Editing Awjila (section)

===Early Arab era===
[[File:The Old mosque, Awjilah.jpg|thumb|240px|12th-century [[Atiq Mosque (Awjila)|Grand mosque of Atik]], Awjilah]]
The Arabs launched a campaign against the [[Byzantine Empire]] soon after [[Muhammad]] died in 632, quickly conquering Syria, Persia and Egypt. After occupying [[Alexandria]] in 643, they swept along the Mediterranean coast of Africa, taking [[Cyrenaica]] in 644, [[Tripolitania]] in 646 and [[Fezzan]] in 663.{{sfn|Falola|Morgan|Oyeniyi|2012|p=14}}

The region around Awjila was conquered by Sidi [[Abdullah ibn Saad|‘Abdullāh ibn Sa‘ad ibn Abī as-Sarḥ]].{{sfn|Awjila: Libyan Tourism}}
He was a [[companion of Muhammad]] and standard bearer, and an important saint. His tomb was established in Awjila around 650.{{sfn|Mason|1974|p=396}}
A modern structure has since replaced the original tomb.{{sfn|Ham|2007|p=132}}
The Sarahna family, who consider themselves the family of Sidi Abdullah, are the protectors of his tomb.
When the [[Senussi]] center was established in Awjila in 1872, the Sarahna assumed the role of Islamic teachers.{{sfn|Mason|1974|p=397}}

After being introduced in the 7th century, Islam has always been a major influence on the life of the oasis.
The Arab chronicler [[Al-Bakri]] says that there were already several mosques around the oasis by the 11th century.{{sfn|Mason|1974|p=395}}
According to oral tradition, in the 12th century a learned man from the coast of Tripolitania said that there were forty shrines in Awjila, 
and forty saints hidden among the people of the oasis. By the late 1960s only sixteen shrines remained.{{sfn|Mason|1974|p=395}}
Some of the saints in the surviving tombs lived during the early years of Islam, 
and the details of their life and even their family lineage have been forgotten.{{sfn|Mason|1974|p=396}}