Jewish tribes of Arabia

The earliest attested presence of Jews in the Arabian Peninsula dates back to the early 6th century BCE, following the Babylonian conquest of Judah, which resulted in their expulsion from the Land of Israel. Over time and through successive exiles, the local Jewish tribes, who were concentrated in the Hejaz and partly in South Arabia, established themselves as one of the most prominent ethno-religious communities of pre-Islamic Arabia. Likewise, Judaism, which had been introduced as one of the few monotheistic religions in the region, stood as a deviation from the typical polytheistic practices of Arab paganism. These Jewish tribes continued to have a presence in Arabia during the rise of Muhammad, who founded Islam in the early 7th century CE. Muhammad's interaction with the Jewish community is documented to a considerable degree in Islamic literature, including in many ahadith. The Jewish tribes of the Hejaz are seen in Islam as having been the descendants of the Israelites/Hebrews.^[1] Two of Muhammad's wives were Jewish: Safiyya bint Huyayy and Rayhanah bint Zayd, both of whom belonged to the Banu Nadir by birth, though Rayhanah's status as a wife is disputed.