Curated timeline

History of Islam

Trace the origins and expansion of the Islamic faith from the revelations of Muhammad in Mecca to the Golden Age of science and culture and the great Caliphates.

• Birth of Prophet Muhammad (c. 570 CE)

  Muhammad ibn Abdullah is born in Mecca, future founder of Islam.

• First Revelation (610 CE)

  Muhammad receives his first revelation from Angel Gabriel in the Cave of Hira, marking the beginning of Islam.

• The Hijra (September 622 CE)

  Muhammad and his followers migrate from Mecca to Medina, marking the start of the Islamic calendar.

• Battle of Badr (March 13, 624 CE)

  First major military victory of Muslims against the Meccan army, establishing Muslim military power.

• Constitution of Medina (622-624 CE)

  Muhammad establishes the first Islamic constitution, creating a multi-religious political community.

• Conquest of Mecca (January 630 CE)

  Muhammad peacefully conquers Mecca, establishing Islamic control over the holy city.

• Farewell Pilgrimage (March 632 CE)

  Muhammad performs his final pilgrimage to Mecca, delivering the Farewell Sermon establishing key Islamic principles.

• Death of Prophet Muhammad (June 8, 632 CE)

  Prophet Muhammad dies in Medina, leading to the succession crisis and the beginning of the Caliphate.

• Abu Bakr Becomes First Caliph (632 CE)

  Abu Bakr is chosen as the first Caliph, beginning the Rashidun Caliphate period.

• Ridda Wars (632-633 CE)

  Abu Bakr suppresses tribal rebellions across Arabia, consolidating Islamic control.

• Conquest of Damascus (September 634 CE)

  Muslim forces capture Damascus, beginning the conquest of the Levant.

• Battle of Yarmuk (August 636 CE)

  Decisive Muslim victory over the Byzantine Empire, securing Muslim control of the Levant.

• Conquest of Jerusalem (April 637 CE)

  Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab peacefully captures Jerusalem from the Byzantines.

• Battle of al-Qadisiyyah (636 CE)

  Muslim forces defeat the Sassanian Empire, opening the path to Persia.

• Conquest of Egypt (641 CE)

  Muslim forces under Amr ibn al-As complete the conquest of Egypt from the Byzantines.

• Compilation of the Quran (650 CE)

  Caliph Uthman standardizes the Quranic text, creating the official version used today.

• First Fitna (656-661 CE)

  First Islamic civil war, leading to the assassination of Ali and the rise of the Umayyad Caliphate.

• Battle of Karbala (October 10, 680 CE)

  Hussein, grandson of Muhammad, is killed, creating the foundation of Shia Islam.

• Construction of Dome of the Rock (691 CE)

  Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik completes the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

• Muslim Conquest of Iberia (711 CE)

  Tariq ibn Ziyad leads Muslim forces across Gibraltar, beginning the conquest of Spain.

• Muslim Conquest of Sind (712 CE)

  Muhammad bin Qasim conquers Sind, establishing the first Muslim foothold in the Indian subcontinent.

• Battle of Tours (October 732 CE)

  Charles Martel defeats Muslim forces, halting Islamic expansion into Western Europe.

• Abbasid Revolution (750 CE)

  The Abbasid family overthrows the Umayyad Caliphate, moving the capital to Baghdad.

• Foundation of Baghdad (762 CE)

  Caliph al-Mansur establishes Baghdad as the new capital of the Islamic world.

• Emergence of Islamic Jurisprudence Schools (8th-9th Century CE)

  The four major Sunni schools of Islamic law are established: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali.

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