Dig Into History

15

God (called Allah in Arabic)
over a period of 23 years. That
message — an oral and later
written book — is called the
Qur’an. It contains the
teachings of Islam.

From Persecuted
to In Control
Islam did not arise without a
struggle. The central message
of Islam is the belief in one God
who is the Creator and the
obligation to worship and live a
pious life. When Muhammad first
made his teachings public, his
tribe, the Quraysh, preferred to
worship many deities. The
Quraysh considered the worship
of many gods to be a pillar of
their power over the city of Mecca,
the surrounding tribes, and the
caravan routes. For this reason,
they sought to discourage people
from following Muhammad.
Their actions caused Muhammad
and his followers to flee north to
the city of Medina.
The migration to Medina
marks a new phase in the rise
of Islam. It was there that
the Muslims established a
community, along with a set
of rules. Mecca, meanwhile,
saw Medina as a dangerous
challenge to its power and
launched military campaigns
against Medina. The Quraysh
were defeated, and Muhammad
took the city of Mecca.

After the death of Muhammad

in 632C.E., his successors led

campaigns to carry Islam to the

rest of Arabia and beyond. By

660, Arab conquests extended

from Central Asia to North Africa.

A Strong Influence

The spread of Islam throughout

these regions proceeded slowly.

But, as the centuries passed,

the various peoples living in

this region shared religious

and other ideas. In doing so,

they greatly influenced one

another. A culture arose that

came to be called Islamic, but

included contributions from

all the peoples of the region.

The heritage of the Sassanian

and Byzantine civilizations

enriched the cultural life of the

Mediterranean lands at the

time. When Islam arose, its arts,

architecture, and religious and

philosophical ideas brought

together the classical learning

of many centuries and many

lands. Over time, both

competition and exchange

marked the relationship

between Muslim and Byzantine

rulers and their people. Military

campaigns along the borders

did keep tensions high. However,

diplomatic exchanges, trade,

and shared cultural activities

such as the translation of books

from Greek into Arabic brought

more lasting results. These can

be seen in advances in science,

art, architecture (see above),

and literature that enriched

world civilization.

Susan Douglass, a curriculum writer for

online and print resources for teachers on

Islam and world history, is a historian who

directs the K-14 Education Outreach

program at the Center for Contemporary

Arab Studies, Georgetown University,

where she also conducts workshops

nationally for the Center for Muslim-

Christian Understanding.

Isn’t this amazing! Just imagine the building skills involved! These Islamic-

style double-stone arches now grace a cathedral in Cordoba, Spain. They

date to 987 Ƌƍ. and were once part of the city’s Great Mosque.