Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions

Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions are inscriptions that come from the Arabian Peninsula dating to before the rise of Islam. They were written in both Arabic and other languages, including Sabaic, Hadramautic, Minaic, Qatabanic.

These inscriptions come in two forms: graffiti, "self-authored personal expressions written in a public space", and monumental inscriptions, commissioned to a professional scribe by an elite for an official role. Unlike modern graffiti, the graffiti in these inscriptions are usually signed (and so not anonymous) and were not illicit or subversive. Graffiti are usually just scratchings on the surface of rock, but both graffiti and monumental inscriptions could be produced by painting, or the use of a chisel, charcoal, brush, or other tools. These inscriptions are typically non-portable (being lapidary) and were engraved (and not painted). Both graffiti and monumental inscriptions were also intended for public display.

Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions are an important source for the learning about the history and culture of pre-Islamic Arabia. In recent decades, their study has shown that the Arabic script evolved from the Nabataean script and that pre-Islamic Arabian monotheism was the prevalent form of religion by the fifth century. They have also played a role in Quranic studies. More than 65,000 pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions have been discovered. These inscriptions are found on many surfaces, including stone, metal, pottery, and wood. They indicate the existence of highly literate nomadic and settled populations in pre-Islamic Arabia. Most of these inscriptions are from North Arabia, where 50,000 inscriptions are known. The remaining 15,000 are from South Arabia.