The years following Muhammad’s death were fundamental in creating a world which Islam could thrive in. This was undertaken by the Rashidun Caliphate, who led the Muslim armies after Muhammad’s passing; under the leadership of the Caliph the Muslim armies conquered countless cities, expanding their empire. The formative years of the Muslim empire are found within al-Balād̲hurī’s text, The Origins of the Islamic State, provides insight into how the Rashidun Caliphate operated and the nature of their conquests. Specifically, al-Balād̲hurī’s description of what transpired during the conquest of Syria and Damascus captures the motives of the troops and their ability to be non-combative allowed for the army’s remarkable success, and how rational thought was key to the expansion of the Caliphate. The early success of the Islamic forces was centred around the many soldiers that desired the riches from the plunders of war. On multiple occasions during the conquest of …show more content…
Certain Syrian sheiks provide evidence stating that, from the time the army left al-Hijȃz to al-’Arabah, there had been no open warfare; the first true battle with man fighting man did not take place until the battle of al-’Arabah. This notion suggest that between the time the time they departed al-Hijȃz and the first true battle, the leaders must have made deals or the enemy troops capitulated, similar to the proceedings of when the Muslim army conquered Damascus. In part, the lack of battles can be attributed to the Muslim army’s lack of siege weapons, thus forcing them to merely surround cities until they ran low on supplies, hence why it was a four month siege. As a result, Muslim forces did not necessarily see this form of conquest as ideal, but they adapted to the situation at