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History of Islam
The history of Islam goes back over 1400 years to Prophet Muhammad and his creation of the first Islamic State in Medina Munawarra. Since that point, Islamic culture, custom and tradition have spread all across the world in numerous empires and by peaceful conversions. Muslims have been prominent in science, government, religion, philosophy, literature and numerous other areas of human endeavor. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the Islamic World, its development over the centuries and its contributions to society, here is a good place to start asking your questions.
1,088 Questions
Was the Islamic world a revised version of the Roman Empire?
Islam as a religion is generally thought to have been started by the prophet Mohammed. However, although he left advice on such things as prayer, and charity, he gave no advice about politics. He does not seem to have thought the Muslims would have formed a special kind of state. He was concerned with their behaviour in praying and thinking about god. While he was alive he resembled a cult leader.
Islam grew in an area with very weak government - modern Saudi Arabia where there were city states such as Makkah, run by informal councils of merchants. There were also kingdoms in the area. Many of the new Muslims were beduin from nomadic groups who had an informal leadership. Others were townspeople.
When he died the group of Muslims in Madina (city of the prophet, formerly Yathrib) had to decide who would rule them in his place as successor (Khalif= deputy). There were a group of four Khalifs in Madina, who step by step became more like rulers and less like religious leaders. Muhammed is said to have been a humble man living in an ordinary hut. His successors soon began to live like kings. Abu Bakr remained fairly humble but Othman and Omar began to become rich and favoured their relatives. Under these leaders Muslim arabs had burst out of Arabia itself and begun to conquer the territory of the Roman and Persian empires.
The last of the Madina Khalifs was Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed (he had married Mohammed's daughter). He was soon overthrown by a faction led by another of Mohammed's relatives, Muawiyah, who led a military revolt from Damascus. This of course was the usual means by which a new ruler came to power in the Roman empire. Thus the new Omayyad dynasty that ruled from Damascus had come to power like a Roman emperor. That dynasty ruled for about 100 years and was then overthrown by the descendants of Mohammed's uncle Abbas. The Abbasids ruled from a new city near the old Persian capital of Ctesiphon. It was called Baghdad (gift of god).
The similarity with Rome is thus that there were no limits on the power of the ruler, other than military revolt.
As Mohammed laid down no rules on rulership I see no reason why modern Muslims should not use modern democratic methods as seems likely to happen in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. Lets hope so.
Why is 622 an important year in Islamic history?
It is year of Prophet (PBUH) migration from Makkah (or Mecca) to Medina (both are currently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The migration marked out the real start of Islam religion spread, the start of the real Islam society, and the establishment of the Islam State.
Why did the Taliban attack US and why?
First off, Al Qaeda attacked the US.
Al Qaeda attacked because the US had troops in Israel to try and help Israel reestablish government. Al Qaeda wanted to start their own form of government in wich the Islamic religion ruled the people. They also feared our western influence could detract from the righteousness of Muslims.
Why did the Safavid empire come into conflict with other Muslim empires around it?
The Safavid dynasty ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelve school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking an important turning points in Muslim history.
What does the taliban have to do with the US?
The taliban crashed planes into the world trade centers on September 11th. Thus, the United States is after them and trying to find the taliban leader Osama Bin Ladin because he is the one who organized the attack.
What steps did Isabella take to bring religious unity to Spain?
There were two main steps:
Unification of the Crowns
Queen Isabella joined her confederation of Kingdoms (Castille, Leon, Basque Country, Asturias, and others) with those of King Ferdinand (Aragon, Catalunya, Valencia, the Balaeric Islands, and others). Because of Spain's confederal style, there was no union from overarching laws. (Barcelona and Madrid did not have the same legal system until the 1830s.) There was no unity in ethnicity as Basques, Asturians, Leonians, Castillians, Aragonese, Catalans, Valencians, Mozarabes (Arab Christians in Southern Spain), and Galicians all saw themselves as distinct peoples with different languages and histories. They united politically because it was advantageous and could disunite just as easily for political reasons.
Spanish Inquisition
Once the crowns were unified, Queen Isabella instituted the Spanish Inquisition and forced the exodus of all Non-Christians from Spain, mainly Jews and Muslims. It goes without saying that Christians of the Era (including their leadership) condemned tolerance of other religions, notably Judaism and Islam which they saw as violent and dangerous heresies. As a result, an act to attain religious purity was desirable.
Did ibn battutah spread islam?
