Trace the Expansion of Islamic Political Rule through the Period of the Caliphates
Caliphate is the earliest system of authority established in Islam. In this type of governance, the head of state represents and governs other people together with other officials depending on what is stated in an existing constitutional law that limits the power of the government over the rest of the citizens. The Islam nation was started by Prophet Muhammad in July 1930. This he did slowly after he, growing up still as a child, began to perceive visions and to hear voices speaking to him. It was after several attempts to shun these visions in vain, that he discovered that God was speaking to him and wanted to send him to take the message of truth to his people. It was in this period that many blacks were suffering in the city of Detroit due to racism and slavery that he arrived in that city with the message of Allah.
Prophet Muhammad arrived with the news that God was one, and that He wanted his people to return to him. The many visions that he saw on the love of God for his people and on the issue of judgment if anyone did not do according to the will of God, were the words that later formed the holy book of the Koran. He therefore preached and taught the word of love and heaven to those who accepted the word of God. To those who criticized it however, he made it plain that their behavior would lead them to hell. To the pagans in west Arabia particularly, he preached that their inability to reach God’s demand for humility and charity to the less fortunate, would directly lead them to hell.
He however went thorough some persecutions due to the resistance of the non-Islam believers. With time, Prophet Muhammad decided to move from Mecca to Yathrib for safety. It was while here that he began attracting followers. Islam was no longer a small, oppressed religious group, but an independent religion-political population of believers who dominated the region of Mecca. This was therefore the beginning of Islam’s political force. The town of Mecca and Medina continued having some friction, but Prophet Muhammad, through use of promises of material gain, his religious messages and at times coercion made it possible for him to win many groups of people as well as other towns. Due to this, his community expanded and by the time he was dying in 632, he had conquered a large part of western Arabia.
Upon the death of Prophet Muhammad, the believers thought it was necessary to select another leader to head their religious group. They thus selected Abu Bakr, who was Muhammad’s father in law. During his time in power, the community was a bit shaky due to political and religious issues. He acted swiftly during the apostasy wars and sent armed bands to Arabia during which time Islam became widespread and gained more authority. Abu Bakr led for a period of time, before he selected the second caliph on his deathbed, which was Umar ibn al-Khattab. His main work was the great wave of early conquests. The caliphs therefore launched one set of offensives against the Byzantine territories and later extorted the wealthy province of Egypt from the Byzantines finally winning the profitable and cultural core of Alexandria in 642.
The believers conquered many countries including Mesopotamia. Egypt and Sudan enhancing the spread of Islam. The pagans, for example, were coerced into embracing Islam through the sucking of their places of worship. This resulted to the expansion of a new state in Mecca. There was then a third caliph, Uthman who did not rule for long because of the belief that he was ruling with unfairness and respect for own gain. He was later murdered, and his death caused the first civil war which led to the struggle of leadership among the Islam community. During this time there was heavy reliance on heavy diplomacy that contributed in maintenance of peace in the community.
The next caliph was Ali ibn Abi Talib followed by Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, who both led during the period or the first and the second civil wars. These two wars had a great political impact for it led to the establishment of a legitimate claim to lead the Islamic community. In 661, the political authority enabled them to capture Damascus and it became a capital of an Islamic border which extended from the western boundaries of China and caused the expansion of both social and legal institutions. The Umayyad made much effort and established legitimacy through establishing a Muslim identity after the footsteps of Muhammad. Their political authority also gained pace, expanding the religion of Islam in widespread regions.
In the meantime, the Abbasids were patiently and tactfully organizing to rebel against the Umayyad and later defeated them. During their time in power, they cultured great rational and cultural advancements. They ruled for 500 years but gradually their power faded. This caliph was finally abolished when hulahu captured Baghdad in 1258. This was because they gained much influence and formed various political bodies that became more independent with time. There was also an expansion of an empire that created a political refuge in which the new belief of Islam was rooted.
