Early Muslim conquests

The seventh- and early eighth-century campaigns that brought much of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Central Asia under Muslim rule. They began under the Rashidun caliphs and continued under the Umayyads.

Battle of Yarmouk: A decisive battle in 636 in which the Rashidun army defeated Byzantine forces in Syria. Its outcome broke Byzantine military resistance to the conquest of much of Syria.
Ridda Wars: The campaigns by the first caliph Abu Bakr to restore the allegiance of Arabian tribes after Muhammad’s death. Their conclusion consolidated the Arabian forces that soon campaigned beyond the peninsula.
Abu Bakr: The first caliph, who led the Muslim community from 632 until his death in 634. He reunited much of Arabia and dispatched forces toward Byzantine and Sasanian territories.
Islamization: The historical process by which individuals and societies adopted Islam. Political conquest preceded the gradual, uneven conversion of many conquered populations.
Muslim conquest of Syria: The seventh-century campaign that brought Byzantine Syria under Muslim rule. Syria was among the first major provinces taken from the Byzantine Empire.
Battle of al-Qadisiyyah: A battle, traditionally dated to 636 or 637, in which Arab Muslim forces defeated the Sasanian army in Iraq. The victory opened the way for the conquest of the Sasanian heartland.
Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628: The final major war between the Byzantine and Sasanian empires, ending with a Byzantine victory in 628. The exhausting conflict left both empires financially and militarily strained before the invasions.
Umar: The second caliph, who ruled from 634 to 644 during major territorial expansion. His reign saw the conquest of Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and much of the Sasanian Empire.
Arabization: The spread of Arabic language and culture among populations that previously used other languages. Arabic gained administrative and cultural influence in territories incorporated by the caliphate.
Muslim conquest of Egypt: The campaign from 639 to 642 that transferred Byzantine Egypt to Muslim rule. Egypt’s incorporation added a wealthy province and a strategic Mediterranean coastline.

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