CHAPTER 1: ‘UMAR IBN ‘ABD AL-’AZIZ Following the demise of the Rashidun Caliphate, the early Islamic Character of the Caliphate and its Caliphs were slowly lost. A revival was needed and this came through the ascension of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Aziz to the office of the Caliph. The summary of this chapter will be split…
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CHAPTER 12: OLD AND NEW IDEAS Key points from this chapter: With Islam declining, many scholars from different backgrounds attempted to revive Islam WW1 resulted in a conquest over the Muslim world more severe and complete than the Mongol conquest Even after gaining independence, Muslim countries have been unable to rise again In the final…
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CHAPTER 11: DECLINE Key points from this chapter: The Ottoman Empire fell into decline following the death of Sulayman I in 1566 Sultan Mahmud I recognised the need to reform the empire and began to model it after European states Sultan AbdulHamid II attempted to bring the empire back in line with traditional Islamic teachings…
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CHAPTER 10: REBIRTH Key points from this chapter: Concurrent to the fall of Baghdad was the birth of Osman who established the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire opened a new front in Muslim expansion in Central Europe The Mughal Empire has a rich heritage of pious rulers and scientific advancements such as rocket technology …
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CHAPTER 9: THE EDGE Key points from chapter: West Africa possesses a rich heritage of Islamic learning in cities such as Timbuktu Muslims in the Americas were subject to severe torture and slowly lost their Muslim identity Islam took hold in China from as early as the 7th century Islam spread to the furthest depths…
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CHAPTER 8: AL-ANDALUS Key points from this chapter: The final surviving Umayyad dynasty member fled to Spain where he established an Umayyad Emirate Al-Andalus hosted a unique society where dozens of cultures mixed Constant in-fighting between Muslim rulers led to an easy conquest by Neighbouring Christian states Al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula) was a distant and…
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CHAPTER 7: UPHEAVAL Key points from this chapter: The rise of the Ismāi’īlīs severely weakened the Abbasids and for the first time, the capital city of the Caliphate was at risk of capture The Crusades exposed the underlying weaknesses of the disunited Muslim World The Mongol invasions brought the Islamic world to the brink of…
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CHAPTER 6: THE ISLAMIC SCIENCES Key points from this chapter: Fiqh: The Four Schools of Thought were developed Aqīdah: Great efforts were made by eminent scholars to preserve Islamic creed from deviant sects Spirituality: A deeper understanding of Tasawwuf and Tazkiyah was developed Shi’ism: Shi’ism rose to greater prominence under the various Shi’i states …
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CHAPTER 5: INTELLECTUAL GOLDEN AGES: Key Points from this chapter: The House of Wisdom was built in the 9th century and served as a global hub of knowledge Sciences such as Maths, Physics, Medicine, Geography and more were developed by the Muslims Calculations about celestial objects were made to near precision The discoveries made in…
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“If the world was one country, Constantinople would be its capital”. Serving as the ‘crossroads of the world’, Constantinople was the jewel of the mighty Byzantine empire and had, since its birth, been the target of many empires and dynasties. For over 1000 years, 23 armies had besieged the great city, but none succeeded. It…
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