The Commercial Activity in Aqaba Qada’ During the Hijaz Kingdom (1337-1343AH. / 1918-1925AD.) According to the Shar’iyyah Documents

Abstract

This study depends on the records of the First Registry of Aqaba shar’iyyah Court (i.e. Court of Islamic Law), which assembles the lawsuits looked up on by the court during the period from Muharram 29, 1336 - Sha’baan 30, 1343Ah./ Nov. 14, 1917 - March 25, 1925.

The importance of the Registry which comprises 426 pages. lies with the type of the different lawsuits treated during the period when Aqaba Qada’ was part of the Hijaz Kingdom.

The documents of Aqaba Shar’iyyah Court are considered to be the pivot on which this study depends, in terms of: the information provided, that cannot be found elsewhere. It’s close coverage of different activities of Aqaba Qada’; namely, through its accurate and daily observation of the incidents and happenings. The information offered by these documents is characterized with accuracy comprehensiveness and reporting incidents and happenings as they were. Therefore, the study, through the deduced informations, helped to make an actual picture of the commercial activity in Aqaba, both local and foreign trade which made it possible to learn more about different types of commercial activity, working companies, exchanging goods, standards and measurements, types of money-exchange and prices, as well as the location of Aqaba in the movement of commercial activity in Southern Syria and North of the Red Sea.