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Causes for Widespread Islam

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Causes for Widespread Islam
Discus the main cause, which, in your view, resulted in widespread conversion to Islam from the time of the four rightly guided Caliphs to the end of twentieth century

In the seventh century something remarkable happened: Islam, the first truly global civilization was conceived. In a desert, arid area of Arabian Peninsula, an inhospitable region of rock and sand, a message was delivered to merchant from Mecca, Mohamed, a message that will resonate for 14 centuries to all continents and more than a billion people across the globe. No history of humankind has witnessed such a remarkable and swift expansion: In a mere 60 years, Arab Islamic empire was biggest empire in the history of humankind.
This essay is an attempt to discuss the main causes of expansion of from Mohamed and first “Four rightly - guided Caliphs” to the end of the twentieth century with Word and Sword. In its structure, we will briefly touch historical perspective of events that lead to the spread of Islam, consider main causes and finally concluding remarks.

Historical Background Arab peninsula was wedged in between two dominant Empires of its time, Byzantine and Sassanid (Persian), and therefore, it was influenced by its religions and cultural characteristics: Christianity from north and west with its monotheistic faith from the “Book” and Zoroastrianism with its dualistic approach. It was also a major trading route that connected continents- Africa with Middle East and central Asia and east Mediterranean region. Mecca region itself was a highly cosmopolitan centre, with wide ranging merchants, whose most prolific activity was religion, where the altar of Kaaba served as one of central worship sites in pre-Islamic polytheism. This social climate shaped the distinctive character of Islamic religion.

First Converts
Not long after prophet Mohamed received a divine message from Allah, spreading the word of God began in his household, where Khadijah, his wife and Ali, his cousin were the



Bibliography: Warren Matthews, 2010, World Religions- Sixth Edition, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning pp327 Tamim Ansaray (2010), Destiny Disrupted- A History of the world Through Islamic Eyes- Public Affairs; Reprint edition (April 27, 2010) Walton, Mark W (2003), Islam at war, Greenwood Publishing Group, ISBN 0-275-98101-0 Nicolle, David (1994), Yarmuk 636 A.D.: The Muslim Conquest of Syria, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 1-85532-414-8 3) http://www.thewaytotruth.org/islam-humanity/rapidspreadofislam.html (accessed 22/07/2012) 4) http://www.twf.org/Library/Slavery.html (viewed 16/7/12) Annemarie Schimmel, Islam: An Introduction, Albany: State University of New York Press, p67 (1992) Roger du Pasquier (unveiling Islam, Islamic Texts Society (January 1992)978-0946621323 Franz Rosenthal, Political Thought in Medieval Islam (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1958), 21. http://www.islamswomen.com/articles/status_of_women_in_islam.php (acesed 23/07/2012) Article by Dr

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