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MuhammadandtheSpreadofIslam
ISLAMICEMPIRE
Muhammad'snameinArabiccalligraphy
ShortlyafteritsfoundingbytheProphetMuhammadintheseventhcenturyCE,Islamwasintroducedintoregions
outsideArabiabyMuslimarmiesseekingnewterritory.Islam'ssuccessfulspreadwasduetothezealofitsfollowersaswellasfavorablesocialandpolitical
circumstancesininvadedareas.IslamsoonextendedthroughouttheNearandMiddleEasternregionsandintoSpainandIndia.Outoftheseconquestsgrew
anIslamicempireandaninstitutionofrulershipknownasthecaliphate.Atthesametime,rivalrieswithintheMuslimcommunityanddifferencesofreligious
interpretationresultedinIslam'ssplitintotwomajorbranches,SunniandShia.
AgeofConquests
WhileIslam'sswiftexpansionoccurredpartlythroughvoluntaryconversion,Muslimarmies'conquestsofnewlandsplayedasubstantialrole.TheArabtradition
ofghazwthepracticeofraidingthecaravansandsettlementsofothertribesprovidedaprecedentfortheMuslimconquests.Insteadoffightingoneother,
however,ArabtribesnowjoinedforcesundertheIslamicfaithtofightnonMuslims.
BattleofBadr
AttheBattleofBadrin624,withMuhammad'sdefeatoftheMeccanswhohadresistedIslam,theeraofMuslimconquestbegan.Soonafter
Muhammad'sdeathin632,Muslimarmieswerewinningwidespreadvictories.WithmuchofPalestineandSyriacapturedby635,Muslimarmiesturnedtheir
attentiontotheByzantineandSassanidPersianempires,whichwerealreadyweakenedbyongoingwarfarewitheachother.TheMuslimsdefeatedthe
ByzantinesattheBattleoftheYarmukRiverin636andtheSassanidsattheBattleofQadisiyain637.TheyalsotookthecitiesofDamascusin635and
Jerusalem(sacredtoJews,Christians,andMuslims)in638.
MuslimforcesmovedintoNorthAfrica,wheretheytooktheLibyancityofTripoliin643andsoonafterwardcapturedEgyptfromtheByzantines.Alsoaboutthis
time,MuslimarmiesinvadedArmenia,Rhodes,Crete,andCyprus.In698,theByzantineslosttheirNorthAfricanholdingswhentheMuslimscapturedthecity
ofCarthageinTunisia.
TheMuslimconquerorsnextextendedtheirreachintoEurope.CommanderTariqibnZiyadledaninvasionofSpain,andhis711victoryattheBattleofRio
BarbatebroughtmostofSpainunderMuslimcontrol.Fartotheeast,alsoabout711,generalMuhammadibnQasimbeganaMusliminvasionofIndia.
TheCaliphates
UthmanibnAffan
Thecaliphs(fromkhalifa,"successor")weretheleadersoftheIslamiccommunityafterMuhammad'sdeath.Muhammad'sfirstfour
successors(knowntoSunniMuslimsasRashidun,the"rightlyguidedcaliphs")wereAbuBakr,Muhammad'sfatherinlawUmarIUthmanibnAffanandAliibn
AbiTalib,Muhammad'ssoninlaw.Theyactedasreligious,political,andmilitaryleaders.AbuBakrfurtherunitedtheArabtribesandreinforcedtheMuslim
faithamongthem.HealsosentthefirstMusliminvasionsbeyondArabia.UmarIorganizedthecaliphate'smilitaryandtaxationsystemsandestablished
garrisonsinnewMuslimterritory.However,UthmanandAliwerebothmurderedasdisputesbegantodividetheMuslimcommunityovertheappointmentand
authorityofthecaliphs.
Thoughtheumma(Muslimcommunity)hadselectedtheearlycaliphs,afterAli'sdeathin661theUmayyaddynastyundertheleadershipofMuawiyahtook
overthecaliphate.TheUmayyads,basedinDamascus,Syria,establishedadynasticformofsuccessionandmadeimportantcontributionstoIslamicart,
architecture,andgovernment.In750,theUmayyadslostthecaliphatetotheAbbasiddynasty.
ThefifthAbbasidcaliph,thefamousHarunalRashid,ruledinBaghdadfrom786809duringahighpointofIslamicculture,art,andeconomicprosperity.Soon
afterward,however,theMuslimCivilWarof861870underminedtheauthorityofthecaliphateasaunifyinginstitutionofMuslimgovernmentandlaw.Whilethe
Abbasidcaliphatecontinueduntilthemid13thcentury,rivalcaliphsemergedindifferentpartsoftheMuslimworld,suchastheFatimiddynastyinEgyptaswell
ascaliphatesinSpain,Algeria,andTunisia.
SunniandShia
WhenMuhammaddiedwithoutamaleheir,thenewMuslimcommunityfacedthechallengeoffindinghissuccessor.Soontwomajorfactionsformed:theShia
andtheSunni.WhilesomeMuslimsbelievedthatAli(asMuhammad'scousinandsoninlaw)shouldsucceedhim,AbuBakr,Umar,andUthmanwereselected
aheadofhim.
AishabintAbuBakrattheBattleoftheCamel
OnUthman'sdeathandAli'sappointmentascaliphin656,theMuslimCivilWarof656661brokeout
betweenMuslimfactions.OneofMuhammad'swives,Aisha,ledanarmyagainstAli(andwasdefeated)intheBattleoftheCamel.In657,Ali'sforcesmet
thoseofUmayyadcommanderMuawiyahattheBattleofSiffin,whichendedinasettlementthatweakenedAli'spositionascaliph.About661,afaction
opposingbothAliandMuawiyahcalledtheKharijitesassassinatedAli.Thisendedthecivilwar,butdivisionsbetweenMuslimscontinued.
ThemembersoftheShiacommunity(Shiites),includingEgypt'sFatimiddynasty,believedthatonlythedescendantsofAliandhiswifeFatimabintMuhammad
(Muhammad'sdaughter)shouldprovidethelineofsuccessionforIslamicrulers.Ali'ssonHusaynibnAliwaskilledatKarbala,Iraq,byforcessentby
Muawiyah'ssonYazid.HusaynbecameamartyrforShiitesandthelocationofhisdeathapilgrimagesite.
TheSunnismadeupthemajorityofMuslims,includingtheUmayyadandAbbasiddynasties.TheyheldthateachofthefirstfourcaliphsAbuBakr,Umar,
Uthman,andAliweretherightfulheirsofMuhammad.Inadditiontopoliticaldisagreements,SunnisalsodifferedfromShiitesoncertaininterpretationsofthe
Koran,thehadiths,andIslamiclaw.
JenniferHutchinson

