At the beginning of the Islamic Empire, the territory occupied by the empire included a
small chunk of what is now Asia. If you look towards the bottom right, you can see Mecca
is marked in the green. Mecca is a historically important city in Islamic culture, as Mecca
is where their most important prophet Muhammad was born. Islam requires every
Muslim, (who are financially and physically able to do so), to take a pilgrimage to Mecca
to connect with that part of their faith.
The Islamic Empire expanded a lot in its time as an empire. When you look at this map,
you can see the color coded parts of the empire based on where they expanded and at
what times. Highlighted in an orange color, you can see Egypt was conquered by the
Islamic Empire between 632 and 661, the actual year being 639. From this time to 1517,
Egypt was governed by this Empire.
This map shows the final expansion of the Islamic Empire, and under who, when, and
where the empire was expanded to. Circled near Mecca, Medina was another important
city in the History and expansion of Islam. In 622, many of the Prophet Muhammads
followers became Martyrs to Islam because of their loyalty to Allah. As a result, many of
Muhammads followers and Muhammad himself migrated to Medina to keep themselves
safe and to keep their faith alive.
- Birth of Mohammad, 570 in the city of Mecca
Mohommad is known as the last and most important prophet of Islam. He was
born in 570 in the City of Mecca, a city that is historically and culturally important
in the muslim religion. All Muslims are required to take a pilgrimage to Mecca
once in their life to connect with that part of their faith.
- Muhammads First Revelation- 610 CE, by the Angel Gabriel in the Cave of Hira
- Migration to Medina, 622 CE
The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina is also known as
the Hijra. The journey was about 320 kilometers north, and the reason for the migration
was that Meccan planned to assassinate Muhammad. On the night of his departure, his
home was surrounded, and it is historically told that he recited from the Quran and threw
dust to blind his pursuers. He and his followers made it to Medina in 8 days.
-Battle of Badr, 624 CE, near present day city of Badr in Saudi Arabia
The Battle of Badr was a major military victory for the Muslims against tribes in
Mecca, and a turning point in the spread of Islam. Muhammad led his army against the
Quraysh army, led by Abu Jahl. This battle established Muhammad as a major leader, and
the history of the battle is celebrated every Ramadan.
- Battle of the Trench, 627
In the Battle of the Trench, the Quraysh army took the offensive against the
Muslims. This was a fairly lightly fought battle, with the Muslims suffering less than 6
casualties, and the Quarysh suffering three. Muhammad learned about the opposing
army’s advances, so he prepared well, keeping casualties to a minimum, as the battle
was supposed to be a sneak attack.
- Battle of Mu’tah, 629, Muhammad fought the army of the Byzantine Empire
- Conquest of Mecca, 630, Muhammad negotiated a bloodless transfer of power
- The Islamic Golden Age, 8th to 13th Century
During the Islamic Golden Age, studies in science, development and culture
flourished. Medicine was a big part of Islamic culture at this time and studies in this field
also flourished heavily.
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- Siege of Baghdad, 1258 CE
Later in the history of the Islamic Empire, the Empire began to decline. The
beginning of the end for this empire was the Siege of Baghdad. The Mongol
Empire invaded Baghdad, and the invasion also marked the end of the Islamic
Golden Age. After the seige, the grandson of Gingus Khan, Helegu, was
dispatched to other areas to secure the region. The region was quickly secured
and the battles ended quickly.
- Fall of the Empire, 1924
In 1924, the Ottoman Caliphate, the last Caliphate of the empire fell when the Turkish
Parliament abolished it. Famine, climate change, and inability to reform were also factors
that led to the fall of the empire.
Muhammad was born in 570 in the city of Mecca, making Mecca a very important
city in Islam. Muhammad is known as the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of
the Quran, the Holy book of Islam. He is the most important prophet in Islam, and
he died in 632 in Medina, where he was forced to migrate 10 years prior. People
who practice Islam hold Muhammad in the highest regard, but they only truly
worship one God, whom they call Allah.
This is the oldest known Quran that has ever been discovered in history. The
Quran is the holy book of Islam, and it is held in the highest regard, tying all
Muslims to a faith hundreds of years old. When an analysis was done to figure out
the general age of this Quran, it was revealed that it was written sometime
between 568 and 645 AD, making it possibly the oldest Quran in the world.
Muslims hold the Quran in the highest regard, as they base much of their faith on
its teachings.
