The roads wound all over the empire. Foreign goods were abundant in markets. The minds of the people were alive, buzzing with innovations and ideas. While the rest of the world was vanquished by intellectual darkness, the Islamic Empire was alive and teeming with knowledge and discovery, creating one of the greatest eras in history….
The Islamic Empire
The Abbasid Era
The Abbasid Caliphate (750 C.E. – 1528 C.E.) is not only known as the third of the Caliphates in the Islamic Empire, but as one of the most influential and educative periods in history. It was a golden time marked by incredible advancements in the sciences and arts, advancements that were probably never deemed possible….
The Umayyad Era
Muawiyah bin Sufyan was seen as the most qualified caliph to take power after Ali, which began the Umayyad Era. Muawiyah was a great and capable man who governed of Syria and led the strongest military force in the Muslim world. He was admired for his impeccable self-restraint – he had said, “I apply not…
The Rightly-Guided Caliphs
The age of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs was one of the brightest and most heroic times in Islamic history. The four caliphs who took command after the death of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, Uthman bin Affan, and Ali bin Abi Talib, (RAA) , and under their rule the Islamic Empire…
The Death of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
The Prophet’s (SAW) death was a significant point in Islamic history which affected the hearts of many both in his time, and our time. Three months after performing his first and final pilgrimage, the Prophet (SAW) began to experience a severe headache followed by a high fever. This illness began to take its toll on…
The Foundation of Islamic Law and the Conquest of Mecca
Shari’ah, or Islamic law, literally means “a way to the watering place” or “a path to seek felicity and salvation”, and is the laws and regulations meant to govern the lives of every day Muslims as a way to lead a moral and ethical life.1 Since Islam is considered less a religion and more a…
The Hijra and Strengthening of the Muslims
The small Muslim community in Mecca eventually expanded until its members began to clash with the Quraysh tribe–the tribe Muhammad (SAW) and many others had broken off with. Close-knit Arab society was ripped apart by the seams with the arrival of Islam, as many who had once affiliated themselves with family tribes abandoned their social…
Spreading the Message in Mecca
Muhammad (SAW) began to meditate in the cave of Mount Hira to escape the corruption of Mecca and dwell on the deepest questions of life to which he could not seem to find answers. It is well known that he spent the entire month of Ramadan at this familiar retreat. It was then, in the…
The Early Life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
As we Muslims welcome the month of Ramadan, our faith is even more present in our lives than ever before. And, as all of us have undoubtedly realized, it is nearly impossible to discuss or even contemplate Islam without mentioning in some way its most celebrated messenger: the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) , who not only…
The Islamic Empire in 30 Days: Prelude
Starting Saturday, people in every country around the world will begin a month-long fast for Ramadan. The holiest month of the year, Ramadan is when Muslims refrain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset and try their best to bring themselves as close to Allah (SWT) as possible. This is not only a time…