The Road to Mecca: Muhammad and the Origins of Islam in the 7th century AD

This set of 4 lectures examines the founding of Islam and its rise of one of the world’s great global faiths beginning in the 7th century AD. We will explore the religious landscape of the pre-Islamic Middle East, the life and times of the prophet Muhammad, the dramatic spread of Islam, the Arab conquest, and the establishment of the first caliphate. Why was Islam so successful initially? What was it about Muhammad and his times that gave special force to his message? Finally, what kind of an empire emerged from this key moment in the region’s history?