Opening Formula and Witness Clauses in Arabic Legal Documents from the Early Islamic Period


 Arabic legal documents from early Islamic Egypt are attested in papyrus collections . These exhibit a formulaic structure that is clearly distinct those of the Byzantine Greek tradition documents, which continued to be written first century. The reflect had its origins Ḥijāz Arabia. This article examines background this Ḥijāzī tradition, with particular focus on opening formula and witness clauses. Parallel features identified Ancient South Arabian texts nature Northern Arabia.