István Széchenyi said nothing new when he emphatically proclaimed the Hungarians as a people of the East. The awareness of their Eastern origin and their profoundly distinct Eastern character from other European nations had been passed down to the Hungarians from previous centuries.
In the Middle Ages, the Muslim world referred to modern-day Spain and its African territories as "al-Andalus." This name stuck to the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. In Andalusia, the Arabs divided themselves into tribes based on lineage, primarily North Arabs, Yemenis, and Mudarites. Opposing them were the Berbers, who also formed...
Abu Bakr
After Muhammad's death, succession occurred in a manner customary in Arabia at the time, following a familial format. Umar, one of the Prophet's companions, proclaimed Muhammad's father-in-law, Abu Bakr, as his successor and caliph. Political considerations played a decisive role in this decision.
The people of Mecca and Medina supported the...
