Download The Power of the Word Over the years, Islam expanded from a local

The Power of the Word
Over the years, Islam expanded from a local religion to a national religion to a regional religion and
finally a world religion. A great number of important individuals helped Islam through each stage, right
up to the present day. Without the early personalities of the Rashidun Caliphate, however, Islam would
not have gotten off the ground.
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Abu Bakr united the Arabian Peninsula under Islam.
Caliph Umar expanded the empire to include Egypt, Iran, and parts of Turkey.
During the reign of the early caliphs, Muslim scholars compiled the teachings of Muhammad into
a single work, known as the Quran, written in Arabic. The Quran contributed to the sense of
common identity that developed first among Arabs and later among other cultures.
Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was a Rashidun, or “rightly guided” caliph. Some
Muslims believe he should have been the first heir to Muhammad's religious and political power;
others do not. This conflict caused the split of Islam into the Sunni and Shi’a branches.
Peace for All Nations
Muslims worked out a fairly peaceful relationship with Christians and Jews during the first 500 years of
expansion. This relationship avoided religious-based conflicts between the Islamic rulers and the nonMuslims they ruled.
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Jews and Christians were, like Muslims, “People of the Book,” who followed many of the same
prophets and shared many of the same beliefs.
The Constitution of Medina (about 622) spelled out the rights and responsibilities that Jews and
Christians had in the ummah.
By becoming dhimmis under Muslim rule and paying the special taxes, Christians and Jews were
able to maintain many of their traditions and culture.
The Further Expansion of Islam
The expansion of Islam and the expansion of Muslim rule throughout Asia and Africa were two different
processes.
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Muslim armies made countless conquests, first under the Arabs and later under a plethora of other
cultural groups such as the Persians, the Berbers, and the Turks.
Islam expanded at its own pace. In some cultures it was accepted fairly quickly; in others it took
up to 400 years. Because it was rarely forced on people, conversion often became a practical
decision made by people who lived under Muslim rule for generations.
1. Why does Islam have two branches - Sunni and Shi’a branches? What “issues” can arise
from this?
2. What role did the early Caliphates play in Islam? Explain using several examples.
3. Do you think the rules that Muslims made for conquered non-Muslims were fair? Why or
why not? How does this impact people living in the Islamic World?