The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates

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Author: Hugh Kennedy

Title: The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates

Summary

The reading is about the assassination of Umar in Medina, how this generated into internal strife within the Muslim conquest in Egypt, into Iran and its effect on the subsequent leadership, forage into settlement and expansion of the people.

Argument

The arguments made in the text implied that there was need for succession of a leader who would continue the legacy, policies and mandate of the dead Caliph (Kennedy 69). The expansion of the Muslim people required fulfillment of their needs, settlement of the people while the ummah needed a fortified army, retention of the Arab traditions along with religion and its values (Kennedy 73). The financial and political autonomy of the land had to be respected, preserved, and improved for the betterment of the lives of the Muslims.

Reflection

The assassination and death of the Calitaph brought about a political and institutional turmoil for the people of Medina. Leadership theme highlighted the need for governance of the people through an established system to avoid division and conflict. The expansion and addressing of the needs of the people is paramount in order to have a united population working towards a common goal. Immigration and subsequent settlement of a people from an accustomed area into new territory brings about several challenges. There is constant rebellion and division among the people while conquering new, fertile, and promising land. Usually, there is conflict between the inhabitants and the immigrants. In events of conflicts, it is necessary to incorporate arbitrators to have negotiations between different warring parties to avoid loss of lives and resources. The division between the leadership of a nation or kingdom usually leads to disintegration of its people, who scatter or look for alternative areas to settle.

Work Cited

Kennedy, Hugh. The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the Sixth to the Eleventh Century. London: Longman, 2004. Print.