Short History of the Muslim World

Seventh-century Middle East was dominated by two great empires; the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Zoroastrian Persian Empire. Between the two powers lay the Arabian Peninsula composed of weak and deeply divided tribal societies. Within a few decades, the Byzantine Empire would be reduced to Western Anatolia and the Persian Empire would totally collapse under the armies of Muslims as Muhammad and his successors united Arabia under the umbrella of Islam which provided the world with a new vision and the spiritual allure to effect lasting change in human history. In time, a vast empire and a commonwealth of Muslim states would come to dominate much of the known world. As Muhammad governed a trans-tribal state based on the egalitarian principles of Islam, so too the Muslim community established a universal and just government transcending race, culture and national boundaries. Early Muslims spread a way of life that not only affected individual spirituality, belief and worship but also the political and social order of the masses.

What is most striking and unique about the early expansion of Islam was its rapid pace and unparalleled success. In a few decades, Muslim forces overran attacking Byzantine and Persian armies and expanded a large empire from Morocco and Spain in the west to Central Asia and India in the east. United and inspired by their faith, Muslim armies proved to be remarkable conquerors and effective rulers, who developed rather than destroyed the new lands. They displaced the native rulers of the conquered countries but preserved much of their government, bureaucracy, culture and religion.

For the people, Muslims rule meant peace and tolerance and gave people breathing space from the pillage and heavy taxation of the previous regimes. Local populations found Muslim rule more flexible and tolerant than that of Byzantine and Persian rule to the point that some Jewish and Christian communities aided Muslims in their conquests regarding them as less domineering than their previous imperial masters. Contrary to common belief, the masses that converted to Islam did so of their own free will rather than being forced by 'the sword'. In later years, Islam grew into the depths of Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia through Muslim traders and Sufi missionaries, who won converts by their example and preaching.

The history of Islam and Muslims could be characterised into four periods starting with the advent of Islam to the present era.

1. The period of prophethood in the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad – 610 to 632.

2. The Caliphate period – 632 to 1258. The caliphate period could be divided into three major phases.

• Rightly Guided Caliphs (632-661)
• The Umayyad empire (661-750)
• The Abbasid empire (750-1258)

3. Sultanate period – 1258 to 1924.

4. Modern period – 1924 to the present.

Since the period of Prophet Muhammad was covered in Chapter 3, I will skip to the Caliphate Period.