When did Muhammad die and what happened next?
Muhammad died in 632 CE, which triggered a rapid territorial expansion that reshaped three continents. The Rashidun caliphs established an empire stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Aral Sea.
Questions about Spread of Islam
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Islam spread across Africa during the early period?
Islam spread along three routes: across the Sahara via trading towns like Timbuktu, up the Nile Valley to Uganda, and down East Africa through settlements such as Mombasa and Zanzibar. Initial conversions were flexible and often voluntary rather than forced.
Why did people convert to Islam under Ottoman rule in the Balkans?
Evidence suggests mass conversions occurred particularly in the Balkans often to evade the jizya tax rather than through official policy. Many Muslims in the Balkans chose to leave or were expelled when nationalities asserted independence from the empire.
What was the population of Muslims globally as of 2016?
As of 2016 there were 1.7 billion Muslims representing one out of four people globally making Islam the second-largest religion worldwide. Out of children born between 2010 and 2015, 31% were born to Muslim parents indicating rapid population growth.