Islam's Emergence A New View

This extract from Aziz Al-Azmeh’s “The Emergence of Islam in Late Antiquity” presents a scholarly reconstruction of the origins of Islam, framed not as a sudden rupture but as a historical continuation of the Late Roman world. The author challenges traditional narratives by utilising epigraphic and material evidence to place early Muslim development within the broader context of monotheistic evolution and imperial statecraft. By introducing the concept of “Paleo-Islam,” Al-Azmeh provides a specific analytical periodisation that treats the rise of the Caliphate as the most successful crystallisation of late antique structures. The text examines the geographical shift of the Roman centre of gravity to the East, arguing that Islamic polity and the concept of Allāh emerged from a complex blend of Arabian polytheism and the universalist traditions of the Near East. Ultimately, the work invites a reassessment of history where Islam is viewed as an integral component of the Eurasian Mediterranean’s long-term transformation.