The Spread of Islam
10D1
Notes
The Prophet
 Islam was started by Muhammad in
Mecca in 613 CE.
 His preaching threatened the leaders of
Mecca of the day, who were pagans.
 They killed some of his followers.
 Muhammad fled to the city of Medina in
622 CE to escape persecution.
 His followers there protected him.
Notes
The Hegira
 Muhammad’s exile in Medina was called
the Hegira.
 The Hegira marks the first year in the
Muslim calendar.
 Muhammad was the religious, military,
and political leader of Medina during the
Hegira.
 He made laws for his followers based on
the messages he received from Allah.
Notes
 Muslims waged a war on Mecca and
other cities on the Arabian Peninsula
during the Hegira.
 Muslims conquered Mecca and most of
Arabia by 632 CE when Muhammad
died.
Notes
The Caliphate
 Muhammad made a pilgrimage to Mecca
in 632 CE, establishing the city as the
center of Islam.
 When he died that year, the Muslims
chose a new leader to rule the religion
and Muslim lands.
 The leader was called the caliph.
 Muslim lands were called the Caliphate.
Notes
Jihad
 Muslims had fought for Islam ever since
the Hegira.
 They saw the battles with non-Muslims
as a jihad—a holy war.
 Muhammad promised anyone who died
in such a war an instant place in heaven.
 Encouraged by this thought, Muslims
swept out of Arabia to conquer many
lands.
Notes
 Did not generally force conquered
people to convert to Islam, but collected
taxes.
 Many people converted to Islam,
anyway.
Notes
The Umayyad Dynasty
 In 656, Ali, son-in-law of Muhammad,
became caliph.
 Muslims revolted under Mu’awiya.
 The minority who supported Ali were the
Shia, and lived in and around Persia
(Iran).
 Majority who supported Mu’awiya were
the Sunnis.
Notes
 Mu’awiya won the civil war in 661 CE
and established the Umayyad dynasty.
 Islam expanded farther into North Africa
and Spain under the Umayyad.
 Stopped by Charles Martel at the Battle
of Tours in 732 CE.
Notes
The Spread of Arabic Culture
 The Arabs mixed with the people they
conquered.
 Their culture “rubbed off” on the people
under their rule.
 Many people under their rule learned to
speak Arabic when they converted to
Islam.
Notes
 Other aspects of their culture were also
taught to the people they ruled.
Notes
The Golden Age of Islam
 The Abbasids overthrew the Umayyad
dynasty in 747 CE.
 Moved the capital from Damascus to
Baghdad.
 Under the Abbasids, Islam entered a
golden age.
 Scholars crisscrossed the Islamic world,
sharing ideas.
Notes
 Islam made great discoveries in science
and technology under the Abbasids.