NOT REALLY. For most of his life, Ibn Battuta went from Islamic Kingdom to Islamic Kingdom, working primarily as a Qadhi (قاضي) or Islamic Judge. He was not in the business of evangelizing people. While, he did go to some places where there were few Muslims, so it is possible that he engaged in a degree of dawah (دعوة) or Islamic Evangelism, but it would be minimal.
Which city became part of the islamic empire first?
The Prophet (PBUH) went to Madina when the makkans were attempting to kill him, Madina was the first area to accept Islam fully.
What are the contributions of Ibn-e-Sina in chemistry?
Ibn-i-Sina is credited with the discovery of steam distillation.
What allowed Muslim forces to successfully conquer parts of India?
Fighting between Gupta nobles allowed Muslim forces to successfully conquer parts of India.
What is the Muslim word for conquest?
Answer 1
There are no Muslim words, because "Muslim" is not a language. Conquest in Arabic is Fateh.
Answer 2
Although "Muslim" is not a language, there are two general words of Arabic origin generally used to describe conquest.
There is Fateh (فتح) which is a positive connotation to conquest and usually used by Muslims to indicate when Muslims have conquered territory previously controlled by non-Muslims. It comes from the verb "to open" in that the land is now "open" to the teachings and governance of Islam whereas before it was not. A famous use of this term is the sobriquet "el-Fatih" or "the Conqueror" that was applied to Sultan Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire for his conquest of Constantinople from the Byzantines.
There is also Ehtilaal (احتلال) which is conquer in the negative sense and is usually used by Muslims to describe territory conquered by non-Muslims, especially if the territory conquered was formerly under Muslim control. It comes from the verb "to occupy" in the sense of "occupying land". The term is commonly used to refer to the colonization of the Islamic World by the European Powers and for the State of Israel's presence in the Middle East.
Where was Islam's attempt to conquer Europe stopped?
Charles Martel beat the Muslims at the Battle of Tours in what was Tours, France in 732 C.E.
When did the Islamic civilization start?
Islam civilization started by start of Quran revelation to prophet Muhammad in year 610 AD. The first verse of Quran is 'Read'. This is the first pillar of any civilization. The real civilization started when people, by Islam, realized the real objectives of their creation.
Why did people welcome the Taliban?
The question as written is nebulous and difficult to answer because "people" does not give a specific regional grouping, religious grouping, or time period. Note, that not all of the reasons below represent statistical facts, but are based on people's perceptions of what occurs. Typically, when the Taliban has been well-received, it is for the following reasons:
1) Order and Control: Afghanistan is one of the most difficult to control regions in the world with arid deserts, high mountains, many rural areas, and limited infrastructure. This makes it very similar to the American concept of the Wild West, but even more difficult to manage. The Taliban are similar (in a way) to cowboys in that they dispense rough justice wherever they see a problem. As opposed to Western Law, which is seen as slow and ineffective, the "shoot and ask questions later method" actually helps to lower crime.
2) Anti-Western Sentiment: Since the American Invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban have become the poster-boy for the "We hate America" movement the world over. (Note: For most people who see themselves as part of this group, the American Government and Foreign Policy is at fault, not the American People.) As a result, when the Taliban are able to retake a region or arrive in a region, for many, it is synonymous with liberation from American Imperialism.
3) Indigenous Powers: The Taliban were overthrown by a Coalition of Warlords and Tribal Leaders called the Northern Alliance with American Assistance. Many of these warlords are barely better to the Afghan people than were the Taliban and can only maintain power with a strong American military presence. This makes them look like puppets of the American government as opposed to an independent sovereign power. The Taliban, however, represent an indigenous group of Afghans who ruled the country for nearly 10 years in spite of foreign interference from Iran.
4) Islamic Law: Many Moslems in Afghanistan are deeply conservative and would not wish for a country like the United States where religion and state are separate. Islam, for them, should be a constituent part of the State apparatus and the Taliban made a commitment to that whereas Hamid Karzai and the Northern Alliance Government have not made a religious commitment. (Note: There is are a vast number of Afghans who are not interested in a state as religious as the one put forward by the Taliban, but those who do still make up a large segment of the population.)
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Answer 1
The direction of the violence.
Christians and Buddhists were often the victims of violence from political leaders who wished to suppress the new movements.
Muslims were the perpetrators of violence. They were themselves the political leaders (except for the first twelve years), and thereafter Islam was spread mainly by the sword.
Answer 2
Islam never spread by sword or b war. It is basic principle in Islam that no compulsion in religion.
The main factors in Islam spread in the past and till now and in future are Islam truthfulness, logistics, good morals, and the deviations of other God previous.