COPYRIGHT2016ABCCLIO,LLC

Muawiyah'ssonYazid.HusaynbecameamartyrforShiitesandthelocationofhisdeathapilgrimagesite.
TheSunnismadeupthemajorityofMuslims,includingtheUmayyadandAbbasiddynasties.TheyheldthateachofthefirstfourcaliphsAbuBakr,Umar,
Uthman,andAliweretherightfulheirsofMuhammad.Inadditiontopoliticaldisagreements,SunnisalsodifferedfromShiitesoncertaininterpretationsofthe
Koran,thehadiths,andIslamiclaw.
JenniferHutchinson

COPYRIGHT2016ABCCLIO,LLC
Thiscontentmaybeusedfornoncommercial,classroompurposesonly.
ImageCredits
AishabintAbuBakrattheBattleoftheCamel:YaleUniversityGalleryofArt
UthmanibnAffan:Victoria&AlbertMuseum,London/ArtResource
BattleofBadr:BilkentUniversity
Muhammad'snameinArabiccalligraphy:HattatAzizEfendi
MLACitation
Hutchinson,Jennifer."IslamicEmpire."WorldHistory:AncientandMedievalEras,ABCCLIO,2016,ancienthistory.abcclio.com/Topics/Display/1919159?
cid=41&sid=1919159.Accessed12Sept.2016.

https://ancienthistory.abcclio.com/Topics/Display/1919159?cid=41&sid=1919159
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