Early Muslims
Most historians would agree with the statement that the early Muslims were successful, but very few would agree with each other about what it means to be successful or the classification of the "early Muslims." Before attempting to answer the broad topic of why and to what extent the early Muslims were successful, one needs to define the terms "success" and "early Muslims." In the context of this paper, the early Muslims are defined as those that became Muslims during the first century since the birth of Islam. This century begins in 613 when Muhammad received the call, "Rise and Warn" and it includes the early Islamic conquests. Although success can be measured in many ways, in the context of this paper it will be defined in terms of these components: Initial military conquests, the ability to maintain the support of the conquered population, and the ability of the early Muslims to bring prosperity and a sense of unity for the various parts of Arabia and conquered regions. Within these set definitions and boundaries, it can then be said that the early Muslims were successful due to their ability to conquer vast areas of land and maintain the support of the conquered for the specified period. Their success is limited though since
Another reason for the military success of the early Muslims is explained by the passiveness of those conquered. The Sassanian state religion, Zoroastrianism, did not have much public support because it was the religion of the elite. Due to the drawn out conflict between the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in the period during the birth of Islam, both empires were kept busy with each other. Before describing the extent to which the early Muslims were successful, it is important to address the reason why I chose to extend the period of the early Muslims past Muhammad's death. The ideas of Islam transcended the tribe and created a new and more extensive sense of community. Beginning under Muhammad's leadership and continuing after his death during the seventh and the early part of the eight century, the early Muslims conquered many areas with ease. Muhammad's amazing ability as a military leader is proven by the fact that the early Muslims under his leadership were able to win countless battles despite their small army. First, they won their battles by making deals with factions to gain control. It was also during the initial conquests made after Muhammad's death that the early Muslims proved their power and ability to prosper despite the loss of their prophet. For example, in the pre-Islam era, Arabia was divided by tribal factions. In areas with tribal divisions, there was always an alliance eager to back up the Muslims in order to secure their own position. Although the early Muslims were unable to maintain the support of the local population indefinitely, one still is left to marvel at the ease with which they gained and maintained control over their conquests. It was also Muhammad's careful planning and good leadership skills that allowed him to conquer Mecca. There are several other reasons for the ease with which the early Muslims achieved military conquests and then maintained the support of the conquered population. Although not all those that were conquered converted to Islam, it is important to note that among those that did convert, there was a strong sense of community.
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