At its greatest, the Islamic Empire stretched from Spain to China. The Islamic Empire spread to encompass such an extensive empire by using military force, leadership, and people. Muhammad first spread Islam by preaching the revelation that he claimed to have received from God.
For the Islamic Empire to have further expanded there had to be military conquest. Documents 4, 7, and 8 all explained how Muhammads’ military aided the Islamic Empire to expand. The Moslems struck their enemies and laid waste to the country and took captives without number… everything gave way to their scimitars [swords]… All the nations of the Franks trembled as that terrible army… attacked Tours… and the fury and cruelty of the Moslems towards the inhabitants of
…show more content…
Documents 1, 2, and 6 help to show Islamic Empire expanded. Believe or else pay tribute [money]… obey the Lord and his Apostle [Mohammad], and he will defend you… But if you displease them… I will fight against you and take captive your little ones and slay the elder (Doc 1). The point of view is of someone who follows Islam and is speaking for Muhammad. This document tells us that if they believe in the Islamic religion then there will be no consequences but if they don’t, hardships will come to them. So basically, Mohammad used his power to force people to believe in Islam. Ye shall do battle with them, or they shall profess Islam… whosoever shall obey God and His Apostle, He shall bring him into the gardens of [Paradise]; but whosoever shall turn back, He will punish him… (Doc 2). The point of view for document 2 is of someone who is on Muhammads side and follows Islam. This document is very much alike document 1 in the way that they both show that people had no choice in what to believe in. This is because if you didn’t believe in Islam you were punished by the leader. The use of leadership helped to expand the Islamic Empire since people were forced to believe. Islam never interfered with the dogmas of any moral faith, never persecuted… Islam “grasped the sword” in self defense; Christianity grasped it in order to stifle freedom of thought and liberty of belief. Wherever Christianity prevailed, no other religion could be followed without molestation. The Moslems, on the other hand, required from others a simple guarantee of peace, tribute in return for protection, of perfect equality – on condition of the acceptance of Islam (Doc 6). This document shows that the leader guaranteed a life of peace and protection if they accepted into Islam. This is why people chose to follow Islam and further expand the civilization because they guaranteed many