Comprehensive History

Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) is designated as a terrorist organization by the UN and many countries in the world. There is no country or organization which is openly assisting this organization. But despite every difficulty and military operation by world powers and regional countries of the Middle East, ISIL managed to take control of a large area of Iraq and Syria. There are a few important reasons behind the rise of ISIL. ·          American policies in the Middle East should be regarded as the main reason for the birth and rise of ISIL. After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 over false allegations of WMD (weapons of mass destruction), ISIL’s parent organization JTJ ( Jamaat al Tawhid wal Jihad ), under the leadership of al-Zarqawi, started guerrilla warfare against the US and became popular among regional Sunni Muslims due to its stiff resistance. It helped them to increase their strength as a large number of fighters join the group.      On the other hand, the US r

Ottoman Empire was the last great Muslim Empire that lasted from the end of the 13 th   Century to the start of the 20 th   Century. Starting from Northwest Anatolia, the Ottoman Empire gained control of large parts of western Asia, central Europe, and North Africa at its peak. But during the 17 th   Century (especially after  the  Battle of Vienna   in 1683), the Ottoman Empire started to lose its political influence by losing its European areas one after other.  During World War 1, the Empire sided with Germany to regain its lost areas. But the war ended with the destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the empire was replaced by the Republic of Turkey which holds the area of Anatolia only. The following are the main reasons for the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire. Reasons for the Fall of the Ottoman Empire Incapable Rulers The first ten Sultans of the Ottoman Empire (from Osman I to Suleiman I) are ranked as the best rulers of the empire. But the later rulers prov

Umayyad Caliphate was the second Muslim Caliphate that emerged after Rashidun Caliphate. However, it is commonly known as Umayyad Dynasty due to its centralization on the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe of Makkah.  At its peak, the Umayyad Dynasty ruled the  Middle East, North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Persia, and Central Asia . It makes it the largest Muslim dynasty and one of the largest empires in human history. Umayyad Caliphate also kept the unity of the Islamic Caliphate as more than one Muslim dynasty appeared soon after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty. But despite these prominent political and military achievements, Umayyad Dynasty could only last for around 90 years. The Abbasids took the throne from them in 750 AD (Later, Umayyad ruled the Iberian Peninsula from 756 to 1031 AD). Fall of Umayyad Dynasty - Main Reasons Surprisingly, such a vast and politically powerful umpire could only last 90 years. There are several reasons behind the fall of the Umayya

Abbasid Caliphate was the third Muslim Caliphate after the Rashidun and Umayyad caliphates. It was also the second Muslim dynasty after Umayyad Dynasty, as the rulers during this dynasty belonged only to the Abbasid family.  The Abbasids took the throne in 750 AD after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty . They ruled almost the entire Muslim world (directly or indirectly) for more than 500 years till 1258 AD. In 1258, Mongols occupied Baghdad and assassinated the last Abbasid caliph Mustasim, thus effectively bringing  the downfall of  the Abbasid Caliphate. Though Abbasids remained caliphs for over 500 years, the gradual decline of their empire started almost from the beginning. The following are the top reasons behind the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate. Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate - Main  Reasons Differences with Shia Abbasids and Shia were together during the Hashemite movement, which overthrew the  Umayyad Caliphate . But differences between the two parties started a

Sunni and Shia are the two main sects of Islam, and the relations between these two sects almost always remained stressed and full of animosity. The main factor behind these strained relations is opposing ideologies which comprise the faith ( aqidah) and political positions of the two sides.  From the early days of the Caliphate to modern times, several armed conflicts have been fought between them and all the efforts to create harmony and normal relations between the two sects remained unsuccessful. The main reasons behind this serious conflict between Sunni and Shia sects are the following. Reasons behind Sunni Shia Conflict ·        The most important reason behind the Sunni-Shia conflict is the Shia belief that only persons of the Prophet’s household ( ahl al-Bayt ) have the right to lead Muslims after the death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Due to this belief, they regard the first three caliphs ( Abu Bakr , Umar , and Usman) as usurpers and also reject the Caliphate of al