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Period: 570 to Jan 1, 632
Muhammad's Life
Muhammad is the one who first preached what became the Islamic religion, which led to the creation of the Islamic Civilization. -
Jan 1, 610
Gabriel's Message
Muhammad was in a cave meditating when the angel Gabriel came to him with his teachings. The angel told him he was one of Allah's prophets and he was given a message to spread among the people. This message he was given became the foundation of the Islamic faith.
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Period: Jan 1, 610 to Jan 1, 622
Preaching in Mecca
Once Muhammad recieved his revelation he began to spread his message. He preached in Mecca for 12 years trying to increase the number of followers he had, before moving to other cities. His preaching became the Holy Qur'an. As he preached a number of ethics were created that the Muslims must abide by. The mian ones are called the Five Pillars of Islam. -
Jan 1, 620
Five Pillars
The Five Pillars of Islam were the key tenets for Muslims. They were to believe in only Allah and Muhammad as his prophet, pray five times a day and pray publicly on Fridays, observe the holy month of Ramadan, go ot Mecca once in one's life, and give to the poor. These were the main rules that Muslims lived by, and they shaped their culture. http://web.nmsu.edu/~msa/images/pillarsIslam.jpg -
Jan 1, 622
The Move into Yathrib (Medina)
Muhammad and his closest followers left the city of Mecca to go to Yathrib to try to convert the Jews of the city. This failed, but they were able to convert mayn people in the city and some Bedouins from surrounding areas. This is really where the Islamic faith began to spread.
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Jan 1, 630
Journey to Ka'aba
Muhammad made the journey to the Ka'aba and proclaimed it to be the sacred shrine of the Islamic faith. He also ordered all of the other idols of traditional faith to be destroyed. This is where the Islamic faith starts to take over the Arabian Peninsula.
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Period: Jan 1, 632 to Jan 1, 661
Rightly Guided Caliphs
These were the successors or caliphs that came into rule after Muhammad. These men were not only rulers of the religious aspect of the Islamic world, but they also took on the role of a political leader for the Muslim people. There was a constant struggle about who would be the next caliph, because the previous one never designated a successor. The last of the five rightly guided caliphs, Mu'awiya, changed the caliph position to one of heredity, bringing about the Umayyad reign. -
Period: Jan 1, 636 to Jan 1, 650
Early Expansion
During the early part of the empire there was a great deal of expansion, although there is not one definite reason for it. Starting in 636 the Muslims defeated the Byzantine army, and then took possession of their province in Syria. Then they went on to conquer Persia, the Sassanids, and several North African countries. The expansion was thought to be brought about by a possible drought, a plan to extend trading routes, or even to channel energy from new areas. -
Period: Jan 1, 661 to Jan 1, 750
Umayyad Rule
The Umayyad rule was a time when the caliphate was made a position of heredity. The caliph still ruled in the same manner during this time, as a spiritual leader, and the empire continued to expand and spread its culture to the newer territories. These caliphs had some slight differences from those before them, in that they were more into power than loyalty and were very lavish in their lifestyle. -
Jan 1, 750
The Overthrow
A final revolt led by Abu al-Abbas of the Shi'ites brought the overthrow of the Umayyads. This brought about the establishment of the Abbasid Dynasty, which was a time where Islamic culture grew to new heights, and florished in the highest degree. http://fanack.com/uploads/pics/syria_umayyad_map_01.jpg -
Period: Jan 1, 750 to Jan 1, 1258
Abbasid Dynasty
The Abassid dynasty brought many changes with it, including political & cultural change. The caliphs began to have more of a regal & temporal role than spiritual. This led to a weakening of the calpihate due to spiritual instability. The culture also reached a peak during this time, leaving us with splendid architecture, wonderful written works, advancements in optics, the first hospital, & many more innovations. These innovations led them to new lands, where they left their culture behind. -
Jan 1, 762
New Capital
The new capital set up by the Abbasids was in Baghdad, and it was set up there because of the trade routes that went through it, both by water and on land. http://www.drhistory.net/XABBASID%20CALIPHATE%20930%20CE.jpg -
Jan 1, 1258
Conclusion
The office of caliph went from succession based, to heredity, back to succession based, all the while becoming based more on power and less on loyalty. The Islamic Empire never stopped expanding and continued to spread its culture everywhere it expanded. It left us with some of the greatest innovations we have today. http://all-that-is-interesting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/islamic-architecture-blue-mosque3.jpg -
Jan 1, 1400
Works Cited
"Timeline of Islam." Religion Facts. N.p., 2014. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/timeline.htm. Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. The Essential World History. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2011. Print. Picture: http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/old/htdocs/english/bs00554_.gif -
The Split
This split was brought about by a challenge of the Umayyad's legitimacy. One group, the Shi'ites (partisans of Ali), and the other, the Sunnis (orthodox Muslims), began a long dispute that did not end until the end of the Umayyad rule. The Shi'ites believed in the overthrow of the Umayyads, and the Sunnis wanted to see them stay. This critical point brought about a turning point in the Islamic rule. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gvn9PpUrD34/T5wCNc3D9MI/AAAAAAAAMUo/iaUagEwpJ6o/s1600/Sunni+vs+Shia.jpg
