... sultan of the Ottoman Empire was more than just a political figure, but was instead the protector of the Muslim people. In the Ottoman Empire, Islam dictated how a Muslim was to treat a non-Muslim; the bridge that spanned the gap between the state and the people. From the days of the prophet ... different nationalities. Under normal circumstances, this would create much tension and turmoil within the borders of the empire. This is where Islam came in. According to Muslim Sharia, the laws of the Quran that govern the lives of a person and government, the ethnicity is not the correct way ...

• Word Count: 1470
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... have been virtually discarded after its leader's death. Instead, the Rashidun, the "rightly guided" Muslim leaders who were closest to the prophet, namely Umar, Uthman and Ali, took the reins of Islam, beginning a campaign that would, within two centuries, make Islam the dominant religion in the Middle East. This was not an easy or untroubled undertaking. Middle Eastern leadership, prior to Mohammed, was ... Muslims. His right to rule was contested by Mu"awiyah, then the governor of Syria. This led to Islam's first civil war. Both agreeing to let Allah decide, they battled at Siffin. Wh...

• Word Count: 2157
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... should follow his example and also that of Muhammad in an attempt to lead life as a good Muslim. Muhammad's teachings would serve as an example for Muslims in years to come. Aside from the beginning of Islam, one would very much be interested in how Islam spread around the world to such an extent. To begin this discussion, one must first look at ... the five pillars, or religious duties, of Islam. The five pillars of Islam are the belief in one god, the hajj, prayer, fasting, and charity. The so called sixth pillar of Islam, called jihad, was sometimes interpreted to mean that Muslim ar...

• Word Count: 858
• Approx Pages: 3

... sultan where the leader was not only considered a political but a military leader where his legitimacy as a leader was proven through his ability to fulfill his divine mission of spreading Islam by conquering new territories for the empire. A chief without ability was deposed of and while an incompetent chief may remain in position due to his family's political influence, his authority ... , thus ensuring social stability. Social stability, a prerequisite for expansion, would thus allow for the possibility of social development in the ottoman society. Besides social development, the integ...

• Word Count: 4027
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of Portuguese with artillery and musketeers, while Adal received help from Ottoman Muslims with artillery and musketeer support in Yemen. However, Adal Muslim power was later destroyed after several years of fierce battles and the Christians prevailed. However, In Adal's place, the Ottomans gained control ... belonging to nonbelievers were permissible to confiscate. He thought that by taking nonbelievers land, they would be persuaded to convert to Islam under his proper Muslim rule. He spent several decades striving to bring India, including Maratha, under his rule. However, he was not su...

• Word Count: 1984
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... number of things: the fall of the Ottoman empire, the dissolution of the Caliphate, and increasing Western influence in the Middle east. Islamists believed that Islam itself was under attack. Islamists as a whole have a few shared beliefs. They want all Muslims to adhere to the Sharia, which is a ... in the inability of Western culture to be able to secure happiness for Muslims. Radical Islamists are commonly antagonistic towards non-Muslims, and they want Islam to not only be a religion, but also an ideology. Islamism is much like Marxism and Fascism, it is a radical movement to create...

• Word Count: 582
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... (mostly Christian dominations) that were fleeing persecution. In the 600'sAD, the Maronites settled in the mountains of Lebanon to avoid conversion to Islam. The Shiites and the Druze also settled in Lebanon because of its remoteness and also to avoid persecution. Lebanon became part of the Ottoman ... Nations peacekeeping force was sent to the area. But, they reinvaded in 1982 occupying Beirut. Western European troops went to Lebanon to protect Palestinian and Muslim civilians. Israel withdrew to southern Lebanon. A bloody civil war continued in the country until 1989. In 1992, the gove...

• Word Count: 1710
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... prophet Mohammed. Both the Byzantine and Islamic worlds were defined by their use of a monotheistic religion in governing their empire 's, a first in Western history. Islam began in Mecca in 610 AD, but the start of the Muslim era is marked by the prophet Mohammed 's journey from Mecca to Medina in 622. The new religion quickly spread through the Arabian Peninsula and in ... the century that followed, Arab armies carried Islam to all the way from India to Spain. After 661, under the Umayyad caliphs, Islam dominated one third of the Old World ... , was distinguished by an impressive cult...

• Word Count: 879
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... young Christian boys to the Ottoman service. They would take these children to Istanbul or another central part of the Ottoman Empire, and convert them to Islam.2 After being positioned as a janissary in the Ottoman Imperial administration, Mehmed demonstrates he is a "brave officer at the Sultan's court" ... being affected regardless of which religion or ethnicity they belong to. An example of this is when Alihodja, a Muslim, has his ear nailed to the bridge by another fellow Muslim simply for not wanting to partake in a stand against the Austrians. This is great example of how Muslims,...

• Word Count: 1230
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... desire to have it under its control. Iranians, Russians, Arabs, Ottomans took turn in attacking and conquering Armenia. In seventh century AD, Islam swept the region. Armenians resisted the new religion, meanwhile, they lost many people due to constant attacks of Arabs forcing them to convert. By ... the eight century, due to the spread of Islam in the region, Armenia remained a small Christian island in an Islamic see. This was the beginning of a period that a series of invasion ... invasion was launched by Seljuk Turks, a tribe which was migrating towards west from Mongolia in central...

• Word Count: 1530
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... , and the first prayer was on the 1st of June. Surprisingly, it did not take long to erect the tall minarets in front of the basilica after its conversion to Islam. Unlike the longer practice of its previous religion, the Islamic mosque concept only lasted five hundred years. In 1931, the building was converted into a museum and still operates as such ... stood for centuries longer. Today, it is considered the heart of Istanbul for its rich history and impact on the Turkish culture. The modern interior perfectly reflects the Christian and Muslim heritage of the building. With tall domed ...

• Word Count: 1042
• Approx Pages: 4

... to control a money economy. Weaknesses in the Byzantine empire concluded in the loss of territory. Throughout the Golden Age territories in the empire continued to change. Lands were lost to Islam in North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. Arab forces troubled Constantinople in 674 and again in 717. Slavs and Buglars threatened Byzantine lands in the Balkans. However, Byzantine leaders still ... during the late 500's and early 600's. Heraclius, who became ruler in 610, stopped the collapse by defeating the Persians. The new enemy attacked the weakened empire in 634, when Muslim Arabs...

• Word Count: 1921
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... , meaning joyful. The harem in which Roxelana was installed was a social institution with a long history in the Middle East, where polygamy had been a tradition practice long before the region became Muslim. The nomadic, pre-Islamic, Turkic tribes frequently engaged in warfare, and Turkic women often fought side-by-side with the men and otherwise enjoyed considerable equality; Turkish culture prized girls ... dominate the former Byzantine Empire, one of the Persian customs they adopted was the rigid segregation of women, a social convention that actually overcame religious teaching to br...

• Word Count: 1508
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... write about turkey, The Turkish flag (above): The red colour and the white star and crescent shape on the flag represent Turkey and the Ottoman Empire and their commitment to Islam. The flag has remained pretty much as it is today since the late 1700's. Here are some facts about Turkey: Turkey's official name is the Republic of Turkey Status: UN ... Country Population: 60,802,000 Capital City: Ankara Area [sq.km]: 779,450 Main Cities: Istanbul, Izmir, Currency: Turkish lira Adana Languages: Turkish Religions: Sunni Muslim These are some facts about turkey but this is not the reason why ...

• Word Count: 782
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School