Posted at Oct 17/2007 04:36PM:
Karl Su: The 'hadir' were Islamic 'suburbs', ethnic neighbourhoods on the outskirt of cities where the semi-settled Arab groups (such as the Lakhmids) would put up their camps. Their evolution in the development of early Islamic settlement is significant as they showed how the early Caliphs did not want to integrate into the cities. The segregation could indicates a desire to break with the Hellenistic roots of the pre-existing cities or to prevent the assimilation of the new Muslim polity into the structures of late antiquity.

Posted at Oct 18/2007 01:55AM:
Sebastian Gallese:

Goes back to pre-Islamic permanent military structures set up outside of a city.

"Developed for military reasons, but soon developed into vital urban center"- thus new major cities developed next to older cities in this way.

From Whitcomb "AMSAR IN SYRIA? SYRIAN CITIES AFTER THE CONQUEST ARAM," 1994 pp 17-18