Islam- the journey out of Arabia
10,000 BC – Arabia was a nomadic culture that centered on Moon worship that was both Male and Female. They perfected night travel by following the stars and planets with the “light” of the moon. Day-time travel was nearly impossible most journeys were undertaken at night, the moon was their life-sustainer. Their calendar is based on the movement of the moon.
Bedouins – pastoralists who moved their herds from place to place in search of resources and water. They lived in small, tightly-knit hereditary tribes.
Sedentary Arabs – settled the oasis that surround the Arabian dessert
7000 BC – Sumerians – (Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Arabia) the agricultural revolution had begun to spread from its place of origin on the northern fringes of the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic farmers started filtering into the Fertile Crescent itself. Although this area received insufficient rainfall to support agriculture, it bordered the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Known in ancient days as Mesopotamia (Greek for “between the rivers”), where the two rivers meet is Babylonia.
5600 BC – a Great Flood occurred in the Black Sea region – Enoch was the seventh generation grandson of Adam – great grandfather to Noah whom he foretold of the flood
2340 BC – Akkadians – (Iraq) migrated north in conflict with the Sumerian city-states, Sargon, conquered Sumer and built an Akkadian empire stretching over most of the Sumerian city-states and extending as far away as Lebanon. Sargon based his empire in the city of Akkad, which became the basis of the name of his people.
Sin – the Moon God (Nanna) as father of both the Sun (Utu or Shamash) and Inanna (Ishtar) the Queen of Heaven.
Anu – the god of the highest heaven
Marduk – national god of the Babylonians
Dagon – God of the waters and fish
Tiamat – dragon goddess
Kingu – husband of Tiamat
Enlil – god of weather and storms
Nabu – god of the scribal arts
Ishtar – Queen of heaven goddess of love
Ea – god of wisdom
Enurta – god of war
Anshar – father of heaven
Shamash – god of the sun and of justice
Shams – Sun Goddess
Ashur – national god of the Assyrians
Kishar – father of earth
Hadad – the weather god
1900 BC – Amorites – (Old Babylonians) – Iraq – Like the Akkadians, the Amorites centralized the government over the individual city-states and based their capital in the city of Babylon. The Amorites believed that the monarch was a god and had a divine origin.
Marduk – had supreme position over the other gods. The Amorites did not believe that life after death held any promise or threat.
1850 BC – Abraham has a “divine” revelation from God who asks him to leave his home and birthplace in Sumeria (Iraq), with wife Sarah to travel to Canaan (Israel).
1800 BC – Abraham asks Sarah to say they are brother & sister because he fears the Pharaoh will kill him to take Sarah who is so beautiful. After the Pharaoh takes in Sarah he is plagued with bad luck. He asks Sarah what she has done and she confesses that she is Abraham’s wife who has a powerful God. Pharaoh releases Sarah and gives Hagar an Arab woman to Sarah.
1775 BC – Abraham meets with Melchidezek the king of Salem who blesses Abraham.
1750 BC – Sarah gives permission to Abraham to “lay with” Hagar to bear a child.
1749 BC – Hagar gives birth to Ishmael – the father of the 12 tribes of Ishmael
1741 BC – Sarah sends Hagar and Ishmael to the desert Abraham brings them back.
1740 BC – God tells Abraham that he must circumcise himself and Ishmael along with all the men in his company. He also tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son and he should be circumcised eight days after his birth.
1739 BC – Sarah becomes pregnant and gives birth to Isaac. She becomes concerned about Abrahaman’s attention to Ishmael.
1738 BC – Abraham is instructed by God to sacrifice Ishmael, his most loved son on a stone alter in the area around what is now Mecca. God stops Abraham.
“Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore unto Abraham: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedmah. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations.” Genesis 25:12-16
1737 BC – Abraham sets up sacred Kaaba in Mecca according to God’s wishes
1737 BC – Ishmael & Hagar discover a miraculous well in the desert and call it ZamZam meaning “stop”.
1700 BC – Kederites – (Iraq, Arabia) were the main military power of the sons of Ishmael. The Kedarites were in constant conflict with the Assyrians. The Assyrians, Neo-Babylonians, Persians and even the Roman realized the importance of taking control of the commercial routes in northern Arabia that were under the Kedarites later the Nabataeans.
