The Spread of Islam
Muhammad died
in 632 and named
no successor.
His followers
developed an election
system for choosing
the next leader of
Islam.
This leader would not be
a “prophet” as was
Muhammad, but a “Caliph”
which means “Deputy” or
“Successor” in Arabic.
The Era of the Right Guided Caliphs
After Muhammad’s death, many
Bedouins renounced Islam. They
faced the sword and were conquered.
Islam expanded rapidly along trade
routes from Mecca and Medina.
First, Islam expanded across the
Arabian Peninsula despite desert
environments. Later it would spread
across the Fertile Crescent, Iran
(Persia), and Central Asia including
parts of the Byzantine Empire.
Why did Islam Spread?
The Arabic Language
helped traders
trade goods and ideas,
especially Islam.
The Byzantine Empire
and Persia had been
fighting each other for
years—both were
weakened allowing
Muslim warriors to
conquer much of these
lands.
Conquered Peoples:
Voluntarily converted
and served in the Army
(Males)
or
Did not convert, paid
taxes and were exempt
from military service
Qu’ran forbids forced conversion to Islam
•Non-Arabs were not
treated equally to Arabs,
but Christians and Jews
(“People of the Book”) were
not forced to convert. They
could not build new churches
or temples. They could not
Evangelize within the
empire.
Many welcomed Islam and converted
because of its belief that all were equal in
the eyes of Allah.
Islam Divides
Muslims fought Muslims over
the third Caliph’s Successor
Shi’as
Ali, Muhammad’s
son-in-law, was elected
and then killed in 661 CE
Shi’as: believe that
Muhammad’s relatives
should lead Islam
Sunnis
Mu’awiya, from the
Umayyad clan, then
became Caliph.
Sunnis – Believe
Muhammad’s
followers should
elect the next
Caliph
The Umayyads 661-750 CE
•Moved the capital
to Damascus
•Established
a dynasty
Expanded into North
Africa and Spain
Were halted in 732
at the battle of
Tours by Frankish
King Charles Martel.
The Umayyad Great Mosque, Damascus
Moorish Architecture
in Coѓdoba, the capital
of Spain in 717
Coŕdoba Mosque, Spain
The Abbasid Caliphate
750 – 1258 CE
Capital was moved
to Baghdad
Jerusalem was
conquered by Muslims
who later fought
Crusaders for
control.
Became the Golden
Age or the Empire of
Islam
Courtyard of the Abbasid Palace in Baghdad
Abbasid Era
•Economic Prosperity
•Baghdad major trade center
in emerging global trade
•New technologies and
advancements included the
Astrolabe, paper from China,
use of Arabic numbers,
medical advancements,
Algebra
The Abbasids’ control weakened and
by the eleventh century, the Seljuk
Turks controlled Baghdad. The
Mongols invaded and destroyed
Baghdad in 1258.
Sources:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/islam/index2.html
Pictures
1.
http://lokomodele.republika.pl/figurki/it6010.jpg
2.
http://www.thewalters.org/works_of_art/itemdetails.aspx?aid=2405
3.
http://www.jcu.edu/religion/Nursi/Images/islamic%20calligraphy%202.jpg
4.
http://www.hobbybunker.com/images/products/ita6055g.jpg
5.
http://www.topnews.in/files/Islamic_Art_Museum.jpg
6.
http://www.sonic.net/~formorts/imageready/islamic_star2.gif
7. www.islamicity.org
http://api.ning.com/files/i4fTJpzVJDN8RlkRwyKcG3ApYXZIl9TdG0xUcj*5Qs_/MoorishArchitecture.jpg
8.
http://www.kidspast.com/images/abbasids-dynasty.jpg
9.
http://propoets.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/arabic_calligraphy_at_wazir_khan_mosque2
.jpg
10. http://moinansari.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/islamic-expansion-in-the-8th-century.jpg
11. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/pilgrimage-to-karbala/who-are-theshia/battle-of-karbala/1729/
http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/IV67/index.html
http://www.sunymaritime.edu/stephenblucelibrary/images/ast
rolabe_5.jpg.jpg
http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/b/b0/Battlefield.jpg
http://www.johnmariani.com/archive/2005/051218/defrvishe
sIMG_1992.JPG