At the end of the eleventh century, when the Normans took possession of Sicily, the Muslims considered the end of their rule over the island as a catastrophic loss. 1 The Muslims knew well the many qualities of Sicily: the island was a fertile land producing huge quantities of grain and was located in a pivotal geographical position in the Mediterranean, which provided strong commercial and strategic advantages. Sicily had belonged to the dār al-Islām (the Islamic world) for over 200 years, during which the island developed strong political, commercial, and intellectual ties with its Muslim neighbors, especially North Africa. “ May Allah restore it to Islam.” This phrase is often encountered in medieval Arabic writings when referencing the island of Sicily after it had passed from Muslim into (Christian) Norman hands.
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