Atarsamain – or the morning star of heaven the counterpart of Ishtar. The tribal league led by the Kedarites was known as the confederation of Atarsamain, was led by a series of queen-priestesses in Dumah.
Nuhai (Nuhay) – was the sun-god
Ruldai (Ruda) – was known as the evening star
1600 BC – Hittites – Turkey – The Hittites were Indo-European, that spoke a language which includes English, German, Greek, Latin, Persian, and the languages of India. Their invasion spelled the end of the Old Babylonian empire in Mesopotamia. They adopted the religion of the Old Babylonians continuing the heritage of Sumerian culture.
1520 BC – Moses was born when the Pharaoh had given orders that no more male Hebrew children should be allowed to live.
1500 BC – Moses is raised in Pharoahs home has access to Mystery School teachings The discovery of the tablets of el-Amarna shows how extensive the knowledge and use of writing throughout the time of Moses was and that the young prince learned Egyptian hieroglyphics, Akkad. Cuneiform, Ugaritic, which was almost identical with the Hebrew.
1500 BC – Iran – Zoroaster, the Prophet of Persia claims that Ahura Mazda is the one supreme god who created seven archangels, called the Amesha Spentas. Persian mythology is a battle of good and evil. Each person chooses to follow the truth or lie.
Ahura Mazda – God of light, truth, and goodness.
Ahriman – God of darkness, lies, and evil, created only destructive things
Ahurani – Goddess who watches over rainfall as well as standing water. Her name means “She who belongs to Ahura”.
Allatum – Goddess of the underworld in early Iranian mythology.
Ameretat – Feminine Amesha Spentas. The fifth month is dedicated to her.
Anahita – Goddess, patroness of women, goddess of war. “the immaculate one”. A virgin, dressed in a golden cloak, wearing a diamond tiara
Angra Mainyu – God of darkness and anger
Amesha Spentas – The name of the seven divine (“beneficent immortals”)
Daena – Goddess whose name means “that which was revealed”.
Daevas – Seven demons of Angra Mainyu, also known as Ahriman.
Haoma – A deified plant whose sap was drunk during sacrifices.
Mithra – God of light who maintains the cosmic order. Son of Ahura Mazda. A god associated with war, sun, and law. Animal is a bull.
Rashnu – Divine angel of justice and last judgement
Spenta Mainyu – God of life and the personification of the good and the light. He is the twin brother of Angra Mainyu (Ahriman),
Vouruskasha – Goddes of the world ocean. Also, the heavenly lake whose waters supply the world and in the middle of which grows the Tree of Life.
Zurvan – The primordial god in Persian religion, and the god of infinite time and space. Zurvan is the father of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu.
1479 BC – Moses left Egypt during the reign of Thutmose III into the peninsula of Sinai.
1478 BC – Moses marries Jethro’s daughter Zipporah an Ishmaelite Shepard
1470 BC – Moses became familiar with the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula.
1431 BC – Moses is told to deliver his people from Egypt to the promised land in Caanen (Israel) which was told to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before.
1431 BC – Adonai (Lord) spoke to Moses from the midst of a burning bush, but Moses doubted that it was God who spoke. He asked for a sign. Instantly his rod, which he cast on the ground, became a serpent.
1430 BC – Moses begins the journey through Arabia with his wife and sons.
1429 BC – Moses threatened with death by God if he does not circumcise son.
1399 BC – Moses begins the Exodus from Egypt to Canaan He took them to Arabia crossing the Red Sea. Moses led his people to the foot of Mount Sanai, he stayed forty days and nights on the mountain receiving the sanctuary and worship of God.
1359 BC – Moses dies and is buried in the valley in the land of Moab
1300 BC – Aramaeans – Syrians
Hadad – the storm-god
Alaha – the sky-god
Athargatis – the moon goddess
Hubal – the spirit god Hubal is derived from the Semitic word Hu, which means ‘He’ or ‘He is’ with the suffix El. Aramaic word, meaning vapor or spirit.
