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570
Birth of the prophet Muhammad
Muhammad was a prophet of Islam born to Banu Hashim clan of Quraysh tribe in Mecca. He was raised by his father’s family (dad was deceased and mom died some years later). -
Period: 597 to 626
Wars between the Byzantine and Sassanian (Persian) Empire
There was peace between the two empires, for a decade, but the battle continued after khosrau the 2nd’s ally (Maurice) died. He wanted to avenge Maurice, and so he invaded the Byzantine Empire. -
610
Muhammad’s first Revelations
In 610 (or possibly earlier) Muhammad received his first revelations. Hi followers believe Allah transmitted them to him the Angel Gabriel. -
613
Muhammad begins to preach the new faith
In the beginning Muhammad had a very small following (mainly his wife, members of his clan and some servants/slaves). The new faith that he preached threatened the gods of Kamba, thus making Muhammad a target to kill. The Umayyads and other clans plotted to kill him, so he knew he must escape. -
622
Muhammad’s fight (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina
Muhammad’s skills and clever plots, along with the help of his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, allowed Muhammad to make it to Medina without being killed. At one point Ali even traded places with Muhammad, making him a target of the assassins. Hijra marked the first year of the Islamic calendar. -
Period: 624 to 627
Wars between the followers of Muhammad and the Quraysh of Mecca
The Umayyad’s only got angrier as Muhammad continued to grow his following in Medina. Plus, the muslim raids on Meccan caravans only increased their rage. So, in the mid-620s the Quraysh started an array of attacks on Muhammad and Medina. Ultimately, Muhammad won and made a treaty with Quraysh in 628. -
628
Muslim-Meccan truce
In 628, Muhammad and his followers made a treaty with the Quraysh. This allowed the Muslims access to visit the shrine at Ka’ab in Mecca. -
630
Muhammad enters Mecca in triumph
In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca triumphantly as he had gained many Bedouin allies and more than 10,000 converts. He “proved” the power of Allah, and destroyed the idols of the shrine. He slowly won over the Umayyads to the new faith. -
632
Death of Muhammad
Muhammad died in 632, and failed to appoint a new successor or even an agenda on how a new leader could be chosen. This caused a great division between the Muslim community. -
Period: 632 to 634
Rule of Caliph Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr succeeded Muhammad’s position as he was one of Muhammad’s earliest followers and closest friends. ABu Bakr was very wise and courageous, and had a great history of Bedouin tribes (this meant he new which tribes could become allies and which could be turned to enemies). However he had no financial support from the community so he had to keep a part time job as a merchant. -
Period: 633 to 634
Ridda Wars in Arabia
The commanders that Abu Bakr controlled turned out to be very skilled. They continued to crush the dominant tribes. So, the defeat of the rival prophets as well as the defeat of some of the larger clans became known as the Ridda Wars. These wars brought the Arabian tribes to the Islamic fold back. -
Period: 634 to 643
Early Muslim Conquests in the Byzantine Empire
The Bedouin forces were only going to Raid for booty, but they saw the vulnerability of the Byzantine Empire, and had changed their mind. -
Period: 634 to 644
Rule of Caliph Umar
He was one of the most authoritative and influential Muslim caliphs ever. He succeeded Abu Bakr as the second caliph. -
637
Arab invasion and destruction of Sassanian Empire
The Sassanian Empire had grown vulnerable, so they were much easier to defeat. The Arabs attacked, and at first they tried to put up a fight, but the Sassanian empire did not have good enough forces. Thus leading the Muslim warrior to the Sassanian Heartland. This led to a quick demise for the empire. -
Period: 644 to 656
Rule of Caliph Uthman
Uthman was the 3rd caliph and a member of the Umayyad clan thus making him unpopular across many of the tribes. He was murdered by mutinous warriors coming back from Egypt, and his death started a civil war in Islam (between the followers of Ali and the Umayyad clan). -
Period: 656 to 661
Rule of Caliph Ali; first civil a war
The Umayyads were greatly angered by Uthman’s death, but now wanted revenge on Ali because never punished the people that killed Uthman. War started. Ali had the upper hand against the Umayyads. In fact they were about to win until he accepted mediation. This allowed the Umayyads to reorganize their forces and bases. -
Period: 661 to 680
Mu’awiya
Mu’awiya became the new leader of the Umayyads, as well as the new caliph in Jerusalem. His position challenged Ali’s, and a year later he was assassinated. -
Period: 661 to 750
Umayyad caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate was the 2nd of the 4 dominant caliphate after Muhammad died. Damascus was the Syrian city that was the capital of Umayyad caliphate. -
680
Death of Ali’s son Husayn at Karbala
Husayn was killed and beheaded during the battle of Karbala on October 10th, 680. Most of his family were also taken in, and held captive as prisoners. -
Period: 680 to 692
Second Civil War
After the interruption of the disputes over succession, the Arab conquest continued once more in the last half of the 7th century. -
Period: 744 to 750
Third Civil War; Abbasid revolt
The Abbasid party was a dynasty that succeeded the Umayyads as caliphs within Islam.The leader was Abu al-Abbas, the great grandson of the project’s uncle. In 750, the Battle of the River Zab took place, and the Abbasids had won against the Umayyads. The result was conquest of Syria, and capture of Umayyad capital. -
750
Abbasid caliphate begins
Abu al-Abbas wanted to completely wipe out the Umayyad family, and in the end most of them were killed and slaughtered. The Abbasids, became more and more independent and powerful as they rejected old allies. Now, they were free to build up!
