A History of Islam Part 1

THE DECLINE OF THE ANCIENT ARAB EMPIRE

What went wrong? Why did such intellectual pursuits and successes not inspire future generations of Arabs and Muslims? In part, it is because of the profile of most nations—with the West being a notable exception for the moment—which at some point run out of steam and turn inward. Whereas the Arab world once welcomed interaction and cooperation with others, it began to isolate itself. As historian Hillel Ofek observed, “The civilization that had produced cities, libraries, and observatories and opened itself to the world had now regressed and become closed, resentful, violent, and hostile to discourse and innovation.” Ofek also identified a rejection of reason and philosophy as contributing to the fall of the Arab Empire. In essence, both were deemed incompatible with Islamic teaching.

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THE AGES OF PIONEERS AND CONQUESTS

From the start, Arabic Islam used earthly power to achieve what adherents believed to be heavenly goals. Muslim tribes raided villages, seeking to impose their faith and will. They lacked a regular army at first, but that was soon to change. Adherents were rapidly added, sometimes by conversion (a lot of it forced) and other times by means of the sword. A newly organized Muslim navy wiped out the Christian fleet in the Battle of the Masts (655 CE). The expanding Muslim army attacked Constantinople during this period but never succeeded in capturing it.

The rapid military successes were partly a result of the weakness of the conquered countries, brought on by decades of external conflicts and internal structures. (Infighting has been a problem for Islam too, as Sunni and Shia Muslims continue to battle each other today. But both hate the Sufis, whom they regard as heretics, and all branches of Islam—to one extent or another, with a few exceptions—hate Jews and Christians, the latter of whom they call cross worshipers, or polytheists for believing in a triune God.)

Source: America's Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers… and the Future of the United States (2020) by Cal Thomas.