1100 BC – Phoenicians – worshipped a triad of deities, each having different names and attributes depending upon the city in which they were worshipped, although their basic nature remained the same. They developed an alphabet and way of writing
El/AL – Protector of the universe. His name evolved into ”Elah,” “Elahona,” “Eli,” “Elohim” “Elyon” “Elijiah” “Allah”- God Most High
Baal – Symbolized the annual cycle of vegetation
Astarte – The combined heavenly mother and earth mother.
Wanax – the God of the local Cypriots called “the Lord”
Adonis – Adon. the Semitic word for master or ‘lord’ “ai” means ‘my’, therefore Adonai translates as ‘my lord’; similarly the meaning of Baal, with whom he shares traits, is also ‘lord’ or ‘master’. His mother was Astarte his lover was also Astarte, while his father is Phoinix, father of the Phoenicians.
Shekinah – The Shekinah appeared to Moses in the burning bush. The Shekinah also descended in the pillar of smoke that guided the Israelites through the desert. The Shekinah rested on Mount Sinai
1020 BC – King David reigns and brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem
1003 BC – King David establishes Jerusalem as Capital of the United Kingdom of Israel.
1000 BC – Sabeans – called Himyarites or Yemenites, had a sedentary way of life in the lush climate of southern Arabia. Its most lucrative export was frankincense and myrrh
Amm – a moon God worshipped in ancient Qataban/Yemen
Ta’lab – worshipped in Sheba. Ta’lab was also a moon God.
Dhu’l-Halasa – an oracle God in the form of a white stone
950 BC – King Solomon (David’s Son) builds Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem
931 BC – King Solomon dies and a civil war among Jews begins dividing the nation
800 BC – Edomites – an Arab culture in Southern Sinai. The Nabateans had a close relationship with the Edomites as they claim female lineage from Ishmael.
Kaush/Qaush – The Moon God of the older Edomites seen with a star and crescent moon
Wadd – Moon God of love and friendship. Snakes were sacred to Wadd
722 BC – The Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrians, a semetic tribe
600 BC – Nabataeans – were tent-dwelling shepherds. Capitol city was Petra where they worshipped the moon along with planets and constellations of the zodiac. They carved standing stones called a Baetyl – literally meaning “house of God”. Traded spices.
Dushara - God of Heaven (Zeus). “Lord of the Mountain” His named derives from the Shara – the land southeast of Petra.
Al-‘Uzzá/Al-Lat – Goddess Earth, Stars, Moon (Aphrodite/Venus/Ishtar)
Al-Qaum – Was the god of war and the night.
Marid – the most powerful type of djinn, (genie)
Ifrit – is a class of djinn, noted for their strength and cunning. An ifrit is an enormous winged creature of fire, either male or female, who lives underground and frequents ruins. Ifrits live in a society structured along ancient Arab tribal lines, complete with kings, tribes, and clans. They generally marry one another, but they can also marry humans.
Jinn – are supernatural creatures who possess free will, and can be either good or evil. In some cases, evil genies are said to lead humans astray.
605 BC – Chaldeans –The Chaldean Book of Numbers was created. They worshipped the stars – or “regents.” Sabeanism was the religion of the ancient Chaldees. They offered worship to the solar, lunar, and planetary gods and rulers, regarding the stars and other celestial bodies as their respective symbols, astrologers and diviners.
Ilu (EL/AL) – Supreme Being
Ad – (Adonis) The primordial seed, the unrevealed. Another name for “Lord”
En – Soph – No-thing. The void. The beginning. Feminine
Anu – Anu was the earliest god of the city of Erech
Anata – Feminine counterpart to Anu
Bel (Baal) – “Lord of the World,” father of the gods
Belta – Feminine counterpart to Bel
Hea – Lord of the Deep, God of Wisdom and esoteric nnowledge, and Lord of the city of Eridu.
Davkina – Feminine counterpart to Hea
Mylitta – Virgin the female principle the Great Mother, called also Ishtar.
Mithra – The Great father Sun-god, was called “Triple” embodied the trinity of (Anu, Bel, Hea). Sometimes referred to as AD (Adoni) – Lord
586 BC – Babylonian (Iraq) King Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem, destroys Solomon’s Temple, and exiles the Jews to Babylon.
