▁of ▁its ▁holder ". ▁Moreover , ▁Zak kar ▁as ser ts : ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁whether ▁S ali h ▁[ ib n ▁M ird as ] ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁holder ▁of ▁this ▁title ▁or ▁whether , ▁indeed , ▁it ▁had ▁existed ▁previously . ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁it ▁is ▁obsc ure ▁for ▁whether ▁it ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁tribes ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁after ▁Islam ▁or ▁whether ▁it ▁existed ▁in ▁Arab ia ▁before ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁Islam ▁and ▁was ▁then ▁carried ▁to ▁Sy ria ▁after ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁con quest ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁is ▁not ▁known . ▁ ▁Zak kar ▁spec ul ates ▁that ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁title ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁" rev ival ▁or ▁continu ation " ▁of ▁a ▁pre - I sl am ic ▁( mid - 6 th ▁century ) ▁political ▁tradition ▁among ▁the ▁Bed ou in ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁where by ▁the ▁supre me ▁ph yl arch ▁( ch ie ft ain ) ▁of ▁the ▁Gh ass an ids , ▁Arab ▁v ass als ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire , ▁had ▁formal ▁authority ▁over ▁the ▁other ▁Bed ou in ▁tribes ▁of ▁Sy ria . ▁Furthermore , ▁early ▁Muslim ▁chron icles ▁often ▁made ▁references ▁to ▁say y id ▁a hl ▁al - b adi ya ▁( master ▁of ▁the ▁desert ▁dwell ers ) ▁or ▁say y id ▁Q ays ▁( master ▁of ▁the ▁tribes ▁of ▁Q ays ), ▁which ▁Zak kar ▁bel ieves ▁are ▁possible ▁" start ing ▁points ▁which , ▁in