Animal Kingdom of Arabia

The camel, usually called the ship of desert, has certainly been the most useful and important animal of desert. Travelling and transportation in a desert is very difficult without camel hence, without it the desert would be an uninhabitable place for people. The camel is considered a nomad’s vehicle of transportation, his medium of exchange as well as his nourisher and source of nutrition. For Arabs, camel was so significant that the bride’s dowry, blood money, profit of gambling (maysir) and the affluence of a sheikh were all calculated in terms of camels. Arabs were so attached to camels that it was considered, a Bedouin's constant companion, his alternative self (alter ego) or even his foster parent. ¹

A camel travels five to six miles in an hour and travels for 15 to 16 hours out of 24 hours, without difficulty. Average age of a camel is around 30 years. ² It can live without water in hot weather for several days and in moderate weather even for weeks. ³ Arabs drink its milk as an alternative of water, slaughter it for food, cover themselves with its leather and make tents of its hair. Even Its dung is used as fuel while its urine is used in hair tonic and other medicines. For the Bedouins, the camel was much more than ‘the ship of the desert’ ⁴ and is an extraordinary gift from Allah. ⁵ Species of the red camels were considered the best in Arabia because of their endurance and other traits. ⁶

The horse was the second most important animal after the camel. They were used in war as well as for travelling and transportation in daily life. ⁷ Prophet Ishmael (Ismail) was said to be the first one to bring and train horses in Arabia. ⁸ Other researches state that the horse was not found in Arabia before the Anno Domini period but came to Arabia when it was imported into ancient Arabia from Central Asia, ⁹ but the first quote is deemed to be more authentic. Najd region was famous for horses and the famous Arab horses were raised by nomads alongside the borders of the Syrian Desert. ¹⁰ Arab horses are famous for their intelligence, endurance, physical beauty and impressive commitment to their masters. All western notions about the good-breeding of horseflesh are derived from the examples of the Arabian thoroughbred. ¹¹ Horses of Najd can travel for 24 hours without water. They have ability to travel in extreme hot weather for 48 hours without rest. They understand the hints of their maters and don’t need any type of sound or oral guidance, from them. ¹²

The goat and the sheep are the most important domestic animals in Arabia. People of Banu Kalb tribe were particularly famous for excessive number of goats. ¹³ All the tribes of Yemen except Banu Rabi’yah and Mudhar raised goats and sheep were titled as Ahl Al-Ghanam (the people of goat). ¹⁴ Between the mountains, in the oases, on the border areas of the deserts, and wherever grazing land was found, even during certain periods of the year, goats and sheep were raised by the nomadic clans. The sheep were generally of the fat-tailed range, whereas black goats were the most common. ¹⁵

Cow was also domesticated in Arabia, ¹⁶ mostly in Al-Ahsa region. ¹⁷ The Ass (donkey), the ordinary watch-dog, the greyhound (saluqi) and the cat were also included among the domestic animals of Arabia. It is said that the mule was introduced from Egypt by Prophet Muhammad , after the migration. ¹⁸

Ostriches, Nilgai (blue cow), deer and loins were also found in Arabia but they became extinct long ago. ¹⁹ There were 14 famous loin dens in Arabia and most famous of them were Khafan, Sahara and Tarj. ²⁰ Other wild animals of Arabia included leopards, panthers, wolves, hyenas, foxes and lizards (especially al-dabb). ²¹ Monkeys, baboons, wolves and rabbits were also common in certain regions. ²²

The birds found in ancient Arabia included eagles, bustards, falcons, hawks and owls. ²³ White-tailed Eagle, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Black vulture, Imperial Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Houbara Bustard, Corncrake and Sociable Plover are Marbled Teal were also found in different parts of peninsula. ²⁴ Crows were abundant. Other most common birds included the hoopoe, lark, nightingale, pigeon and a species of partridge which were celebrated in Arabic literature under the name al-qata. ²⁵

Three subspecies of Martin are also found in Arabia. Most importantly in northern, central and eastern Arabia. P.o. arabica birds are found in southwest Arabia while the pale P. o. perpallida birds are widespread to the Hufuf region of the eastern province. The Eurasian Crag Martin birds are rare over all parts of the Arabian Peninsula. The original nesting sites of the Pale Crag Martin are the vicinities of rocks, caves and cliffs, at least 3,600 meter high. These sites are mostly in Yemen and the summit of Jabal Shams, in Oman. ²⁶

