Islam began in Mecca when the Prophet Muhammad began to spread the word of God (292). The Prophet “sought to warn his people against the worship of false gods and against all immortality, especially against injustice towards the poor, orphans, widows and women in general” (293). The first converts to the religion were Meccan townspeople and farmers (292). Although some prominent Meccans joined him, the aristocracy generally resisted his teachings (293-94). According to the Quran, paradise lies in gratitude to God and in his guidance and forgiveness (293). Muhammad is accepted as the last of many prophets chosen to spread the word of God (293). Unfortunately, the teachings of the Prophets did not spread easily or succeed (293). Yet many people followed his wife, Khadija, and recognized him as a “chosen reformer” (293). After the death of Muhammad in 632, the lack of a successor or son led to a political struggle between the Meccan and Medinan peoples. This ended when Abu Bakr was chosen as the Prophet's successor (297). However, as in most previous cases, many Arab tribes renounced their allegiance to the Prophet after his death (297). Nevertheless, Abu Bakr's rule “reestablished religious conformity in much of Arabia and forced the Arabs to recognize the faith and practice of Islam in opposition to a certain ruler; the prophet Muhammad in this case” (297). Following Bakr, the caliphs Umar and Uthman pushed Arab armies beyond the peninsula and conquered Byzantine and Sasanid territories, Egypt, and most of Iran in 643 (297). This success can be attributed to the leadership of the early caliphs and field generals as well as the weakness of the Byzantines and Iranians (297). In 651, Arab armies defeated the last of the Sasanian rulers (297). The fourth caliphate; ...... middle of paper ...... Asian oppression (298). Muslims accepted other religions and allowed Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian groups to live under the protection of Islamic rule "provided they recognized Islamic political authority, paid a head tax to non-Muslims and did not interfere not with Muslim religious practices” (298). The head tax and other divisions imposed on non-Muslims encouraged many to convert (298). Islamic culture was also very adaptable and open to mixing cultural traits, allowing it to spread even in hostile societies (346). Muslims could exchange ideas and goods with Muslims of radically different backgrounds and “meet them as brothers and sisters of the Ummah” (347). Thus, Islam spread mainly thanks to the conquests of the Arab armies and spread successfully thanks to its principles, its great adaptability, the weakening of the Byzantine and Sasanian empires and its immense leadership.