D. Khaled Al -Hamdani
In the heart of the Persian Gulf, and on its western banks, one of the oldest and richest civilizations that human history has known: Bahrain’s civilization. That small land in its area, the large in its impact, which was and still is the source of a renewed civilized activity that history is witnessing, and abundant archaeological evidence and humanitarian narratives throughout the ages. When we look for the meaning of civilization, we cannot lose sight of its deep connotations. The linguists defined it as a “presence” and “residency and stability” and it is against “absence” and “absent” and it was said that it is the opposite of the Bedouin, and from this meaning some thinkers derived a terminal definition of civilization as an effective embodiment of the existence of a nation or society, not by survival, but with the impact and impact on man, place and time, and what it produces. Whenever this attendance extends an effect, and continues over time, this indicates the firmness and authenticity of that civilization. Civilization is also known by multiple names in Arab contexts: such as Amran, civilization, and culture, and they are all poured into one meaning: man is evacuated in his finest form when he builds, creates, and affects.
In this sense, we can read the Bahrain civilization, not as a chapter of history, but as a continuous series of civilizational presence that began thousands of years ago, and was manifested in the ancient Dilmun civilization that played the role of the commercial and cultural bridge between East and West, and it emerged as a religious and economic center in the ancient world, and this prosperity continued in the Islamic ages, where the people of Bahrain converted to Islam, so no hatred In detail, it reconfigured the spiritual and cultural features of society, and contributed to building a distinct Bahraini Islamic identity, then this presence continued in the modern era with the establishment of a modern, advanced state that preserved its authenticity while opened its doors to development and globalization.
The Bahraini civilization, like other major civilizations, was based on a group of resources that formed its pillars and built its privacy. The Islamic religion was represented by the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, the great pillar to which it was based, so faith, monotheism, justice, science, morals, tolerance and coexistence formed central axes in the civilized system.
Then the Arabic language was the intellectual and cultural incubator that carried the contents of civilization, and expressed it in its most accurate form, and the language of religion and science became together. The great impact of the external influences that entered from the gate of the distinguished geographical location of Bahrain, which made it a vital center for commercial and cultural exchange with multiple civilizations, could not be overlooked, so it benefited from it without giving up its identity.
Perhaps one of the most prominent characteristics of this Bahraini civilization is that it is a secure civilization that derives from religion its essence, and openly interacting with the other without losing its constants, and tolerance that recognizes the other and its dealings with fairness and fairness, and humanity that honors man regardless of his race and belief, and flexible that combines originality and renewal, and between unity and diversity, in a rich and unique civilized tissue.
In this series of articles under the title “Bahrain Civilization: Identity and Originality”, we will highlight the features of this extended historical presence, and we will review how this established Bahraini identity was formulated, and how it contributed to interacting with its regional and international surroundings, and participated in building the edifice of the Arab Islamic and human civilization. We will address the cultural, religious, economic and urban aspects, and stand on the manifestations of originality and modernity, to build a comprehensive image of this civilization, which was never absent, but present, influential, and rooted in the depth of history. This series is not only a pause at the past, but an invitation to meditate on the value of attendance, and in the continuation of the impact, and in the ability of this civilization to remain a living part of the scene of major human civilizations.
* Researcher in history and academic
