Expansion of Islam in the 8th Century How and why did Islam spread from the time of Mohammad until the 8th century CE?
What techniques did Muslims use to rule, and what problems did they face? Mu’awiya, the leader of the struggle against Ali and his supporters, establishes himself after Ali’s death in 661 as the undisputed caliph. His power base has been Syria. Damascus now becomes the capital of the first Muslim dynasty and the center of the new Arab empire. Mu’awiya is a member of one of the most prominent families of Mecca, the Umayya. Against considerable opposition, he establishes a new principle – that the role of caliph shall be hereditary rather than elected.
