ed ▁explicitly ▁for ▁various ▁w elf are ▁program mes . ▁Prom inent ▁positions ▁were ▁held ▁by ▁Christians , ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁belonged ▁to ▁families ▁that ▁had ▁served ▁in ▁By z antine ▁govern ments . ▁The ▁employ ment ▁of ▁Christians ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁bro ader ▁policy ▁of ▁religious ▁accommod ation ▁that ▁was ▁necess itated ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁large ▁Christian ▁populations ▁in ▁the ▁conquer ed ▁provinces , ▁as ▁in ▁Sy ria . ▁This ▁policy ▁also ▁boost ed ▁Mu aw i ya ' s ▁popular ity ▁and ▁solid ified ▁Sy ria ▁as ▁his ▁power ▁base . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁Early ▁influence ▁During ▁the ▁pre - I sl am ic ▁period , ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁or ▁" B anu ▁Um ay ya " ▁were ▁a ▁leading ▁cl an ▁of ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh ▁tribe ▁of ▁Me cca . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁domin ated ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh ' s ▁increasing ly ▁prosper ous ▁trade ▁networks ▁with ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁developed ▁economic ▁and ▁military ▁al li ances ▁with ▁the ▁nom adic ▁Arab ▁tribes ▁that ▁controlled ▁the ▁northern ▁and ▁central ▁Arab ian ▁desert ▁exp ans es , ▁aff ording ▁the ▁cl an ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁political ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁The ▁Um ay y ads ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁Ab u ▁S uf yan ▁ibn ▁Har b ▁were ▁the ▁principal ▁leaders ▁of ▁Me cc an ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁proph et ▁Muhammad , ▁but ▁after ▁the