The Islam religion, believed by Muslims, has spread across the globe at rapid speeds. Muhammad ibn Abdullah started the religion. The religion began in Mecca. The religion was made known in 610 CE. The two major themes of the religion are “Allah is the one God” and the importance of charity. The religion spread throughout Mecca and into India, Spain, East Africa and China. Within 100 years of Muhammad’s death, it had reached Europe and Asia. What are some reasons that the religion spread so quickly? Islam spread at such a fast rate due to trade, conquest, and law.
Islam spread quickly because of trade. Mecca, where Islam originated, is in the middle of many trade routes, causing them to interact with and spread their religion to others easily. This is shown by Document A, a map of trade routes in 570, created from various sources. Document A states, “By the middle of the sixth century...Mecca was...prosperous and important. First, it was at the crossroads of the lucrative caravan trade.” This shows that since Mecca was such an important trade stop, many people from all over the area would pass through. Document A also states, “Two empires, Persia and the Byzantine Empire, shown on the map are in relation to Arabia because they surround it.” This
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Many cities came under control of strong Muslim armies, easily spreading the religion. This is shown by Document C, a map showing conquered territories, created from various sources. Document C states, “Mecca came under Muslim control by 622, Baghdad by 632, Jerusalem by 661, and Saragossa by 661.” This shows that the armies conquered many cities very quickly. Much territory is conquered within 100 years. Document C also states, “Islam spread east to the Indus river and north to the Caspian Sea.” This shows the religion itself spread very far due to conquest. The large, quickly conquered area was under Muslim control, exposing the people to the religion and causing them to