560 BC –Persians conquer Babylon, Cyrus the Great tells the Jews to return home
552 BC – Harranians – followed a complex system of astral worship, involving the sun, moon and seven major planets. Mythological roots of Harran’s celebration of the moons disappearance after it joins with the star cluster, Pleiades, in the constellation of Taurus are thought to be the origins of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It occurred during the third week of March.
Sin – the Moon God and Goddess as father and mother of both the Moon and the Sun was the central astral deity
538 BC – Zoroasthrusta’s believe Ahura Mazda is aligned with God.
515 BC – Persia supports the rebuilding of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem by Jews
323 BC – Conquest by Alexander the Great allowed the Jews to rule Israel
167 BC – Antiochus IV destroys the temple in Jerusalem and rebuilds it as a Celeucid fortress. Constructs a statue of himself as Zeus with a Hellenistic altar of sacrifice. Begins the Hellenization of Jerusalem.
166 BC – The Jewish Maccabees reclaim the Temple Mount. Led by Judah Macabee
100 BC – Kaaba/Kabba – (cube) stone god blocks (or Baetyl). All the deities, male and female, were represented as stones, baetyl or god-blocks. A block of stone was frequently squared (having four sides or faces, representing the four aspects of the moon New, Waxing, Full, Waning). Every family in Mecca had a “God Block” in their home that they worshiped. When they went on a journey, before leaving the house they would touch the idol for luck; and on their return, they would touch it again in gratitude. Whenever a traveler stopped to rest or spend the night, he would select four stones, pick out the finest among them to represent his Kaaba, and use the remaining three as supports for his cooking-pot. On departure they would be left behind for others
63 BC – Romans capture Jerusalem and subject it to Roman Rule.
37 BC – Herod the Great, Roman King of Israel rebuilds the 2nd temple
4 BC – Jesus is born to a Jewish father and mother
33 AD – Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem as the “King of the Jews” orthodox Jews do not agree that he is their “King” or Messiah.
70 AD – Roman army conquers Jerusalem and destroys the Second Temple.
133 – Romans rename Jerusalem as Capitolina and Judea as Palaestina to obliterate Jewish identification with the Land of Israel.
330 – Constantine declares Christianity as the official religion of Rome and moves the capital of Rome to Constantinople in Turkey, (Istanbul)
395 – The Roman empire is split in half – Eastern/Greek speaking (Byzantine – Greece, Turkey, Northern Egypt, Syria, Judea, Jordon) Western/ (Roman – Italy, France, Spain, Germany, England, Northwest Africa, Romania, Slavia)
399 – Constant battles between Romans and Persians (Iran) weaken both empires.
400 – Mecca is founded by Khuzaah from Yemen, center of worship and trade.
500 –Yemen leader Asaa’d Abu Karb builds the first Kaaba in Mecca out of wood
525 – Quraysh tribe occupies Mecca and places a black stone from Yemen within it. They also worship the moon as God/Goddess as they were interchangeable.
Allāt/Allah – triple God/Goddess. Each aspect of the trinity corresponds to a phase of the moon. Q’re, the crescent or waxing moon considered the maiden. Is thought to be the original stone diety called the Kaa’bah and was served by seven priestesses. Her worshippers circled the holy stone seven times - once for each of the seven planets (Astarte, Baalat)
Al-‘Uzzá – full moon, the mother aspect “The Mightiest One” or “The strong” (Venus) who was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca, Arabs call upon her for protection and victory before any war. Al-Uzza Moon Goddess of the Zodiac carries a moon staff. (Asherah/Aphrodite)
Al-Manā – waning moon, wise goddess of fate, prophecy & divination.(Anath)
Manaf – The statue of Munaf was caressed by women, but when they had their periods they were not allowed near it. (Possibly seen as the New Moon)
Banat Allah – Combined name of Gods/Goddesses (four phases of moon)
550 – Hubal becomes the chief God of Mecca. Hubal – is derived from the Semitic word Hu, which means ‘He’ or ‘He is’ with the suffix El / AL. Aramaic word, meaning vapor or spirit. He is made of red agate and his left hand is replaced with gold. People come to him to divine their fate by casting seven arrows.
