The Expansion of Islam (Essay Sample)

The Expansion of Islam Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Instructor’s Name Course Date The Expansion of Islam Over the years, the Islam religion has been widespread, with more people converting to it. The religion is now the second most practiced religion worldwide, after Christianity. It originated from Medina and Mecca in 632 CE. It has since been incorporated in multiple parts of the world, including countries and states dominated by Christianity (Egger, 2017). Several factors contributed to the spread of the Islamic religion, including politics, trade, military enforcement, culture such as pilgrimage, social interactions, and missionary work. Such factors have contributed to the success of religion, even in hostile and unhospitable areas and regions. Therefore, the spread of the Islamic faith to the northern part of Africa, Asia, and the southern region of Europe occurred as a result of economic, social, and political reasons. The spread of Islam was first fueled by the existence of military conquests. The military armies went on Islamic conquests after Prophet Muhammad was killed in 632 CE. These conquests included conquering unaware and unprepared territories and introducing their religion into the regions. Slowly by slowly, as the military performed these conquests, they built forts, spread the religion, and ensured the citizens abided by Islamic laws. However, using this type of control to force people to submit to belief only created chasms, and people only began adopting the religion in the eleventh century. Al-Olaqi & Shaikh (2016), explain that because of the brutal force used by some of the military forces, Islam was spread forcefully, and people were converted to the religion by the sword. The most effective ways the Islamic religion was spread were through missionary work, trade, and cultural efforts (pilgrimage). According to Michalopoulos & Prarolo (2018), trade was the most efficient method in the spread of Islam. Medina and Messi are in the Arabian Peninsula, the trade route connected to various continents, including Asia, Southern Europe, and Northern Africa. Muslim traders paved the way for establishing the Islamic religion in these areas. They built rapport and connections with people from various backgrounds and spread the message of the Islam religion. They also worked with Muslim missionaries to build mosques and educated and informed people from other cultures about Islamic beliefs. This development led more people to convert to Islam. Third, the Abbasid Caliphate was brought to power in the middle of the seventh century, resulting in more people converting to Islam. This Caliphate was democratic and inclusive of the people’s needs and opinions (Egger, 2017). Since the Caliphate treated its citizens in a humane and kind manner, more people were interested in being a part of a religion that preached justice, peace, and love. Under this leadership, the Islamic culture thrived, and more people joined the culture, which included converting to the religion. Additionally, people wanted to avoid paying the taxes that non-Muslims paid, hence the spread of the religion within and without the Arab countries. Political instability in most regions, such as the Byzantine and Persian empires, led to the successful spread of Islam. Due to conquests and poor leadership in most of these countries, more people sought refuge under the Abbasid caliphate, providing shelter and refuge to people outside the Arabic Peninsula. The warm and cordial welcome into the Abbasid territories built trust with those who felt safe. This sense of political stability and security led to many people converting to Islam and spreading the religion to other countries and continents, such as Africa, Asia, and Europe. The Muslim armies had significant tactical advantages because they were disciplined and well-trained. These armies were led by highly skilled commanders who pushed them into conquering vast regions throughout the Peninsula and beyond (Egger, 2017). They had multiple strategies, including siege tactics and calvary attacks, which enabled them to face the least resistance and maximum cooperation. Additionally, due to poor leadership, most tribes within the Peninsula were dissatisfied with their rulers in the Byzantine and Persian empires and wanted them overthrown. The Muslim armies offered tactical warfare support, and in turn, these regions provided them with information and a workforce, which facilitated the ...