Exploring Islam

Iranian revolution (1979)

PLO founded (1964)

Arab-Israel war (1948)

Muslim Brotherhood founded (1928)

Liberation of countries from colonial rule (1919-1984)

Ottoman Empire divided among European powers (1918)

Layer 5: Modern Period (1918-)

Christian Colonization of N. Africa and Middle East (1815-1900)

Napolean invades Egypt (1798)

Taj Mahal completed (1654)

Mughal dynasty in India (1526-1857)

Safavid dynasty in Iran (1501-1799)

Christians drive last of Moslems out of Spain. (1492)

Ottomans conquer christian Constantinople, rename it Istanbul (1453)

Ottoman Empire (1380-1918)

Muslim States in Southern India (1350-1680)

Dehli Sultanates of North India (1200-1526)

Layer 4: The Later Empires (1258-1918)

Christian Crusades to the Holy Land (1095-1270)

Fatimid Dynasty in Egypt (909-1171)

Authoritative Hadith collections (800s-900s)

Twelver Shiism founded (874)

Ismaili Shiism founded (765)

Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258)

Shiism separates from rest of ummah (680s)

Umayyad Dynasty (661-750) (map)

Islam moves West across N. Africa to Spain, East to India, and north to Samarkand.

Layer 3: The Early Empires—Classical Islam (661-1258)

Ali (656-661)

Uthman (644-656)

Text of Quran established

Umar (634-644)

Islam moves West to Egypt, North to Syria, East to Iran.

Abu Bakr (632-634)

Layer 2: Formative stage—Four Righteous Caliphs (632-661)

Mohammed's followers conquer Mecca (630)

Hijra to Medina (622)

Mohammed begins receiving the Quran (611)

Mohammed marries Khadija (595)

Mohammed's birth in Mecca (570)

Layer 1: Origins—Mohammed (570-632)

Timeline of Islamic History

Note: Read the Timeline from the bottom to the top.