• Muhammad's first successor caliph
• Thought to be the first convert outside of Muhammad's family
• Muhammad's closests friend
• Last ome to leave Mecca with Muhammad
• Selected to lead Friday prayer when Muhammad was ill
• Was not a member of Muhammads clan but they were members of the same tribe
• Called himself "khalifat rasul allah"
  • means successor of messengerof god
  • shortnened to khalifa and then caliph

• When Muhammad dies, many recent converts isolate from community because they did not see it as a religious obligation.
  • Muslims in Medina saw this as a major threat and loss of revenue
  • Abu Bakr spends most of his reign going after these tribes
  • one by one tribes resubmit and are forgiven
  • these are known as Riba wars
• Abu is known for maintaining borders and converts
• First Caliph who sends Arab army to Byzantines and has success.

Umar  

(634-644)

• described as decisive and ambtious
• 43 years old when he took over
• walked with wip in hand to punish muslims
• could have taken power befor Abu Bakr died
• was from the same tribe Abu Bakr
• One of Muhammads first converts
• Came to power after Riba wars ended
• Conflict was to keep nomadic tribes in with out force and maintining army
• Believed that the only way to ensure peoples loyalty was to keep them busy
• Sends army to gain more territory in North Africa, Sasanian empire, and take over Ctesiphon
• 651- Sasainian empire completely falls
• Captured egypt
  
  • was one of the most richesta nd most populated cities
  • main source of grain
• 642- Alexandria fell
  • 2nd city of Byzantine empire
  • rich city
  • architecture and characteristics were knew to muslims
  • ex: aqueducts
  • helps arabs build a navy
• 644- the peak of his reign, he is assasinated by Christian slave during prayer
• Before he died he appointed 6 men to decide who would be his successor
• Uthman was one of the 6 men

Uthman

(644-656)

• Was a member of the Umayyad clan
• Over 70 years old
• At the time the Umayyad's were the dominant clan, financially and politically
• 610-630 instigated attacks against muslims
• Members og ummah were unhappy with Uthman and opposed him
• Conflicts not in Uthmans favor
  • He decided to commision a single authoritative Quran from all the different versions and then to destroy the rest
    
    • This upsets emerging groups of religious scholars and powerful men
  • Expansion of empire stalls under his reign
  • Nomadic Arab tribes have a hard time transitioning from warriors to city police
    • eventually became restless
  • 655- Garrison army in Kuffa, south of Baghdad, revolted in Mesopotamia
  • 656 reaches Medina
  • Rebels murder Uthman and his wife while they are praying

Ali

(656-661)

• Selected as caliph 4 days after the murder of Uthman
• 5 years reign
• Beginning of 1st fitna in Islam
  • means temptation in arabic
  • time of trouble; war
• Ali is the most qualified for the position
• He was Muhammads uncle who adopted him
• Brought leadership back to Hashmid clan
• most likely the 3rd convert
• Muhammads son in law, married to his daughter Fatima
  • Had children Hasan, and Husayn
• Ali accompanied Muhammad on every major military campaign and was council to other caliphs
• collected powerful enemies
  • Muhammads widow Aisha
  • Umayyad government (Syria Umalia)
• After named caliph he moves to Kuffa
• Kuffa becomes caliph
• On his way to Kuffa, in Bazura, he was stopped byy 2 men whoo were associates of Muhammad and challened him with their own army and Aisha
• They claimed Ali was not worth being caliph because he could not protect Uthman
• Covered up their real motives
  • real motives were that they thought they were going to gain position of caliph and didnt , thus were upset
  • Aisha hates Ali because she was once in Muhammads camp in the desert and suddenly dissappears, when she returned she looked muscular and is questioned by Ali anf accused of cheating on Muhammad and she holds a grudge.
• "Battle of the camel"- Armies fought around Aisha's camel
• Ali wins and traitors and 1300 other die along with all the ols muslims and the rest of Muhammads associates
• Aisha is captured and kept on house arrest, she is not killed because she is the prophets widow
• Battle marks the first time that 2 muslim groups fight eachother
• Umayyad clan is upset that Ali did not investigate Uthmans murder
• Ali tries to remove Mu'awiyah from power to fails
• Reasons Mu'awiyah's success
  • member of Umayyads clan
  • governor (ruler) of Syria
    • Syria is rich and powerful
  • had a large and well paid army who were loyal
• 657- Siffin Battle
  