570 – Mohammad is born in Mecca to an Arab father who dies before he is born, his mother, Amina, dies when he is 6.
576 – Mohammed is in the care of his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib for two years, and then with his uncle Abu Talib. His grandfather received a command from “god” to dig up the well of ZamZam, he then managed it for pilgrims coming to worship at the Kaaba.
590 – Mohammed started working with the caravans. Mohammed came to know the widow Khadija, who was the owner of a caravan company.
595 – Mohammed marries Khadija. Khadija had children from her former marriage she had 4-7 more children with Mohammed. Their daughter is Fatima
619 – Khadija dies and Mohammed remarried. He chooses to have nine wives.
605 – Kaaba was destroyed by fire and reconstruction began. A black stone was used to identify the place where the ritual of circumambulation began which was believed to have dated to Abraham. Muhammad placed a sheet of cloth on the ground, put the black stone on it and asked the chiefs of all the tribes in the city to lift the cloth together. Then he placed the stone in its place one the East corner of the newly built Kaaba.
610 – Mohammed receives his first revelation in a cave on the mountain of Hira outside Mecca. Muhammad received the first fraction of the Koran from the angel Gabriel, and experienced pain, and feared that he was going to die. Muhammad was ordered to: “Recite in the name of your Lord, Who created mankind from clots of blood, your Lord will be the bountiful, He who have taught by the pen, taught mankind what was not known”
613 – After three years of “silence” from Allah and praying by Mohammed he receives another “vision” from the angel Gabriel.
614 – Mohammed begins sharing his “visions” with others
614 – Mohammed was opposed by other Meccans, who accused him of not respecting the religion of the forefathers.
615 – Muhammad’s followers seek refuge in Abyssinia, Ethiopia due to the resistance among the Meccans and the message of Mohammed.
621 – Ascension of Mohammed, known as “Miraj”, or “Stairway (Tree) to Heaven” began when Mohammed fell asleep at his cousin’s place (It has become the inspirational source of “The Nights of Arabia” & “Magic Carpet Rides) ”Mohammad had gone to rest at dusk. He slept deeply at his cousin, Mutem ibn Adi. Suddenly, the silence was broken and a voice as clear as a trumpet called: ”Awake, thou sleeper, awake!” And Mohammed saw in front of him, dazzling in darkness the shining Archangel Gabriel who was inviting him to follow him outside. Before the door stood a Horse as dazzling as Gabriel. It had glittering wings of an immense eagle. Gabriel presented the Horse to Mohammed, saying that it was “Burak” the Horse of Abraham. Burak whinnied and allowed Mohammed to vault on its back. Then it galloped to the street and as it came to the walls of the sleeping city, it spread its wings and soared into the starry night. They went to the summit of Mount Sinai, where Jehovah had given the stone tables to Moses, they flew to the place where Jesus was born. And finally, they went to Heaven where Mohammed met with many of the Holy Land’s previous Horsemen, Adam, Noah, Enoch (Idris), Moses, Isaac, Elijah, Jesus and others. He is brought to the Heavenly Lote Tree at the boundaries of heaven before the throne of Allah.
Mohammed receives a List of Prophets, Adam, Idris (Enoch), Nuh (Noah), Hud (Heber), Saleh (Shelah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Lut (Lot), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Shoaib (Jethro), Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Davud (David), Suleyman (Solomon), Ayub (Job), Ilyas (Elias), Zulkifl (Ezekiel), Al-Yasa (Elisha), Yunus (Jonah), Zakariya (Zechariah), Yahya (John the Baptist), Isa (Jesus), Muhammad
622 – Mohammed is forced to leave Mecca went to Medina (15 years later this year was fixed as the first year) establishes a community called Medina, (Yithrab) ‘the city of the messenger’.
625 –Persians control Jerusalem, Roman Empire is at the brink of destruction
626 – Muhammad enforced his position in Medina with successful military campaigns. “Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against because they have been wronged – truly Allah has the power to come to their support- those who were expelled from their homes without any right, merely for saying, ‘Our Lord is Allah’…” - Qur’an, 22:39-40
626 – Mohammed has his followers face Jerusalem five times a day to say prayers.
