Recite Quran

1. Before Islam – Life in Arabia

Time: Before 610 CE

  • Arabia before Islam was full of different tribes.
  • People mostly believed in many gods (polytheism).
  • Mecca was a rich city where people came to trade and to worship at the Kaaba.
  • The society had many problems: rich people were very rich, poor people were treated badly, and women had very few rights.
  • Poetry and stories were very important in Arab culture.

2. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ – The Beginning of Islam

Time: 570–632 CE

  • Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born in Mecca in 570 CE.
  • He was honest and wise. He worked as a trader and married Khadijah.
  • At age 40, he received the first message from Allah through Angel Jibreel (Gabriel).
  • He began to teach that there is only one God (Allah), and that people should be kind, honest, and just.

Important Events:

  • Persecution in Mecca: The leaders of Mecca did not like his message. They tried to stop him and his followers.
  • Hijrah (Migration): In 622 CE, Muhammad and his followers moved to Medina. This event is called Hijrah and it marks the start of the Islamic calendar.
  • In Medina, the first Muslim community (Ummah) was built.
  • There were battles with the people of Mecca (e.g. Badr, Uhud, and the Trench).
  • In 630 CE, Muslims peacefully took back Mecca.
  • In 632 CE, the Prophet passed away after doing his final pilgrimage (Hajj).
  • His message became the base of the religion called Islam.

3. The Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs (Rāshidūn)

Time: 632–661 CE

After the Prophet’s death, four close companions became leaders (Caliphs):

  1. Abu Bakr – United the Arab tribes.
  2. Umar ibn al-Khattab – Expanded Islam into Iraq, Persia, and Egypt.
  3. Uthman ibn Affan – Compiled the Qur’an into one book.
  4. Ali ibn Abi Talib – Faced civil wars and political fights.
  • These leaders ruled fairly and followed Islamic values.
  • But problems about who should lead the Muslims caused fighting.
  • This led to the split between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

4. Umayyad Caliphate

Time: 661–750 CE

  • Muawiyah became the first Umayyad Caliph. The capital was moved to Damascus (in Syria).
  • The empire grew fast: into North Africa, Spain, Central Asia.
  • Arabic became the main language. Coins, roads, and postal systems were created.
  • But the Umayyads favored Arab Muslims, and non-Arabs were treated unequally.
  • This caused anger and revolts. In 750 CE, the Umayyads were defeated by a new group—the Abbasids.

5. Abbasid Caliphate

Time: 750–1258 CE

  • The Abbasids moved the capital to Baghdad (Iraq).
  • Baghdad became a center of knowledge, science, and culture.
  • This time is called the Golden Age of Islam.
  • Muslims translated books from Greek, Persian, and Indian languages into Arabic.
  • Scholars made great progress in:
    • Medicine
    • Math (algebra)
    • Astronomy
    • Philosophy
    • Literature (e.g. One Thousand and One Nights)

But:

  • The empire became too big.
  • Local rulers gained power.
  • The empire split into smaller parts.
  • In 1258, the Mongols attacked Baghdad and ended Abbasid rule.

6. Islamic Rule in Different Parts of the World

After the Abbasids, many Muslim dynasties ruled in different regions:

A. Spain (Al-Andalus)

  • Muslims ruled Spain from 711–1492.
  • It was a center for science, art, and culture.
  • Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived together for many years.
  • In 1492, Christian rulers took back Spain (the Reconquista).

B. Africa, Persia, Central Asia

  • The Fatimids ruled parts of North Africa.
  • The Seljuks ruled Persia and parts of Anatolia (Turkey).
  • The Ayyubids were led by Salahuddin (Saladin), who took back Jerusalem during the Crusades.

C. India and Southeast Asia

  • Islam entered India through trade and conquest.
  • The Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) was one of the first Muslim governments in India.
  • Later, the Mughal Empire ruled most of India (1526–1857).
  • In Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia), Islam spread peacefully through trade and Sufi teachers.

7. The Great Muslim Empires – “Gunpowder Empires”

Time: 1300s–1800s

A. Ottoman Empire

  • Began in Turkey in the late 1200s.
  • Took over Constantinople in 1453 (renamed it Istanbul).
  • Ruled parts of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
  • Powerful army and government, rich culture, and architecture.

B. Safavid Empire (Persia/Iran)

  • Made Shi’a Islam the official religion.
  • Ruled Iran and parts of Central Asia.

C. Mughal Empire (India)

  • Famous rulers like Akbar, Shah Jahan (who built the Taj Mahal).
  • Blended Indian and Islamic cultures.
  • Faced decline in the 1700s with British arrival.

8. Islamic Culture and Knowledge

  • Sufism (Islamic mysticism) grew during this time. Sufis focused on love, peace, and closeness to God.
  • Many schools of Islamic law were developed:
    • Sunni: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali
    • Shia: Ja’fari, others
  • Muslims built great libraries and schools (madrasas).
  • Scholars studied and wrote books on the Qur’an (tafsir), Hadith, history, science, and more.

9. European Colonialism and Muslim Response

Time: 1700s–1900s

  • Muslim lands became weak, and European powers (Britain, France, others) took control of many areas.
  • Examples:
    • India: British ruled after 1857
    • Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia: French rule
    • Indonesia: Dutch rule

Muslim Response:

  • Some wanted to return to Islamic roots (e.g. Wahhabism in Arabia).
  • Others tried to modernize Islam and learn from Europe.
  • Thinkers like Jamaluddin Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan tried to reform Muslim societies.

10. Modern Islamic World – 20th Century to Today

A. After World War I

  • The Ottoman Empire ended after WWI.
  • New countries were created: Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, etc.
  • Some leaders wanted secular (non-religious) governments.
  • Others wanted Islamic laws and values in government.

B. Rise of Movements

  • Groups like Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Jamaat-e-Islami in South Asia were formed.
  • These groups wanted to bring back Islamic values in politics and society.

C. Challenges

  • Some extreme groups misused Islam to justify violence.
  • Many Muslims around the world have worked to promote peace, education, and dialogue with other religions.

11. Islam Today

  • Islam is the second-largest religion in the world.
  • Over 1.9 billion Muslims live across every continent.
  • Large Muslim populations in:
    • Indonesia
    • Pakistan
    • India
    • Bangladesh
    • Middle East
    • Africa
    • Europe and North America