The Early Islamic Expansion
Follow the campaigns and settlements of the first century of Islamic rule, from the Ridda wars to the frontiers in Iberia, the Indus and North Africa.
Start LearningBegins with Rashidun Caliphate
Learning Sequence
Articles are ordered so each builds on the one before. You can also read them in any order that suits you.
- Rashidun CaliphatedynastyRashidun CaliphateThe first four Caliphs of Islam (632-661 CE), known as the 'Rightly-Guided Caliphs,' who succeeded Prophet Muhammad and established the foundations of Islamic civilizatio…
- Ridda WarseventRashidun CaliphateThe Ridda Wars (632–633 CE / 11–12 AH) were campaigns led by the first caliph Abu Bakr to suppress rebellions across Arabia after the Prophet's death, ranging from refusa…
- Islamic Expansion Under Umar ibn al-KhattabeventRashidun CaliphateThe unprecedented territorial expansion of the Islamic empire under Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (634-644 CE), which transformed Islam from an Arabian state into a world po…
- Battle of Yarmouk: The Decisive Victory that Opened the LevanteventRashidun CaliphateThe Battle of Yarmouk (636 CE) was the decisive military engagement that secured Muslim conquest of the Levant, where Khalid ibn al-Walid's tactical genius led to a crush…
- Conquest of Jerusalem: The Peaceful Liberation of the Holy CityeventRashidun CaliphateThe conquest of Jerusalem in 638 CE by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab marked the peaceful Islamic liberation of the holy city, establishing principles of religious tolerance …
- Umar's Entry into JerusalemeventRashidun CaliphateThe historic and humble entry of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab into Jerusalem in 638 CE, demonstrating Islamic values of humility, justice, and religious tolerance through h…
- Jerusalem (Al-Quds)placeRashidun CaliphateThe third holiest city in Islam, known as Al-Quds (The Holy). Site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, and the destination of Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey (Is…
- Jordan: Crossroads of Islamic CivilizationplaceAbbasid CaliphateA corridor between the Levant, Arabia and the Fertile Crescent, and so a route for trade, pilgrimage and armies throughout Islamic history. The Battle of Yarmouk was foug…
- Khalid ibn al-Walid: The Sword of AllahpersonProphetic EraKhalid ibn al-Walid (592-642 CE) was the most effective commander of the early Islamic conquests, known as the Sword of Allah after the Prophet's description of him at Mu…
- Uqba ibn Nafi: The Conqueror of North AfricapersonUmayyad CaliphateUqba ibn Nafi (c. 622-683 CE) was the Arab commander who conquered North Africa for Islam, founded the city of Qayrawan (Kairouan) in Tunisia, and reportedly rode his hor…
- Tariq ibn Ziyad: The Conqueror of Al-AndaluspersonUmayyad CaliphateTariq ibn Ziyad (c. 670-720 CE) was the Berber commander who led the Muslim crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar in 711 CE and defeated the Visigothic kingdom of Spain, es…
- The Battle of Tours - Turning Point in European HistoryeventUmayyad CaliphateThe Battle of Tours (732 CE) between Charles Martel's Frankish forces and the Umayyad army halted Muslim expansion into Western Europe, marking a decisive turning point t…
- Muhammad ibn al-Qasim: The Conqueror of SindhpersonUmayyad CaliphateMuhammad ibn al-Qasim (695-715 CE) was the teenage Umayyad general who conquered Sindh in 711 CE, establishing the first permanent Muslim political presence in the Indian…
- Umayyad CaliphatedynastyUmayyad CaliphateThe Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE) was the first major Islamic dynasty, ruling from Damascus and expanding the Islamic empire from Spain to Central Asia through unprecede…
- Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz: The Reforming CaliphpersonUmayyad CaliphateUmar ibn Abd al-Aziz (c. 680-720 CE), the eighth Umayyad caliph, ruled about two and a half years and used them to attempt a thorough reform of the state: equalising the …