Rise and spread of Islam
Pre Islamic Times -> Prophet Mohammad -> Birth of Islam -> Migration of Prophet
Muhammad -> Conquest of Mecca -> Death of Prophet Muhammad -> Beginning
of Caliphate -> Umayyads Dynasty -> Abbasids Dynasty
PRE ISLAMIC TIMES – before Islam was founded
Arabs were divided into several tribes called QABILAs.
Each qabila had a chief who was chosen for his personal wisdom, courage and
kindness.
Qabilas were made up of clans. Sometimes, unrelated clans would merge to form a
stronger qabila.
Each qabila had its own god or goddess.
Many qabilas were nomadic. They moved from dry to green regions in search for
food and fodder.
Most Arabs were camel herdsmen, and they lived o the milk of animals and
produce like dates from dessert oases.
In second of 6th century AD, many Arabs began to settle in cities and started
agriculture or trade.
Mecca was the most prominent city and was situated on the crossroads of a trade
route between Yemen and Syria. The Meccan shrine was a sanctuary, where
violence was not allowed. Protection was provided to all who visited.
PROPHET MUHAMMAD – founder of Islam
Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca in 571 AD. He belonged to the Quraysh
tribe.
He was orphaned at early age and was then raised by his uncle Abu Talib, who was a
trader.
He later became a trader and married a rich widow named Khajida at the age of 25
and raised a family.
BIRTH OF ISLAM
As Muhammad grew older, he lost interest in trading and turned towards
spiritualism.
In 610 AD, when he was 40 years old, he got a divine vision, while meditating in a
cave on mount Hira near Mecca. In this vision, the archangel Gabriel revealed the
Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.
In 612 AD, Muhammad declared himself to be the messenger of god (Rasul). He
preached the worship of a single God, ALLAH. This was the birth of a new religion,
ISLAM.
Prophet Muhammad preached that Allah alone should be worshipped. The worship
involved simple rituals and moral principles.
Muhammad founded a community of believers called Umma. The followers of Islam
were called Muslims
MIGRATION OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD - Hijra
During Prophet Muhammad’s rise Mecca was an a luent city run by wealthy
Meccans.
These wealthy Meccans saw the new religion of Islam as a threat to the status and
a luence of Mecca.
In 622 AD, Prophet Muhammad was compelled to migrate out of Mecca along with
his followers.
Muhammad’s journey from Mecca was called Hijra and it was a turning point in the
history of Islam.
In 622 AD, Muhammad arrived in Medina. This marked the beginning of Islamic
Calendar (Hijri Calendar).
CONQUEST OF MECCA
After a chain of battles, in 630 AD, Mecca was conquered.
This conquest enhanced Muhammad’s reputation as a religious preacher and
political leader. This helped Muhammad in uniting a large region of Arabia under a
new faith.
DEATH OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD
In 632 AD, after performing the Hajj Pilgrimage, the Prophet Muhammad fell ill and
died in Medina.
BEGINNING OF THE CALIPHATE – Islamic expansion
After Muhammad’s death, in 632 AD, the Umma needed a religious and political
successor.
CALIPH is the supreme religious and political leader and political successor of
Prophet Muhammad. The Islamic state under a caliph is called a CALIPHATE.
The first caliph was Abu Bakr. Under Abu Bakr the Caliphate crushed revolts and
annexed territories through war and treaties.
The second caliph was Umar. Under Umar, the caliphate made three successful
campaigns from 337 AD to 642 AD brought Syria, Iran, Iraq and Egypt under control
of Medina.
By 642 AD, the Arab-Islamic state (the caliphate) controlled the territories between
the Nile and the Oxus.
The third caliph was Uthman. He extended the control of caliphate to central Asia.
The fourth caliph was Ali.
The first 4 caliphs were close companions of Prophet Muhammad. The caliphate of
the first 4 caliphs is called the Rashidun Caliphate.
UMAYYAD DYNASTY – Umayyad Caliphate – 661 AD to 750 AD
Umayya was a distant relative of Prophet Muhammad.
In 661 AD, a civil war happened in the Islamic community. This war was called the
FIRST FITNA. This was a war between the 4th Caliph (Rashidun Caliphate) and
Muawiya.
The war was won by Muawiya who declared himself the next caliph and founded the
Umayyad Dynasty (Umayyad Caliphate).
Muawiya, the 1st Umayyad Caliph moved his capital to Damascus.
The Umayyads executed a series of political measures, which strengthened their
leadership in umma.
The Umayyads always appealed for unity and crushed rebellions.
In 750 AD, the “Dawa” movement brought down the Umayyads and the Abbasids
took over.
ABBASID DYNASTY – Abbasid caliphate – 750 AD to 1258 AD
The Abbasids depicted the Umayyad rule to be evil. They wanted to restore original
Islam.
They managed to get support from dissident groups and justified their bid for power
by promising that a Mahadi (Messiah) from the family of the Prophet (Alhal-bayt)
would free them from the cruel Umayyad Rule.
Their army was led by Abu Muslim. In the battle at the river Zab, Abu Muslim
defeated the last Umayyad caliph, Marwan. This marked the start of the Abbasid
Caliphate.
Under the Abbasid Rule, Arab influence decreased. Now, the significance of Iranian
culture enhanced.
The Abbasids founded their capital at Baghdad.
The Abbasid rulers empowered the religious status and functions of the caliphate.
They patronized Islamic institutions and scholars.
The Abbasid power began to decline in 9th century AD. The main cause was downfall
of their economic base.
Gradually Baghdad’s supremacy over the remote provinces declined. In 945 AD the
Abbasid empire fell apart and in 1258 AD the Mongols destroyed Baghdad.