628 – Mohammed tries to perform the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), He creates a treaty with the Meccans, allowing him to enter Mecca the following year. The people who took the pledge. “Certainly Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, and he knew what was in their hearts, so he sent down tranquillity on them and rewarded them with a near victory.” – Qur’an 48:18
630 – Mohammed takes control of Mecca and cleanses the Kaaba of Idol worship, pilgrimage rites are reestablished, tribes of Mecca vow allegiance to Mohammed. The Kaaba included idols such as Hubal who was the most senior of the 360 god idols worshipped in the shrine at the time. A painting of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus was also inside the Kaaba along with images of other Gods and Goddess most notably Allat, Uzza and Manāt. Golden Suns, Moons, Stars and Planets were inscribed on the walls along with other deities from visiting tribes.
631 – Mohammed instructs his followers to face Mecca five times a day for prayers.
631 – Mohammed is able to perform the hajj in Mecca at the Kaaba. Allah – became the Supreme One Lord of the Kaaba also known as ‘Lord of Sirius’. God of the Moon, Sun, Stars, Planets, Animals, wells, trees, stones, caves, springs, and other natural objects.
632 – Mohammed dies in Medina, his belief is called Islam his followers are Muslims. When Muhammad was dying, he asked Abu Bakr, the father of his “favorite wife” Aisha to lead the community in prayer. Because of this, after Mohammed’s death, the Muslim community elected Bakr as the first caliph.
632 – Abu Bakr ruled for two years. Some of Mohammed’s followers disagree with Bakr’s appointment and believed that the caliph should be a blood descendant of Mohammed. They believe that the caliph should be Ali who was Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law, married to his oldest daughter Fatima. They believed Mohammed wanted Ali to be his successor. Shiites believe the caliph should be of the bloodline, they did not accept Bakr as the first caliph. Sunnis do accept Bakr as the first caliph.
634 – Umar the Great, becomes the second caliph and spreads Islam east and west conquering 2/3rds the Eastern Roman empire, Persian Empire, Syria, Egypt and Jerusalem. He ordered the protection of public treasury and a sophisticated financial administration. He established many of the basic practices of Islamic government. He was a companion of Mohammed. He allowed the Jews to practice freely in Jerusalem.
638 – Jews help Muslims defeat Persians/Syrians in Jerusalem at the temple mount
644 – Umar is assassinated by the Persians
644 – Uthman Ibn Affan becomes the third caliph begins to write the Quran in a fixed form. He marries two of Mohammed’s daughters from his wife Aisha.
656 – Uthman is assassinated before he finishes the Quran and Hadiths
656 – Ali becomes the fourth caliph. Shi’ites disregard all caliph’s who came before Ali because they are not blood descendants from Mohammed. Ali was Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law, he married Fatima and they had two sons Hassan and Hussein. He moved the capital from Medina (Saudi Arabia) to Kufa (Iraq). Ali is known for his sermons, letters, and bravery. He holds the highest position within the Sufi Muslim Order. He is seen as the first Iman for Shiites
661 – Ali is murdered while praying in his mosque at Kufu. He was assassinated by a poisonous sword and lived for two days after the attack. He asked his sons not to kill the group of people that the assassin belonged to, only the assassin Muljam himself. He is believed to be a member of the newly formed Kharji sect of Islam who were upset when Ali compromised his belief to investigate the assassination of Uthman.
661- Hasan youngest son of Fatima (Grandson to Mohammed) becomes the first Shiite Caliph. He relinquishes his reign after seven months
662 – Husain oldest son of Fatima (Grandson to Mohammed) becomes the Caliph. During this time Damascus became the Capital of the Islamic world.
680 – Husain is beheaded in the battlee of Karbala. Husain was traveling to Kufah (Iraq), when he was trapped in the desert by the former Sunni caliph’s son. The Sunnis outnumbered and killed Husain and his followers. His death greatly angered the Shiites and alienated the two groups. Shiites mourn Husain’s death on Ashura, a day where they often beat themselves to imitate his pain. This is the beginning of Shiite Martrydom.
