Page 120 - Key to Social Studies 5

The Growth of the Islamic Empire

• While Europe was experiencing the Dark Ages, a period of economic, political, and cultural decline

following the fall of the Roman Empire, the Middle East entered an era of growth and prosperity. The

Islamic Empire expanded to dominate more than thirty countries extending from Northern Africa to

Central Asia, and south to the northern Indian subcontinent.

• The religion of Islam was founded in Mecca (modern-day Saudi Arabia) by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

in the beginning of the 7 century. The religion of Islam spread widely in the region, a ecting the
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culture of the people of the Middle East and North Africa.

• After the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Islamic Empire continued to grow under the ruling

of the caliphates. A caliph is a spiritual leader of Islam and a successor to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The rst four Islamic caliphs were Abu Bakr, Umar Ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn A an, and Ali ibn Abi

Talib. They were related to the Umayyad Dynasty, the rst Islamic dynasty. They were taught the Islamic

rules by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself and they were called the “Righteous Caliphs.”

• The Abbasid Caliphate took control of the Islamic Empire in 750 C.E. and ruled for around ve hundred

years, where the Islamic Empire ourished and witnessed prosperity.

The Kaaba inside the Great Mosque of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

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