Chapter 13: The Expansive Realm of Islam
1. Muhammad Ibn Abdullah born into a family of successful merchants in 570 C.E. Muhammad married a wealthy widow whom he worked and gained many connections in the Meccan society. He had a basic knowledge of many religions at his time such as Christianity and Judaism.
At age of 40 Muhammad reached enlightenment and received a message from the archangel Gabriel to preach the message that there is one true deity Allah, no idolatry, and Allah would bring the judgement to the world, rewarding the good and punishing the bad. Muhammad’s threat to polytheistic Arabs and on idolatry caused Muhammad to be expelled and rejected by the Meccan society. Muhammad with nowhere to go with all his followers went to the city of Medina. The Islamic law and the Qur’an appealed too many of the residents of Arabia, the Islamic armies became increasingly powerful and determined because of their unification from Islam. As the Islamic empire began getting powerful it invaded neighboring territories, being influenced and influencing the invaded regions.
2.…show more content… After the death of Muhammad, a sort of leader of the whole community of Muslims, both political and religious leader. Abu Bakr was the very first caliph and was anointed because he was Muhammad’s closest friend and devoted to the Islamic religion. After appointing a caliph to rule the ummas, the Umayyad dynasty was established. Regions that withdrew from Islam was invaded, and also neighboring countries were invaded by a very dedicated Muslim army. The internal and external problems that the Sassanid and Byzantine Empire were facing weakened them significantly to have any great power to match them, and topple them over. The capital in Damascus provided a center for trade and