Locusts are found in abundance in the desert. The Arab Bedouin love them especially, when roasted with salt. Locust plagues are supposed to break out every seventh year. Snakes are found exclusively in Wadi Al-Sirhan as well. ²⁷

• ¹ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 21.
• ² Muhammad Raby Hasni Nadvi (1962), Geographia-e-Mumalik-e-Islamiyah, Maktabah Dar Al-Uloom Nadva Al-Ulma, Lucknow, India, Pg. 62-63.
• ³ Salahuddin Qadri (2015), Oont, Fazli Sons, Karachi, Pakistan, Pg. 142.
• ⁴ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 21.
• ⁵ Muhammad ibn Jareer ibn Yazid Al-Tabari (2000), Jamy Al-Bayan fe Taweel Al-Quran, Muasissah Al-Risalah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 24, Pg. 388.
• ⁶ Jawwad Ali (2001), Al-Mufassal fe Tareekh Al-Arab Qabl Al-Islam, Dar Al-Saqi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 10, Pg. 10.
• ⁷ Mahmud Shakri Aalusi (2011), Buloog Al-Irab fe Ma’rifat Ahwal Al-Arab (Translated by Peer Muhammad Hasan), Urdu Science Board, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 2, Pg. 423.
• ⁸ Ahmed ibn Abi Yaqub ibn Wadhy Al-Yaqubi (1964), Tareekh Yaqubi, Maktabah Al-Haydriyah, Najaf, Iraq, Vol. 1, Pg. 193.
• ⁹ Muhammad Raby Hasni Nadvi (1962), Geographia-e-Mumalik-e-Islamiyah, Maktabah Dar Al-Uloom Nadva Al-Ulma, Lucknow, India, Pg. 64.
• ¹⁰ L. Dudley Stamp (1946), Asia a Regional and Economic Geography, Methuen & Co. Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 110.
• ¹¹ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 20-21.
• ¹² Muhammad Raby Hasni Nadvi (1962), Geographia-e-Mumalik-e-Islamiyah, Maktabah Dar Al-Uloom Nadva Al-Ulma, Lucknow, India, Pg. 65.
• ¹³ Muhammad ibn Isa Al-Tirmidhi (1975), Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith: 739, Shirkah Maktabah wa Matba’ Mustafa Al-Babi Al-Halabi, Egypt, Pg. 107.
• ¹⁴ Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Damiri (1992), Hayat Ak-Haywan (Translated by Muhammad Abbas), Idara Islamiyat, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 2, Pg. 536.
• ¹⁵ L. Dudley Stamp (1946), Asia a Regional and Economic Geography, Methuen & Co. Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 110.
• ¹⁶ Abd Al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldun (1988), Diwan Al-Mubtada wal Khabar fe Tareekh Al-Arab, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 152.
• ¹⁷ Muhammad Raby Hasni Nadvi (1962), Geographia-e-Mumalik-e-Islamiyah, Maktabah Dar Al-Uloom Nadva Al-Ulma, Lucknow, India, Pg. 67.
• ¹⁸ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 20.
• ¹⁹ Khurshid Rizvi (2010), Arbi Adab Qabl Az-Islam, Idara Islamiat, Lahore, Pakistan, Pg. 28-29.
• ²⁰ Muhammad Raby Hasni Nadvi (1962), Geographia-e-Mumalik-e-Islamiyah, Maktabah Dar Al-Uloom Nadva Al-Ulma, Lucknow, India, Pg. 67.
• ²¹ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 20.
• ²² Muhammad Raby Hasni Nadvi (1962), Geographia-e-Mumalik-e-Islamiyah, Maktabah Dar Al-Uloom Nadva Al-Ulma, Lucknow, India, Pg. 67.
• ²³ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 20.
• ²⁴ Caafar Karrar et al. (1991), A Rapid Assessment of the Impacts of the Iraq-Kuwait Conflict on Terrestrial Ecosystems, United Nations Environment Program, Regional Office for West Asia, Bahrain, Pg. 20.
• ²⁵ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 20.
• ²⁶ Michael C. Jennings (2010), Fauna of Arabia; Atlas of the breeding birds of Arabia, KACST, SWC & Senckenberg, Switzerland, Pg. 500.
• ²⁷ Phillip K. Hitti (1970), History of the Arabs, Macmillan Education Ltd., London, U.K., Pg. 20.