1. The Spread of Islam

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. Islam Divides Shi’as Sunnis Islam Divided into two branches
Muslims fought Muslims over the third Caliph’s Successor
Shi’as
Sunnis
Ali, Muhammad’s
son-in-law, was elected
and then killed in 661 CE
Mu’awiya, from the Umayyad clan, then became Caliph.
Sunnis – Believe
Muhammad’s
followers should
elect the next
Caliph
Islam Divided into two branches
Shi’as: believe that
Muhammad’s relatives
should lead Islam

8. 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

9. Moorish Architecture in Coѓdoba, the capital of Spain in 717
Coŕdoba Mosque, Spain

10. conquered by Muslims who later fought Crusaders for control.
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

11. 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

12. The Abbasids’ control weakened and by the eleventh century, the Seljuk Turks controlled Baghdad. The Mongols invaded and destroyed Baghdad in 1258.

13. Sources:
Pictures 7.