  • Both sides meet in northern Syria
  • middle of battle it appears Ali is going to win
  • both sides suddenly decide to stop fighting and have religious leaders settle dispute
  • during discussion Ali's angry men attack him because he stopped fighting
• Rebellions continue for the next 4 years
• Mu'awiya refuses to recognize Ali was caliph
• Ali cannot persecute Uthman's killers because they were his greatest supporters
• He refuses to step down
• Thid makes Mu'awiyah stronger and Ali weaker
  
• 660- Mu'awiyah pronounces himself caliph
• 661- Ali is assasinated
• End of first fitna
  

• Founder of Umayyad dynasty
• 661-750
• principal concerns was to:
  •  continue expansion of Islam
  • management of states resources
  • consolidation of his dynasty

umayyads

(661-750)

• Administrative changes
  • Mu'awiya secures his position and moves captiol to the city of Dimascis
    • signaled change in empires direction and focus towards lands across mediterranean and byzantine
  • Shifted away from patriotical government style
    • empire was too large to rule with old traditions
    • many minorities
    • beautricratic style was adopted
    • empire was divided into province
    • officials and governor were appointed to each province
    • everyone answers to governor who then answers to caliph
    • Mu'awiyah is able to change to this style of government because many of the citizens come from this style of government
  • Changed how to choose caliph
    • When is was clear he was dying, his advisors persuaded him to allow his son to take over
    • then succession becomes hereditary until 1924
• The second fitna
  • 3 decades long (661-692)
  • (680-692) is peaks
  • origins of split between sunni's and shiah
    • 1st phase
      • Ali's followers ask his son Hasan to take over
      • Son rejects request and mu'awiyah gives him a blank check and they work out a plan for the next 19 years but eventually Hasan dies
      • When mu'awiyah dies, citizens realized how much empire was changed and begin to rebel
      • rebels look for Ali's son Husan
      • Husan agree's not to look at Mu'awiyah's son as caliph
      • he leads an uprising
      • men that talked him into the plan back away at the last minute
      • when Husan reached Carbala to face Mu'awiyah his force was 73 people
      • everyone is killed and the prophets line is wiped out
      • Husan's head its put on display
      • muslims who supported cause are now martyrs to faith and refuse to except mu'awiayh's control
    • 2nd phase in mecca 3 years later
      • Yasid- Mu'awiyah's son dies
      • another man uses this to rebel against Mu'awiyah for 9 years between Medina and Mecca
      • 692- Mu'awiyah kills all
      • under Umayyads empire peaks in 733 and expands the most
    • 2nd fitna ends and umayyads head towards africa
      • quick african converts act as a source for their expansion
      • 732- islamic advances stop in France and Europe
      • to ehe east, central china and palistan are new borders
      • desperately tried to conquer byzantine, but they couldnt
        • 2 major attempts
        • 669-678 1at attempt last 9 years
        • 717 2nd attempt

Abbasids

(750-1258)

• There were still groups unhappy with Umayyan control
  • shia'hs
  • abbasids
• Abbasids were lead by a man named muhammad who was from the same clan as the prophet
• Ala bas was the prophets uncle and also the grandfather of the new muhammad
• 740- Abbasids collected other disgrunted groups (non muslim converts)
• 747- Abbasids began to revolt and take over caliphate
• They take the town of Merve first
• then Iraq
• 749- they take the city of Kuffa
• There they proclaim the new leader Abu Alabas as caliph
• now they are also a siritual threat to Ummayads
• Umayyads send force to fight Abbasids but they are defeated and the Abbasids chase caliph to egypt where they execute him on the spot
• the rest of the elites are invited to a banquet and after dinner they are excuted and all who did not show up are hunted down and killed.
• only one umayyad person survives
• survivor goes to Spain and establishes a rival caliphate of Cordoba
• Abbasids unite all types of different people, like arabs and non arabs
• they stopped opposition and built new government
• there is a power shift from syria to iraq because they benefited from the silk road and trade
• Europe is on the decline
• Soldiers reached their limits of wanting to expand
• leas to increase of influence of Persian culture and decrease of Arabic cluture
• overall desire to expand the arts
• from temporary capital in Kuffa it is moved to Baghdad
• Baghdad is located in a small city known for its wealth 
• Al' Rashid was known for his welath
• under his reign were the Arabian nights
• a lot of cultural and academic acheivemnt
• great works of otger clutures were translated and perserved
• advances in medicine, math and science
  • 931 there were 861 registered doctors
  • muslim astronomers knew the earth was round before Galileo
• politics werent too successful
• they were more extravagant and wasteful
• extravagance left a lot of groups out
• Abbasid's lost power in the 10th century
• 945- Shia'h dynasty tke over baghdad and put Abbasid caliph on house arrest
• religion holds middle east together

