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386 History

Islamic Civilization

In 610 CE, an Arab merchant called Muhammad founded

a new religion called Islam. His teachings inspired the

Arab peoples and by 750 CE Muslims (followers of Islam)

had conquered an area stretching from Afghanistan to

. AL ANDALUS in southern Spain. Trade, science, and

culture thrived in this Islamic empire.

HOW DID ISLAM SPREAD SO QUICKLY?

Islam brought a new sense of unity and purpose to

the traders and tribespeople of the Arabian Peninsula.

Led by the. CALIPH, Arab armies spread Islam in

the Middle East and beyond. It helped that their main

enemies, the Sassanids in Iran and the Byzantines in

eastern Europe, were weakened by fighting each other.

Islam was also spread by Muslim traders.

WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN MUSLIM LANDS?

Newly conquered lands were united by

Islam, and by common tax systems,

coinage, and laws. Jews and Christians

sometimes paid higher taxes but they

were free to run their own religious

affairs so long as they did not insult

the Prophet Muhammad.

CALIPHS

After the death of Muhammad in 632 Muslims were ruled by

caliphs. As Islam spread, the caliphs had great political as well

as spiritual authority. After the reign of the fourth caliph, from

656 to 661, two rival traditions of Islam emerged: the Sunni

and the Shi’a. This division meant it was no longer possible for

the whole Islamic world to be ruled by a single caliph.

WHO WERE THE UMAYYADS AND THE ABBASIDS?

The Umayyads and Abbasids were dynasties of caliphs.

From 661, Muslims were ruled by the Umayyads,

based in Damascus (in Syria). In 750, a new dynasty,

the Abbasid, seized power, although a branch of the

Umayyad continued to rule Muslim Spain. The Abbasid

caliphs were based at Baghdad, which became the

prosperous centre of a huge trading empire and

the artistic capital of the Muslim world.

HARUN AND THE BARBER 3

Harun-al-Rashid was the most

famous Abbasid caliph. His court

at Baghdad inspired many classic

tales. This miniature painting

illustrates a story in which

Harun notices that his barber

never moves from one spot.

He has the floor removed and

finds treasure beneath it.

4 QUTB-MINAR TOWER

This minaret, a slender tower used to

call Muslims to prayer, was built in

1199 by a new ruling dynasty as a

symbol of their victory. It is part of

the Quwwat al-Islam (Might of

Islam) Mosque, in Delhi, India.

1 THE BOOK OF THE FIXED STARS

This guide to the constellations was compiled by a famous Arab

astronomer, Abd al-Rahman ibn Umar al-Sufi, in the 10th century.

Arabic names for stars are still used today.

Stars forming the

constellations are

shown in red

Maps show the

position of stars

at night

Tower stands 73 m

(238 ft) high

Carved inscriptions

praise God and state

greatness of Islam

Islamic

civilization