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terrain around Mecca. The religion, along with its connections to politics and territory, spread
quickly, however. The timing, rapidity, and direction of Muslim territorial expansion were due to
trade routes and the desire of the caliphates for conquest. Though there is a substantial amount of
information already, more Islamic texts would give a better understanding of the expansion of
Islam.
There were a few things that contributed to the timing, rapidity, and direction of Muslim territorial expansion:
booty, religious fanaticism, and the weakness of the foes of Islam; trading; leaders; and the caliphate. Even
with all the information we already have, more texts written by Muslims would give a better understanding of
the expansion of Islam.
The millions of Arabs who participated in the conquests over several generations constituted a small
self-isolated ruling minority living on the taxes paid by non-Arab, non-Muslim subject population. There is no
evidence of coherent missionary efforts to spread Islam during the conquest period. During the period of
expansion, Arab forces were organized into regular, paid armies and kept in military camps and garrison towns
so that they did not overrun the countryside. Even though they spread over Muslim societies and taxed, they
did not try to convert.
The caravan trade brought Arabs into contact with the Byzantine and Sasanid civilizations. Islam also
expanded by trade in India, sub-Saharan Africa and Anatolia both before and after the year 1000.
In 622, Muhammad and his followers fled from Mecca to Medina because Mecca's leaders pressured
his kin to disavow him and persecuted the weakest of his followers. Towards the end of Muhammad's life, the
umma in Medina developed into the core of the Islamic state that later expanded to include all of Arabia, Africa,
the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Disagreements over the question of succession to the caliphate emerged following the assassination of
Uthman. A civil war arose between those who supported keeping the caliphate in Uthman's clan and those
who supported the claim of Ali. These disagreements led to three rival sects in the Muslim community.