Question bank: Islam: Birth and Expansion

Consider the following excerpt from the British historian Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975): 'Islam, the third great monotheistic religion, emerged on the world stage in the 7th century. Its followers, led by the Prophet Muhammad, not only built a vast empire but also spread a powerful religious and cultural message that transcended territorial boundaries.' Based on this statement, and considering the historical and cultural aspects of Islam, answer: 1) Explain how the economic and social context of the Arabian Peninsula favored the birth and expansion of Islam. 2) Discuss briefly the importance of the Islamic legacy for the development of science and mathematics, highlighting a practical example and its relevance to contemporary society.

Consider the following excerpt from the historian Arnold Toynbee: 'For an Arab, religion is as natural as the language he speaks, and he sees Islam as an Arab, who considers it as his own language'. Based on this cultural and historical view of the relationship between the expansion of Islam and Arab identity, answer: (1) How did the political and social context of the Arabian Peninsula contribute to the birth and spread of Islam? (2) Explain how the advance of Muslim forces to North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula reflects both religious and geographical and economic aspects.

Islam, one of the world's largest religions, began in the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula with the revelation of the prophet Muhammad. The expansion of Islam, driven by religious fervor and political unification, conquered vast territories in the Middle East, North Africa, and even parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Considering the context of the expansion of Islam, discuss the main reasons that led to the military success and cultural diffusion of Islam during its early centuries, and analyze the demographic and religious consequences of its expansion in the Iberian Peninsula, a region with a significant Christian and Jewish presence. Relate this process to the formation of a plural Islamic society and religious tolerance under Muslim rule. In your response, address the role played by the Caliphate of Cordoba and its legacy for Islamic and European culture.

During the 7th century, the Arabian Peninsula was the stage for the expansion of Islam, led by the prophet Muhammad and his successors. This process brought profound religious, political, and cultural changes that extended beyond Arab borders. The conquest of new territories and the subsequent Islamic administration of these regions represented a milestone in world history. Based on the presented context, analyze and discuss: 1) How is the expansion of Islam related to the formation of Arab peoples and the political unification of the Arabian Peninsula? 2) What were the main strategies adopted by the Arabs for the conquest of new territories and how did this process influence the later invasion and occupation of the Iberian Peninsula by the Muslims?

Islam, one of the great monotheistic religions, emerged in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century with the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad, expanding rapidly and influencing vast regions of the world. This expansion was not limited only to the religious field, but also had profound political, economic, and cultural implications in areas such as North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. According to historian Albert Hourani in 'A History of the Arab Peoples': 'Islam and Islamic civilization were distinguished by belief in one God, by their rigorous ethics, and by their integration of pre-existing beliefs and practices into a new religious and cultural system.' Based on this statement, and considering your knowledge on the subject, write a text discussing to what extent the expansion of Islam transformed the societies and cultures it encountered along its path, and how these transformations were reflected in the social and political organization, economic system, and artistic and intellectual expressions of the impacted regions. In your argument, critically analyze Hourani's assertion and provide significant examples of how the integration and reconfiguration of pre-existing beliefs and practices occurred.