680 – Islam splits between Sunni and Shiite over succession of Mohammed. At first, Shiites believed that any of Ali’s descendents should be able to lead the community. However, as years passed, they grew to believe that only those descendents of Ali through Husain were eligible. Even within the Shiite sect, there are differing views on who should be and was an imam or caliph. There are many different divisions of Shiites, however, they all agree on four legitimate imams. They are Ali, Hasan, Husain, and Ali Zayn al-’Albidin (who died in 714)
685-705 – Reign of Abd al-Malik. Centralization – Arabic becomes official written language (instead of Greek and Persian) and Arab coinage is established.
691 – Dome of the Rock is built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by Caliph Abd el-Malik on the grounds of the destroyed Jewish Temple. As a place of worship because Muslims did not have access to Mecca or Medina due to “civil wars”
700 – Groups of ascetics and mystics begin to form within Islam
700 – Hasan al-Basri a renowned preacher & pious ascetic who spoke touching sermons
715 – Muslims build a second Mosque on the temple mount in Jerusalem to honor the place where Mohammed traveled in his sleep during the “Night Journey” and ascended the Tree to Heaven or Stairway to Heaven.
732 – Muslim empire reaches its furthest extent.
750 – Abu l’Abbas becomes caliph in Iraq (Sunni)
754 – Baghdad (Madinat al-Salam, “city of peace”) becomes the new capital.
765 – Division within Shi’ites – majority are the Imamiyya (Twelvers) who co-exist with Abbasid caliphs; minority are the Isma’iliyaa (Seveners).
771 – Abbasid caliph Abu Ja’far Al-Mansur rebuilds the ZamZam well in Mecca
800 – Islam conquers 50% of what was the Roman Empire
801 – Harun ar-Rashid becomes an author, best known for the stories of The Thousand and One Nights
801- Rabiah al-Adawiyah becomes one of the first great female Sufis whose beautiful prayers and poems helped transform Sufism to a tradition of mystical love.
810 – Written collections of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) are compiled.
813 – Theological controversy over whether the Qur’an is created or uncreated and eternal. Center for translation of texts from Greek to Arabic founded in Baghdad.
864 –Sunni canon of Hadith is written in its final form called the sixth major Hadith
929 – Karmations invade Mecca and carry off the Black Stone
940 – Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth imam, disappears. Twelvers await the future return of the “Hidden Imam.”
949 – The Black Stone is replaced in the Kaaba in Mecca
1017 – Hamza ibn Ali declares himself an incarnation of God basis of Druze religion.
1090 – Hasan-i Sabbah takes Alamut in the Persian mountains – He is from a Shiite family of the twelver and studied the mystery teachings.
1095 – Pope Urban II begins the crusades against the Jews and the Muslims
1099 – Crusaders capture Jerusalem slaughtering Jews and Muslims
1104 – The Dome of the Rock is turned into a Christian Church by King Baldwin I
1110 – Sufi orders (turuq) are founded.
1126 – Life of Averroës, Muslim philosopher from Cordoba who sought to integrate Islam with Greek thought.
1129 – The Knights Templar are established to protect treasures from Solomon’s Temple
1145 – Attar Persian poet & philosopher born in Iran, influenced Rumi with his writings.
1171 – Fatimid power ends in Egypt with the conquests of Saladin.
1171 – Saladin abolishes Shi’ites from Egypt proclaiming a return to Sunni Islam
1174 – Saladin declares himself sultan of Egypt and Syria.
1187 – Saladin attacks the Crusaders wins Jerusalem – Jews & Muslims in
1192 – Richard the Lion Heart fails at Jerusalem, Saladin permits Christians in
1193 – Death of Saladin; most of Crusader states have turned to Islam.
1200 – Mongols become Indian rulers in Delhi take title of Sultan.
1207 – Jalal al-Din who is also known as Rumi, a philosopher and mystic was born in Afghanistan. His doctrine advocates unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness, charity and awareness through love. To him and to his disciples all religions are more or less truth. Looking with the same eye on Muslim, Jew and Christian alike, his peaceful and tolerant teaching has appealed to men of all sects and creeds.
1221 – Genghis Khan and the Mongols enter Persia.
