By Ms. Escalante

 Muhammad the Prophet  At 40 years old Muhammad, was visited by the angel Gabriel.  The angel told him that he would be the messenger of god.  Muhammad then became a prophet preaching that there is no God But Allah.

 Muhammad Begins Preaching  Muhammad at little success at first.  He in 622 AD Muhammad fled to Yathrib later called Medina. This migration was called the Hijrah.  Medina means the city of the prophet.  Muhammad won many converts.

 Muhammad’s Leadership  In 630, Muhammad and 10,000 Muhammad’s followers return to Mecca.  Muhammad forced Mecca to surrender.  Muhammad forgave the Meccans and went to the Ka’aba.  He dedicated the shrine to Allah.

 Muhammad Death  Muhammad was a religious leader but also a political and military leader.  Muhammad ruled over Medina and by the time of his death in 632AD,  he unified much of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam.  Muhammad ruled for over 20 years and now a successor needed to be chosen.

 After Muhammad’s Death  Muhammad had not named a successor or instructed how to choose a leader after his death.  Panic spread throughout the Muslim community.  Muhammad’s father in law and friend, Abu Bakr was a respected for his devotion to Muhammad and was chosen as a Muhammad’s successor.

 Abu Bakr  In 632, Abu Bakr became the first caliph.  He promised muslims that he would closely follow Muhammad’s example.  Some clans abandoned Islam and refused to follow Abu Bakr and refused to pay taxes.  During his two years as leader he used military force to unite the muslim community.

 Abu Bakr’s Leadership  Abu Bakr brought central Arabia under Muslim control and conquered land including Iraq and Syria.  He ordered that all the teachings of Muhammad should be recorded into a single work, or book which became known as the Holy Qur’an.  The Sunnah is another holy book which are Muhammad’s guides to a proper living.

 The First Four Caliphs  The next three caliphs were Umar, Uthman, and Ali.  The first four caliphs used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions to guide them.  The caliphs called themselves the “rightly guided caliphs”  This rule was called the caliphate.

 Muslim Empire Expands  The first four caliphs expanded the empire nearly four times its original size.  Many people converted to Islam because of its idea of equality and hope for salvation.  There was also an economic benefit that no Muslim paid certain taxes.

 Umayyad's Seize Power  In 656, a group of rebels opposed the leadership of Uthman and murdered him.  Uthman’s murder started a civil war.  Muhammad’s cousin Ali, was next to succeed but was assassinated.  A family known as the Umayyad's took power and set up a hereditary dynasty. This meant rulers would come from the family.

  The Umayyads moved the capital from Medina to Demascus.  Some people thought the Umayyad’s had abandoned the bedoin way of life established by Muhammad and surrounded themselves with luxury.  Muslims were divided into two groups: Shi’a and Sunnis  The Shi’a believed that the caliph should be a relative of the Prophet Muhammad.  The Sunnis were those who did not resist the Umayyad’s and accepted the rule of the elected caliphs.  This split caused the Umayyad caliphate to collapse. Muslim Community Splits