How the Early Islamic Conquests Started

A small introduction to the first stages of the expansion of Islam

Early 19th-century manuscript showing the Muslim army marching into Mecca and the subsequent smashing of its idols. Public Domain: Wikipedia

In the first centuries since its inception, Islam was able to conquer and dominate a vast amount of territory. Its rapid spread was mainly due to the fact that its main antagonistic forces were weakened by wars amongst themselves, as well as civil unrest while Islam maintained a united…