Islam spread so fast because :
- It is a true God religion
- It calls for justice
- It respects the woman and human rights
- It defends good morals
- It honors human free will of choice and thinking
- It is against racism and discrimination based on color, culture, gender, or anything else except piety.
- It is the religion and mission of all God prophets to humanity since Adam, through Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Them All), that calls for worship Allah (God in English) as the one and only one God with no partner, no son, no companion, and no associate.
- Quran authenticity and truthfulness
Refer to related question below.
Answer 3
It may be that this is what true Islam is about and that it sometimes spreads for these reasons. However, what the questioner asked was: "What distinguished THE FIRST CENTURIES OF ISLAMIC HISTORY...?"
It is a historical fact that the first three centuries of Islam were centuries of conquest. People with the title "caliph" gathered armies, conquered the whole of the Christian Middle East & North Africa and Buddhist South Asia, replaced the existing political systems with a Muslim state, and offered the inhabitants the options of conversion, jizya or death.
It would be really nice to believe that those brutal conquerors were fake Muslims who didn't understand the message of the Qur'an. I am so glad that you and your friends are better people than that. However, it is a historical fact that the totalitarian states that they established were the major facilitator of the spread of Islam (real or fake).
What was life like for women before the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan?
Better than AFTER the Taliban took power, but even before then, Afghanistan was a pretty miserable place. Go back to 1978 or so, before the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and you could see Kabul (the capital city) looked prosperous and relatively liberal. Women dressed in European fashions and attended college, and the scenery looked entirely "normal" and European.
That was in Kabul; the rural areas hadn't changed all that much for the previous 1500 years.
Did the Islamic civilization invent algebra?
Yes. It was Al Khawarzmi who invented Algebra. (Refer: Ibn-i-Khaldoon)
Who was saladin leader off what country or religion?
Saladin was a Muslim leader at the time of the 3rd Crusade. That was at the end of the 1100s. He fought against Philip of France & Richard I of England (Lionheart). I think he came from what is now Iraq.
How does the calligraphy from Islamic Empires affect us today?
Islamic calligraphy enriches our culture and our world with it's beauty. It is also a reminder of the Islamic tenet prohibiting any portrait-like representation of Allah and the commitment to their beliefs.
Why did the christians fight Muslims in Spain?
Spain was historically a christian country when Muslims fought it and invaded it, it was ruled by Muslims but as the time passes the empire grew weaker and weaker and Christians fought to regain the country.
What empires or nations used Islamic algebra?
Everybody uses algebra. There is no "Islamic Algebra", even though the inventor of algebra, al-Khwarezmi, was a Muslim born in the Abbassid Caliphate. The math is good, without even considering that its inventor was a Muslim, and there is no "Islamic Algebra" just like there is no "Christian Gravity", even though Isaac Newton, gravity's discoverer was a Christian, or "Hindu Arithmetic", even though the originators of the ten numeral digit system were Hindus.
How can you connect Judaism Christianity and Islam in world history?
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all Abrahamic religions, that is, they all share the common background of the ancient prophets of Abraham, Moses, Noah, Adam, and others. Judaism draws its roots from Moses, in about 1400 BC; Christians began in about 30 AD with Jesus; and Muslims began about 500 AD with Mohammad.
Why did Hindus and Muslims not get along in India?
Answer 1
because of the British colonial policy of "divide and rule," so there would not be a mass uprising against their colonizer but instead against each other.
Answer 2
The hatreds between Hindus and Muslims preceded the arrival of the British and were brought about by the two communities fighting for political power and resources. Historically, Muslims were rarely under Hindu authorities, but Hindus were under Islamic authorities for numerous centuries. As a result of having more power for longer, Muslims are responsible for more of the grievances that have caused Hindu-Muslim hatreds.
One of the most prevalent causes of these hatreds were forcible conversions and conversions by choice. Depending on the Muslim ruler of India, there were events of forcible conversion, but this was not consistent. King Aurangzeb is well-known in India for this act as well as destroying major Hindu Temples such as the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Kesava Deo temple and Somnath temple. His grandfather, Akbar the Great was known for permitting the free and equal practice of religion. However, the majority of Islamic converts in India came from the Untouchable and Sudra Hindu Castes who never would have had a chance to be well-treated in Hindu society. However, in Islam all men were equal before God, making conversion an escape from this social suppression. This was welcomed by the lower classes, but angered the Hindu elites.
Another cause of these hatreds are the numerous wars between the Maharajas of India who would identify as representing Hindus or Muslims against other Maharajas who were of the other religion.
Another cause of these hatreds was the disrespect of Muslims towards Hindu methods of worship and idolatry.
