudi researchers book reflects on around 125 inscriptions from the first three Hijri centuries

A book authored by a Saudi scholar clarifies over 125 inscriptions from the first three centuries of the Hijri period. The 219-page book "Islamic Inscriptions from Aliyat Najd" by Saad bin Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri is divided into two parts.

The first discusses commercial and pilgrimage routes that travel through Aliyat Najd, as well as portions of the Arabian Peninsula, Aliyat Najd, and its borders. The second discusses inscriptions and how they should be understood.

A few of the roadside inscriptions contribute to the portrayal of the literary, theological, and economic facets of the time.

Al-Tuwaijri collected inscriptions from 26 locations – Arwa, Al-Diniah, Al-Dawadmi, Al-Neer, Muraifik, Muhayriqah, Shatab, Masel Al-Jumh, Turban, Al-Thainiyya, Muraykha, Al-Sabaan, Al-Khais, Al-Soudha, Al-Alam, Sokman, Smeghan, Samra, east of Masel Al-Jumh, Hellit, Dariyah, Moisel, Al-Yankir, Al-Huwar, Umm Rakah, Musayira Al-Thunduwa. He was able to group them according to their meanings, including religious, literary, poetry, Qur'anic verses, memorial, and literary. He identified tribes that had resided in or frequented the locations based on the manner the letters were written, which led him to believe that the inscriptions belonged to the first three Hijri centuries.

In addition to providing information on the natural resources in the area, the inscriptions also shed light on the movements and economic activity of the local population. Al-Tuwaijri encountered a number of difficulties, such as the vast territory, rough terrain, and dearth of research on Islamic inscriptions in Najd.