Final answer:
Islam spread rapidly from 600 C.E. to 1450 C.E., starting on the Arabian Peninsula and extending to vast territories including modern-day Pakistan, North Africa, and Spain. The spread was facilitated by conquests, trade, missionary work, and migration, fostering a diverse yet connected Islamic world.
Step-by-step explanation:
Between 600 C.E. and 1450 C.E., Islam spread at an extraordinary pace, starting from the Arabian Peninsula. In the early 7th century, after its foundation, Islam rapidly expanded through the Arabian lands and by 659 CE, Muslim forces had advanced into the region of modern-day Pakistan. The Islamic Golden Age catalyzed further expansion, as Muslim rulers like those of the Umayyad Caliphate stretched their empire as far west as the Iberian Peninsula and east into the Indian subcontinent by the early 8th century. These conquests, coupled with the influence via trade, religious missionary work by Sufi orders, and migration, facilitated Islam's growth.
By 1450, Islam's reach had grown vast, impacting diverse regions such as North and West Africa, including empires like Mali. The establishment of Islamic religious institutions in new lands created a unifying network that supported not only the local populations but also the interconnectedness of the Islamic world. Furthermore, the spread of the religion led to a rich cultural fusion where new converts often blended Islamic practices with indigenous traditions.
Aside from military conquests, the fabric of societies was woven with Islamic threads through means such as trade, the work of missionaries, and the migration of Muslims. These networks and the adoption of Arabic script for local languages played crucial roles in cultivating a unified Islamic identity despite ethnic and geographic diversity.