Part 1- Muhammad, the "Rightly-Guided" Caliphs, and the First Islamic "state"

Some have argued that desire to spread Islam was the main cause of the early Islamic conquests. Others argue that these conquests were economically driven. On the basis of what you have read in Donner, and the online readings, what do you think? Be sure to keep within the available evidence.

Part 2- Jerusalem, Damascus, and the Umayyad Dynasty

Despite the vast expansion of the Islamic world under the almost 100-years' rule of the Umayyad dynasty, and the construction of some of the most important architectural sites of Islam in Damascus and Jerusalem, they have been generally viewed unfavorably by Muslims and also historians of the Muslim world. In this short essay, please assess the accomplishments of the Umayyads focusing on Jerusalem and their government in Damascus. At the end of your assignment, please try to explain why so many Muslims and Muslin historians judge them negatively.