Spread Of Islam Dbq Analysis

In 520 AD, the prophet and messenger Muhammad came to spread Allah's word, and his followers became the first Muslims. Islam spread rapidly and this was was due to the choices that the leaders made through cultural diffusion, strategy for the wage of war, and esteemed morals. When Muslim merchants would trade, they would also spread the culture of Islam. The strategic wage of war helped Islam uphold a strong empire. The desirable morals of the faith led people into becoming Muslim.

The lucrative location of the beginnings of Islam lead many merchants to trade while spreading the culture. Mecca, Islam’s headquarters, was in the crossroads of the world and in a perfect location for trade, which led to the spread of the culture. In a map created

While opponents of the empire fought, it helped Islam become a strong empire. Karen Armstrong, a modern writer about the culture of Islam explains how Persia and Byzantium engaged in long and exhausting wars (Doc D). These two empires weakened each other, without Islam having to get involved in the wars which would have weakened themselves. The empire that the Muslims upheld was extremely strong in its military and political aspects, which helped it to spread geographically. The success of military conquests led to the spread of the culture. In a map created from various sources, it shows how the spread of Islam relates to the military campaigns (Doc C). The map shows how the empire started in the Arabian Peninsula, then as the military conquests spread on throughout the middle east, the empire also spread along with it. These successful conquests are because other opponents of the empire weakened each other while the the strong, resourceful Muslim army carried

The rules of the Empire helped the religion gain followers and territory because the ideas and rules were desirable and ethical. A feeling of security made Islam a popular religion. In the verses from the Qur’an, which consist of the teachings and words of Allah, revealed through Muhammad, it tells the rules and expectations of the Muhammad and the Empire. The Qur'an also tells how if the rules are followed, men and women shall enter paradise, and blissful promises are also made if rules are followed (Doc B). A feeling of security at the conclusion of life, led many people to become Muslim so the Empire could expand. A respect of other religions by Muslims made Islam a sensible religion. In “The Caliph Omar: Arab Imperialist”, a secondary source, written by J.J. Saunders, a British historian it tells how Muslims respected other faiths as the empire spread. People were not forced into Islam (Doc H). The Muslims respected other faiths, helping their empire to stay strong. Since the people they conquered had respect for the Islamic culture it made them more susceptible to join in the future and put a positive idea of Islam in their head. The desirable rules of Islam caused people to convert without being forced.

The spread of Islam was not due to just one factor. The combination of beneficial characteristics led to the rapid spread of Islam. The three major factors of beliefs