ia , ▁India , ▁and ▁China . ▁By z ant ium , ▁as ▁the ▁continu ation ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁continued ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁territ ories ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁Since ▁ 5 2 7 , ▁this ▁included ▁An atol ia , ▁Sy ria , ▁Leb anon , ▁Palest ine , ▁and ▁Egypt . ▁But ▁in ▁ 6 0 3 ▁the ▁S as ani ans ▁inv aded , ▁conqu ering ▁Dam asc us ▁and ▁Egypt . ▁It ▁was ▁Emperor ▁Her ac lius ▁who ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁rep el ▁these ▁invas ions , ▁and ▁in ▁ 6 2 8 ▁he ▁replaced ▁the ▁S as an ian ▁Great ▁King ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁do cile ▁one . ▁But ▁the ▁fighting ▁weak ened ▁both ▁states , ▁leaving ▁the ▁stage ▁open ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁power . ▁ ▁The ▁nom adic ▁Bed ou in ▁tribes ▁domin ated ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁desert , ▁where ▁they ▁worship ed ▁id ols ▁and ▁remained ▁in ▁small ▁cl ans ▁tied ▁together ▁by ▁kin ship . ▁Urban ization ▁and ▁agricult ure ▁was ▁limited ▁in ▁Arab ia , ▁save ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁regions ▁near ▁the ▁coast . ▁Me cca ▁and ▁Med ina ▁( then ▁called ▁Y ath rib ) ▁were ▁two ▁such ▁cities ▁that ▁were ▁important ▁hub s ▁for ▁trade ▁between ▁Africa ▁and ▁E uras ia . ▁This ▁commerce ▁was ▁central ▁to ▁city - life , ▁where ▁most ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁mer ch ants . ▁Nevertheless , ▁some ▁Arab s ▁saw ▁it ▁fit ▁to ▁migr ate ▁to ▁the ▁northern ▁regions ▁of