How did Islam spread so quickly
Islam was a very popular religious belief that had followers from all around, but we ask why
it spread so quickly over a short period of time. There were different factors that had allowed Islamic
beliefs to cover such a large area so quickly.
The Islam religion started with a man named Muhammad. A tough childhood, losing his
parents at an early age and working as a merchant most of his life . He retreated to a cave in a near
mountain. He said it was there that he received his first revelation from God at age 40. Three years after
the revelation he began preaching publicly. He had gained few followers early on and was met with
hostility from Meccan tribes. After 8 years he had gained up to 10,000 followers who fought by his side
to take control of Mecca. Muhammad later fell ill and had passed away. By the time of his death, a lot
of the Arabian Peninsula had converted over to Islam. It was feared that after his death all
Muhammad’s work may have just disappeared and unraveled, because he didn 't have a successor and
there was no division within the umma to make a new leader. Muhammad 's advisers chose a caliph to
continue the beliefs. Since Muhammad was the seal of prophets which mean no one could succeed him
since he was the last person to speak with god directly, his advisers chose his close friend Abu Bakr to
be the first caliph. The role of the caliph was to be a deputy, or a person to keep everything inline in a
sense. They led not as prophets but purely as substitute to Muhammad. Under the leadership of Bakr
the umma went on an offensive against the people who renounced faith after Muhammad 's death.
During the century after Muhammad 's death many towns and bedouin clans that had recently
accepted faith, withdrew their faith. Islamic armies carried their religious views and authority
throughout Arabia and Byzantine and Sassanian territories and even further. The Muslim armies were
it spread so quickly over a short period of time. There were different factors that had allowed Islamic
beliefs to cover such a large area so quickly.
The Islam religion started with a man named Muhammad. A tough childhood, losing his
parents at an early age and working as a merchant most of his life . He retreated to a cave in a near
mountain. He said it was there that he received his first revelation from God at age 40. Three years after
the revelation he began preaching publicly. He had gained few followers early on and was met with
hostility from Meccan tribes. After 8 years he had gained up to 10,000 followers who fought by his side
to take control of Mecca. Muhammad later fell ill and had passed away. By the time of his death, a lot
of the Arabian Peninsula had converted over to Islam. It was feared that after his death all
Muhammad’s work may have just disappeared and unraveled, because he didn 't have a successor and
there was no division within the umma to make a new leader. Muhammad 's advisers chose a caliph to
continue the beliefs. Since Muhammad was the seal of prophets which mean no one could succeed him
since he was the last person to speak with god directly, his advisers chose his close friend Abu Bakr to
be the first caliph. The role of the caliph was to be a deputy, or a person to keep everything inline in a
sense. They led not as prophets but purely as substitute to Muhammad. Under the leadership of Bakr
the umma went on an offensive against the people who renounced faith after Muhammad 's death.
During the century after Muhammad 's death many towns and bedouin clans that had recently
accepted faith, withdrew their faith. Islamic armies carried their religious views and authority
throughout Arabia and Byzantine and Sassanian territories and even further. The Muslim armies were