• Started when Ali comes to power
• collected powerful enemies
  • Muhammads widow Aisha
  • Umayyad government (Syria Umalia)
• After named caliph he moves to Kuffa
• Kuffa becomes caliph
• On his way to Kuffa, in Bazura, he was stopped byy 2 men whoo were associates of Muhammad and challened him with their own army and Aisha
• They claimed Ali was not worth being caliph because he could not protect Uthman
• Covered up their real motives
  • real motives were that they thought they were going to gain position of caliph and didnt , thus were upset
  • Aisha hates Ali because she was once in Muhammads camp in the desert and suddenly dissappears, when she returned she looked muscular and is questioned by Ali anf accused of cheating on Muhammad and she holds a grudge.
• "Battle of the camel"- Armies fought around Aisha's camel
• Ali wins and traitors and 1300 other die along with all the ols muslims and the rest of Muhammads associates
• Aisha is captured and kept on house arrest, she is not killed because she is the prophets widow
• Battle marks the first time that 2 muslim groups fight eachother
• Umayyad clan is upset that Ali did not investigate Uthmans murder
• Ali tries to remove Mu'awiyah from power to fails
• Reasons Mu'awiyah's success
  • member of Umayyads clan
  • governor (ruler) of Syria
    • Syria is rich and powerful
  • had a large and well paid army who were loyal
• 657- Siffin Battle
  
  • Both sides meet in northern Syria
  • middle of battle it appears Ali is going to win
  • both sides suddenly decide to stop fighting and have religious leaders settle dispute
  • during discussion Ali's angry men attack him because he stopped fighting
• Rebellions continue for the next 4 years
• Mu'awiya refuses to recognize Ali was caliph
• Ali cannot persecute Uthman's killers because they were his greatest supporters
• He refuses to step down
• Thid makes Mu'awiyah stronger and Ali weaker
  
• 660- Mu'awiyah pronounces himself caliph
• 661- Ali is assasinated

shi'ah

• Has a mystical approach
• personal communion with god
• meditation
• fasting
• controlled breathing
• some people spin
• emerges 9th century from islam
• ascetic movement for those who sought to purify themselves by denying themselves of early pleasures
• intense fear of god
• then reverses and they believe in gods love
• preach to masses trying to deal with everyday problems
• more flexible then islam
• prominent in central asia, india, pakistan, and southern europe
• safavid dynasty emrges from fusit brother hoods
• originte in northern iran
• after mongol invansion convert to shi'sm
• jumayd was the leader

• the first inhabitants of medina to accept islam
• any of those who helped muhammad after he began his preaching

• 657- Ali's forces and Mu'awiyah meet in northern syria
• In the middle of the battle Ali appears to be winning
• the two sides suddenly decide to stop fighting and let relgious leaders settle the dispute
• during the discussion Ali's men rebel against him because they're mad he stopped fighting

• 3 decades long (661-692)
• (680-692) is peaks
• origins of split between sunni's and shiah
  • 1st phase
    • Ali's followers ask his son Hasan to take over
    • Son rejects request and mu'awiyah gives him a blank check and they work out a plan for the next 19 years but eventually Hasan dies
    • When mu'awiyah dies, citizens realized how much empire was changed and begin to rebel
    • rebels look for Ali's son Husan
    • Husan agree's not to look at Mu'awiyah's son as caliph
    • he leads an uprising
    • men that talked him into the plan back away at the last minute
    • when Husan reached Carbala to face Mu'awiyah his force was 73 people
    • everyone is killed and the prophets line is wiped out
    • Husan's head its put on display
    • muslims who supported cause are now martyrs to faith and refuse to except mu'awiayh's control
  • 2nd phase in mecca 3 years later
    • Yasid- Mu'awiyah's son dies
    • another man uses this to rebel against Mu'awiyah for 9 years between Medina and Mecca
    • 692- Mu'awiyah kills all
    • under Umayyads empire peaks in 733 and expands the most
  • 2nd fitna ends and umayyads head towards africa
    • quick african converts act as a source for their expansion
    • 732- islamic advances stop in France and Europe
    • to ehe east, central china and palistan are new borders
    • desperately tried to conquer byzantine, but they couldnt
      • 2 major attempts
      • 669-678 1at attempt last 9 years
      • 717 2nd attempt