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MUHAMMAD’S
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Until his death
Muhammad spread
Islam throughout the
Arabian Peninsula.
While doing so he
created a political
empire.
• He united Bedouin
tribes and brought
order, justice, and
hope of heaven to the
people of Arabia
MUHAMMAD’S DEATH
 Muhammad died in
632 CE after eating a
poisoned meal. A
Jewish women was
seeking revenge for
conquering her town.
AFTER MUHAMMAD’S DEATH
• Muhammad had not named a successor or told his
followers how to choose a leader
• As a result panic spread across the empire
• Some clans abandoned Islam
• Some refused to pay taxes
• Some individuals declared themselves prophets
DISCUSSION:
• Why did the death of
Muhammad cause
wide-spread panic
throughout the Islam
Empire?
• How would you choose
a new leader if you
were a powerful Muslim
at the time?
RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS
• The next four caliphs
(successor)
- Abu Bakr – father in law/close
friend 632-634 – died of illness
- Umar - 641-644
- Uthman – friend – 644-656
- Ali – Son in law 656-661
all had known Muhammad
and supported his mission to
spread Islam
• As they ruled they held
Muhammad’s example and
Islam to guide their decisions
• They became known as the
“rightly-guided” caliphs and
their rule as a caliphate
CALIPHS EXPAND THE MUSLIM
EMPIRE
• Each of the “rightly-guided” caliphs quadrupled the
size of the Muslim empire over the 29 years after
Muhammad’s death through military force and
treaties
• Ali expanded the Muslim Empire throughout most of
the Arabian Peninsula
• Umar expanded the empire into Egypt, Syria, and
parts of the Persian Empire
• The next two caliphs completed the conquest of
the Persian empire
• The empire included all of South West Asia and part
of North Africa
EXPANSION OF THE MUSLIM EMPIRE
REASONS FOR SUCCESS
• Muslims were energized by their faith and were
willing to fight to spread Islam
• Great soldiers
• Byzantine and Persian empires were weakened by
years of fighting
• Muslim conquerors let the Christians and Jews keep
their faith because they were “people of the book”
CIVIL WAR
• After Uthman’s (Rightliy guided Caliph) death a civil
war broke out between different groups of Islam.
• One small group of Muslims believed that the caliph
should be chosen by the Muslim Community
• The opposing side believed that the caliph should
be chosen by hereditary
• Ali was appointed as the next caliph, but not
accepted by all Muslims
SUNNI’S
• After Ali’s murder the Umayyad’s took power over
the Muslim empire and set up a hereditary dynasty.
The leader would be chosen by birth right.
• The Sunnis believed in electing the Caliphs
SHI’ITES
• Ali’s supporters said that Muhammad’s family
should succeed him and that he had trained Ali as
his successor
• They didn’t accept that Abu Bakr, Umar, and
Uthman had been real caliphs
• Ali’s supporters were called the Shi’a Ali (part of Ali)
or Shi’ites for short
• They believed that the caliphs should always be a
relative of the prophet
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHmaB4s2Sng
SHI’ITES VS. SUNNI
The Shi’ites never regained control of Islam
There were many more Sunni
Today about 10% of Muslims are Shi’ites
They are a powerful minority. They have power in
Iran, Pakistan, and Iraq
• They believe that one day the final successor to Ali
called Mahdi, will come to set up the perfect
Muslim state
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