A timeline of Islam's emergence and rapid expansion from 570 to 750 CE — from the birth of Muhammad to the Umayyad Caliphate's peak.
Muhammad ibn Abdullah is born in Mecca to the Quraysh tribe. Orphaned early, he gains a reputation for honesty in the caravan trade.
Muhammad receives the first Quranic revelations in a cave on Mount Hira near Mecca, beginning his prophetic mission.
Muhammad and his followers emigrate from Mecca to Medina — the hijra marks Year 1 of the Islamic calendar and the birth of the Muslim community.
Muhammad returns to Mecca with a large army. The city surrenders largely without bloodshed, and the Kaaba is rededicated to monotheistic worship.
Muhammad dies in Medina, leaving no clear successor. The question of leadership triggers the Sunni-Shia divide that persists to this day.
The four 'Rightly Guided' caliphs lead the Muslim community, conquering Syria, Egypt, Persia, and much of the Middle East in a stunning series of campaigns.
Muawiya I establishes the Umayyad dynasty in Damascus, transforming the caliphate from an elected position to a hereditary monarchy.
The Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik completes the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem — one of Islam's earliest and most iconic architectural achievements.
Umayyad forces cross the Strait of Gibraltar and conquer most of the Iberian Peninsula, establishing Al-Andalus.
Frankish forces under Charles Martel halt the Muslim advance into Western Europe near Tours, France, marking the rough northern limit of Islamic expansion.
The Abbasid family overthrows the Umayyads, seizing the caliphate. A surviving Umayyad prince flees to Spain and establishes an independent emirate in Córdoba.