How Did Islam Influence Hispania

The rapid growth and establishment of an Islamic empire started in the seventh century and has continued to exist in todays world. The swiftness of the Arab conquests led to an establishment of an Islamic empire that has lasted to present times because the diminishing power of the Roman Empire led to a Western European cultural deterioration and a declining influence of Christianity. The establishment and growth of the Islamic empire will be illustrated in this paper, along with an explanation of what happened to the Islamic influence in Hispania, now modern-day Spain. The establishment of an Islamic state began with the Prophet Muhammad leading a group of Muslims on a migration from Mecca to a northern rural settlement, now referred to as Madina. Before the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, Muhammad converted most of the Arabian tribes to Islam, and Mecca became the new Islamic state’s capital. (Gettleman, 2003, 5-6) After Muhammad’s death in 632, the Umayyads ruled from Damascus for nearly a century. What led to the solid

The Abbasid dynasty was very inclusive to many people, given the time period. This imperial territory extended from Spain along the coast of North Africa, through the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, Central Asia, and even over to northwest India. (Gettleman, 2003, 7-8)

This dynasty rules for 500 years as Sunnis and brought the Golden Age of Islam. This period of great prosperity for the Islamic world occurred during the Dark Ages of Western Europe. The fact that Europe was in an economic and cultural depression after the decline of the Roman Empire greatly assisted the growth of the Islamic empire. With the Roman Empire weakening, this allowed the Islamic empire to pick up the pieces and collect them as their