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Jan 1, 610
Muhammad receives first vision in a cave near Mecca
Because Muhammad was troubled by the growing gap between the Bedouin values of honesty and generosity, he retreated to the nearby hills and meditated in a cave to search for a solution to this problem. It was in that cave that Muhammad received his first revelation and realized it was his duty to preach the ways of Allah. From this revelation also came the Qur'an which has become the heart of the Islamic
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Jan 1, 622
The Hegira
Muhammad was discouraged by the failure of the Meccans to adapt his religion, and the supporters that he did gain were being persicuted by fellow Meccans. So, he fled to Yathrib to seek people who would join him in his movement. He did was not able to win the support of the Jews, which was his original purpose, but he did win the support of the Bedouins. The City of Yathrib was later renamed Medina, “city of the prophet” ,because that is where Muhammad formed the first muslim community. -
Jan 1, 630
Muhammad and the Muslims capture Mecca
Because the Muslim community became so strong and stable, Muhammad decided to conquer Mecca. After conquering Mecca Muhammad made a visit to the Ka’aba where he declared it a sacred shrine of Islam. He then proceeded to destroy the idols of the traditional faith to destroy other influences.
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Jan 1, 632
Death of Muhammad
Just as Muslim faith began to really take off, Muhammad passed away. His death was not only extremely sad, but it also left his followers with a dilemma. Muhammad did not ever name a successor so now the people were arguing who would take the position. But after only a short time Muhammad’s closest supporters elected Abu Bakr , who was Muhammad’s father-in-law as caliph.
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Period: Jan 1, 636 to Jan 1, 650
Conquering of civilizations
At this time the Islamic people became an extremely strong and well fortified civilizations. Because they were so strong they began to rapidly expand. They took the Byzantine province, defeated the Persian force, then went on to conquer the entire empire of the Sassanids. HIstorians have proposed many different reasons that would account for their rapid expansion, one thoery is that a group of ruling elites in Mecca deliberately planned this expansion in order to strengthen their trade routes. -
Jan 1, 661
Rise of the Umayyads
After Bakr’s rule he promoted the Ali to be the next caliphate, yet regardless Umar was chosen. After he was chosen as caliphate there was a string of assassinations and finally, in 661, Ali was assassinated and Mu’awiya, the governor of Syria, took charge and made the caliphate hereditary in his own family, called the Umayyads. This family remained in power for almost a whole century. The Umayyads also moved the capitol to Damascus.
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Jan 1, 750
Overthrowing the Umayyads
After years of Umayyad rule, a man named Abu al-Abbas led a revolt to overthrow the Umayyads. Abu al-Abbas was actually a descendant of Muhammad himself. Abu not only defeated the Umayyads but he also establish the Abbasid dynasty which lasted from (750-1258) and is in current day Iraq.
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Period: Jan 1, 750 to Jan 1, 1258
Golden Age of the Abbasid dynasty
During the Abbasid rule there were many great caliphs and it was a time of flourishing. One of the greatest Caliphs of the Abbasid dynasty was Harun al-Rashid, his reign is often described as the golden age because during his time the Arabs conquered many of the richest provinces of Rome. The Abbasids also moved the capitol to Baghdad which became the the center of culture and trading. Many goods such as paper and crops were introduced to the people. -
Apr 2, 1300
Works Cited
http://boivieapedia.pbworks.com/w/page/8081142/f/seljuk turks.jpg Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. The Essential World History. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005. Print. -
Rise Against Umayyads
After the caliphate became hereditary in the Umayyad family, many people became enraged. In some cases people even revolted, such as in Iraq, where Ali’s second son created a group called the Sunni who disputed the legitimacy of the Umayyads. Even though Hussein and his forces were eventually killed, a dispute between the groups has continued to even to current day.
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Death of Harun-
After years of prosperity which was led by Harun, the great ruler passed away. His death not only brought sadness but it also brought war. After Harun died his two sons began to fight for the position that their father had left behind. Their fighting eventually led to the destruction of Baghdad and civil war. The politicians began to become corrupt because of money and spiritual authority was slowly weakened as people lost their faith. But the Sejluk Turks came in and took over. -
Period: to Jan 1, 750
The Sunni vs. the Shi'ites
During this time a group was created which is now known as the Sunni. The Sunni disputed the legitamcy of the Umayyads and thought the position of the Caliph should be given to the person with the best leadership qualities. The rival group was the Umayyads who are also known as the Shi'ites. The Shi'ites believed the position should be reserved for blood relatives of Muhammed himself. To this day the two groups dispute over the legitimacy of one-another.
