DBWI: Islam as a major world religion

Islam is something of an interesting religion. Starting as a syncretic offshoot of Judaism and Christianity that stresses pure monotheism and submission to God, its adherents were able to unite the Arabian peninsula into a single polity, and was even able to win a few key strategic battles against the Roman and Sassanid empires. Ultimately, however, dynastic struggles, theological schisms, and counter attacks by the Persians and Byzantines prevented the Caliphate (as the early Islamic kingdom was called) from being anything more than a regional power. Over the centuries Arab traders and missionaries were able to spread the faith to distant lands, where it had some success but ultimately hasn't been able to establish itself as a majority outside of the Arabian peninsula and some small enclaves in East Africa.

What would need to happen to establish Islam as a major world religion, and what sort of impact would the rise of Islam have on world history. Furthermore, how would Islam itself be shaped by becoming a major world religion, and how would other religion view it and be shaped by it?
 
I'm saying this is ASB. Islam was created in a region under the influence of the two superpowers of the era, which furthermore had their own state religions. Sure, their armies were a bit weak (which explains the first few victories of the Caliphate) but they were simply too much for a bunch of Bedouins. Both nations faced off worse invasions when they were even weaker, after all.
 
Have the Romans and Persians fight themselves to a standstill through sheer exhaustion and lack of further resources? Then the Arabs can break out and defeat at least one of them (probably the Romans-they were in a worse state so losing the Levant is quite possible but not Egypt) to defeat both would probably require ASB intervention (I dislike invoking ASBs but to defeat both would be seen as divine intervention not least by the Arabs).
 
Prophet Muhammad lives longer? The development of the state of Medina (and later the Caliphate) seemed a bit nipped in the bud, I heard they even had their own constitution?! Very liberal I'd argue, it would change the course of how we view human rights, definitely.

The sucession crisis between Ali (his son-in-law) and Ibrahim (his illegitimate son) didn't help either.
 
I believe the Arabs were pretty close to winning the battle of Yarmouk. That would probably have given them control over Syria, which would give them new resources. Maybe they would even manage to take some areas from the Sassanids. I assume Mesopotamia might be possible.
 

karikon

Banned
Even if the arabs would manage to conquer something important they would either loss power after few decades or be assimilated to the local population. This is how things usually turns out for conquering nomads.
 
You think a bunch of tribal Saracens could conquer large parts of the Roman or Sassanid Empires? That's totally ASB
 
I believe the Arabs were pretty close to winning the battle of Yarmouk. That would probably have given them control over Syria, which would give them new resources. Maybe they would even manage to take some areas from the Sassanids. I assume Mesopotamia might be possible.

The double blow of losing Muhammad and his second in command Abu Bakr in the same year makes it almost impossible for all of Arabia to unite in such a short time period.
Maybe under Ibrahim, he did well to reunite Arabia in such a short time, but again, he displeased the Shi'as of Yemen, and obviously you know what happens when you piss of the Shi'as of Yemen....
 
I suppose that further advances into Africa wouldn't be impossible if the Eastern Romans were a bit weaker. The Mohameddans would never have been able to even threaten Romans and Persian heartlands, however. IOTL their early sucess in the Levant was pretty easily reversed as soon as a proper push was made by the Romans, so I'm having trouble seeing them ever reaching even the Taurus Mountains.
 
In a sense, it is a "major" world religion. It has roughly as many followers as say, the Jains or Manichaeists I think - although don't quote me on that.

Christianity across the centuries has been transmitted in many different forms. Islam is the same Abrahamaic theology redefined for an Arabic audience, just as some of the Saint-Cults in the Americas represent Christianity redefined for a Native American audience.

Having Islam transcend the Arabic world and become much bigger than OTL seems difficult. It simply has too many strong competitors already - I don't think there's really room for another huge global religion by the time of Muhammad. And if there is I'm not sure he created it.

Your best bet is probably to weaken the Sasanians and ensure that Zarathustrianism doesn't go through the changes it experienced in the eighth century. If you can wipe out the Dualist family of religions or weaken them, you'd give Islam a bigger window to expand into.
 
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