Timeline Lesson 1: Islamic Civilization to 1500

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born in Mecca in 570 or 571 CE. He belonged to the Quraysh tribe and a family of merchants. He was highly respected for his good moral character and honesty. In the year 610 CE, Muhammad received the first revelations of the Holy Quran that continued through his life. He preached the new message of Islam as the religion that is faithful to Allah as the one and only God to the faithful in Mecca. Faced with persecution he was forced to flee to the city of Medina in 622 CE. This event is called the Hijrah and marks the first year of the Islamic calendar (1 AH or after Hegira). As the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad provided the highest moral standing and set forth the principles of Islam as a world religion for the 'ummah or community of the faithful. He died in 632 CE (11 AH) in Medina. Upon his death, Abu Bakr assumed leadership of the Muslim community as the first caliph (pp 10-11 textbook)

The Muslim calendar begins in the common year 622 CE, when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made his Hijra or departure from Mecca to Medina. The years in the Islamic calendar are given the designation AH (for After Hijra). In this text we use the designation CE for common era to refer to the international standard dating system for years. (CE replaces an older dating designation called AD, which was Latin for Anno Domino, Year of of our Lord). For years before the year 1, we use BCE, meaning Before Common Era). The Islamic calendar is based on the tradition of counting the 12 lunar months that have 354 or 355 days a year. Here is a website you can use to convert Islamic Calendar years into or from Common Era dates.
http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/hijri.htm

Between 630-632 CE (8-11 AH) Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sent Muslims to preach Islam in the region of Oman and the Gulf. The historians Al-Balathuri and At-Tabari both record details of the arrival of 'Amr bin al-'As who preached Islam to Gaifar and 'Amr al-Julanda, both sons of the Julanda dynasty who ruled along parts of the coast. Both men converted and Islam spread among the people.

Following the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 632 CE, Abu Bakr was chosen to be the first Caliph ( Khalifa ), or successor. He ruled until his death in 634, during which time rebellious tribes were defeated in the Rida Wars, or civil wars, and the Arabian Peninsula was united under Islam.

After Abu Bakr's death in 636, the Muslim community was ruled by Caliph Omar (ruled 636-644), Caliph Uthman (ruled 644-656) and by Ali (ruled 656-660). During their reign, Islam and Muslim civilization spread to Egypt, Libya, as well as parts of Eastern Africa. Islam expanded and Muslim cities were established in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.
These first four Caliphs are referred to as the Rashiddun Caliphs (the word Rashiddun means: the rightly guided ones)

In 660 CE Muawiyah was proclaimed the new ruler and established a new capital at Damascus in Syria. This began the Umayyad Dynasty.

The Archnet Timeline Database is a visual tool to explore the history of Islamic art, architecture and culture. It allows searches by various dynasties, including the Umayyad, the Abbasid, and so forth. https://archnet.org/timelines/48

This virtual tour of the Dome of the Rock and the Haram as-Sharif is narrated by Professor Oleg Grabar https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/200901/al-haram/tour.htm

The Museum with No Frontiers offers resources and links to virtual exhibits of Islamic art and architecture http://islamicart.museumwnf.org/exhibitions/ISL/

Muslim Heritage is an online reference website with links to major persons, events and inventions in Islamic culture, science and history. http://www.muslimheritage.com/science

One of the most famous and grandest of mosques in Islamic history, the Cordoba Mosque was begun around the year 785 CE in the Muslim city of Cordoba in Spain (known as Al-Andalus in Arabic, or Andalusia in Spanish).

Go to this Archnet website for images and descriptions of the mosque. https://archnet.org/sites/2715