The first two
periods are often referred to as the ‘formative’ and ‘classical’ periods of
Islamic history; and for most Muslims (who, it should be noted, tend not to use
these terms or chronological divisions), they are the centuries that count the
most. But the overwhelming
majority of the world’s Muslims would almost certainly still be infidels were it not for the
events of the 1100–1500 period.
And although modern
Islamists (those for whom Islam is a political as well as a religious
system) shine their
spotlight on the age of the Prophet and Rashidun caliphs, it is in response to the
events of this period that Islamist movements emerged. From a European
perspective, this is the period without which Turkey would have no case for
inclusion into the EU (and no case for being ‘Turkey’ at all), and without
which Russia would have no ‘issues’ with Muslims to their south.
