The history of Islam

  • 570

    Muhammad is born in Mecca

  • Period: 570 to Nov 4, 633

    Rule of Muhammad

  • Nov 4, 610

    Muhammad is visited by the angel Gabriel

    The angel recites the first revelations and tells Muhammad he is God's prophet.
  • Nov 4, 622

    Muhammad and his followers move to the nearby town of Yathrib

    People accept Islam in Yathrib (Medina). This marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
  • Nov 4, 630

    Muhammad goes back to Mecca with a bunch of his followers.

    Eventually all of Mecca accepts Islam.
  • Nov 4, 633

    Muhammad dies of illness

    The Muslim people elect his father-in-law Abu Bakr as caliph/successor.
  • Period: Nov 4, 633 to Nov 4, 661

    Abu Bakr rule

  • Nov 4, 641

    Muslims go into Egypt and defeat the Byzantine army.

  • Nov 4, 655

    Islam starts to spread throughout North Africa

  • Nov 4, 661

    Imam Ali is killed.

    This was the end of the rule of the 4 "righteous caliphs" (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali). This is also the beginning of the Umayyad rule.
  • Period: Nov 4, 661 to Nov 4, 750

    The rule of the Umayyad

  • Nov 4, 711

    Muslims go into Spain in the west and India in the east.

  • Nov 4, 732

    Muslims are defeated at Potiers in France by Charles Martel.

  • Nov 4, 750

    The Abbasids take over from the Umayyads.

    The "seat of power" is now in Baghdad.
  • Period: Nov 4, 750 to Nov 4, 1517

    Abbasid rule

  • Nov 4, 1000

    Islam continues to spread through Africa.

    Nigeria served as a trading connection between northern and central regions of Africa.
  • Nov 4, 1099

    Jerusalem is taken from the Muslims by European Crusaders.

    Eventually, the Muslims regain control of the holy land from the Crusaders.
  • Nov 4, 1120

    Islam spreads through Asia.

  • Nov 4, 1299

    The earliest Ottoman state is created in Anatolia, Turkey

  • Nov 4, 1453

    The Ottomans conquer the Byzantine seat of Constantinople and rename it to Istanbul.

  • The state of Israel is formed.

  • Muslims enter the area north of Arabia