1229 – Holy Roman Crusaders reclaimed Jerusalem for Christianity
1244 – Khwarezmi Turks recapture Jerusalem transfer power to Ottoman Turks
1258 – Hulagu, the Mongol ruler, captured Baghdad and destroyed much of the city including its libraries. The Mongols devastated the eastern lands of Islam and ruled from the Sinai Desert to India. They converted to Islam and became known as the II-Khanids. Islam enters east of the Indus River peacefully.
1281 – Reign of Uthman (Osman), who founds the Ottoman Empire.
1300 – Ottomans move into Europe take control of the Balkans
1320 – Hafiz an Iranian born mystic and poet who had memorized the entire Koran.
1366 – Capital of Ottoman Empire moved from Bursa to Adrianople.
1369 – Ottomans became the dominant power in the Islamic world.
1453 – Mehmet Fatih conquers Constantinople. The two halves of the Ottoman Empire are united and the sultan becomes Byzantine emperor.
1492 – Queen Isabella-King Ferdinand unify Spain Christian expel Jews & Muslims
1501 – Isma’il (1487-1524) claims to be the Hidden Imam and is proclaimed Shah (king) of Persia. Twelver Shi’ism becomes official religion of Persia.
1502 – Safavids, a Sufi order established a powerful state of their own which flourished for over two centuries and became known for the flowering of the arts. Their capital Isfahan, became one of the most beautiful cities with its blue tiled mosques and exquisite houses.
1516 – Ottoman Empire rebuilds the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
1700 – Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab rejects Sufism. Creates what becomes the Saudi Arabian kingdom
1805 – Muhammad Ali becomes governor of Egypt, which becomes independent of the Ottomans, gains control of western Arabia and extends into the Sudan.
1807 – Tanzimat period. Ottoman Empire undergoes extensive program of modernization in government, law, and medicine.
1808 – Lithuanian Jews, followers of the Vilna Gaon arrived in Palestine and purchased land to begin an agricultural settlement.
1908 – Last decade of Ottoman rule. Rise of nationalistic “Young Turks.”
1918 – League of Nations grants Britain mandatory status over Palestine and Iraq, and France over Lebanon and Syria.
1930 – The Fifth Aliya – the Germans allowed Jews to leave in return for ransom paid to Reich 250,000 Jews arrived in this period many are German Jews fleeing Nazism.
1930 – Oil discovered in Saudi Arabia, the country became transformed rapidly from a predominantly Bedouin society to a country with major urban centers
1936 – Arab revolt in response to the large Jewish immigration from Europe.
1942 – British responded to Arab pressure and ended Jewish immigration to Palestine.
1945 – Second World War and the dismemberment of the British, French, Dutch and Spanish empires gives the rest of the Islamic world its independence.
1945 – Islam spreads to the West with mass migrations from Asia, Africa, and India.
1947 – Pakistan founded as an Islamic nation.
1947 – India was partitioned on religious grounds into a mostly Muslim Pakistan and mostly Hindu India. A mass migration of Sikhs and Hindus from Pakistan to India and a reverse migration of Muslims resulted, with immense loss of life.
1948 – Palestine was partitioned with the establishment of the state of Israel.
1950 – Financial investors (including the United States) help in the building of Saudi Arabia.
1967 – Muslims, Jews and Christians given access to their Holy places within Jerusalem
1979 – Shah of Iran is overthrown by Ayatullah Ruhullah Khumayni, establishes strict fundamentalist rule of Shi’a principles. Is a Twelver Shia.
1979 – The United States allows the exiled Shah of Iran to eneter US for cancer treatments. On Nov 4th, Islamist students took control of the American Embassys in Tehran and held 52 embassy staff as hostages.
1988 – Salman Rushdie publishes his fourth novel “The Satanic Verses” which is inspired by the life of Mohammed. The Ayatullah Khumayni issues at “fatwa” calling on all good Muslims to kill Rushdie.
1990 – Fundamental muslims seek to reject Western thought and culture and return to an Islamic society based completely on the application of the Shari’ah. Non –muslim minorities in Iran do not have equal rights.
1990s – Taliban come to power in Afghanistan
2010 – Many Muslims throughout the world are seeking peace through tolerance and education between different views and beliefs.
