The Rise of the Islamic World

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

1. Pre-Islamic Arabia and the World of Mecca. Tribal Arabia's desert trade routes and the Kaaba shrine in Mecca set the stage for Muhammad's mission.
2. Muhammad: Merchant, Family Man, and Prophet. Born around 570 CE in Mecca, Muhammad received his first revelation near age forty and faced growing persecution.
3. Persecution in Mecca and the Hijra to Medina. Growing Quraysh persecution and the Pledges of al-Aqaba led Muhammad to emigrate to Medina in 622.
4. The Umma of Medina, War with Mecca, and Muhammad's Death. The Medinan umma fought Mecca in three battles before conquering it peacefully in 630.
5. The Quran, the Sunna, and the Five Pillars of Islam. Islam's core texts and the five pillars anchor Muslim belief, law, and daily ritual practice.
6. The Rashidun Caliphs, Early Conquests, and the Sunni-Shia Schism. After Muhammad's death in 632, four Rashidun caliphs expanded Islam while a succession dispute split the community.
7. The Umayyad Caliphate: Damascus and a Vast Empire. From 661 to 750, the Umayyads ruled from Damascus over an empire stretching from Iberia to Central Asia.
8. The Abbasid Caliphate: Baghdad's Golden Age, Fragmentation, and the Mongol Sack of Baghdad. After 750, the Abbasids built Baghdad into a center of trade, translation, and scientific achievement.