Timeline: Muslim Intellectual History

The Islamic calendar begins with the hijrah (migration) of the Prophet (upon whom be peace) from Mecca to Medina in 622 of the "common era" (CE). Muslims use a lunar calendar, so dates "after hijrah" (AH) do not correspond directly with dates of the CE. The following formulas permit one to approximate dates between one calendar and the other: 1) to convert AH to CE, add 641 to the AH date, then multiply by 354, and then divide by 365; 2) to convert CE to AH, subtract 622 from the CE date, then multiply by 365, and then divide by 354. This is accurate to within several months. Dates below are AH and mark the death of key individuals or the year of major events.

1ST CENTURY--PROPHET'S FAREWELL HAJJ, REIGN OF FOUR CALIPHS AND FIRST IMAM, HOUSE OF ISLAM EXPANDS

10--On his "farewell pilgrimage" the Prophet gives important final speeches at Arafat and Ghadir. Muhammad, upon whom be peace, dies in Medina. Begins the period of the "four rightly guided caliphs" and expansion of Muslim territory.

40--Ali ibn Abi Talib, 4th Caliph for Sunnis and 1st Imam for Shi'ites, assassinated. Begins era of "dynastic rule," increasing tension between Islamic ideals and corrupt state power.

61--Husayn, grandson of the Prophet, stands against corrupt state power and is martyred at Karbala.

c. 95--House of Islam incorporates Arabia, Byzantium and Persia by the end of the 1st c. AH.

2ND CENTURY--SIXTH IMAM AND EARLY SUNNI LEGISTS, ARABIC GRAMMAR SYSTEMATIZED

147--Ja'far Sadiq, 6th Shi'ite Imam, whose teachings become the basis for the Ja'fari school of law.

149--Abu Hanifa, legist & pupil of Ja'far Sadiq, provides basis for one of the Sunni "four schools" of law.

151--Ibn Ishaq, traditionist; his Sirah Rasul Allah is the first systematic biography of the Prophet

169--Khalil ibn Ahmad, grammarian, systematizes Arabic grammar and the first dictionary.

178--Malik ibn Anas, legist, collects his Muwatta, the first book of Sunni hadith, and the basis for one of the "four schools."

3RD CENTURY--TRANSLATION OF GREEK TEXTS, TWELFTH IMAM, SUNNI BOOKS OF HADITH CODIFIED

204--Shafi'i, traditionist & legist, systematizes Sunni law, providing basis for one of the "four schools."

214--In competition with religious knowledge taught by Imams, Abbasid Caliph Ma'mun encourages mass translation of Greek and other texts into Arabic and collects them into his "House of Wisdom."

218--Ibn Hisham, biographer, revises Ibn Ishaq's Sirah, which becomes the standard biography of the Prophet.

219--Azraqi, historian, writes Akhbar Makkah, which becomes one of the earliest historical accounts of Mecca.

240--Ibn Hanbal, traditionist and legist, collects his Musnad, providing basis for last of the Sunni "four schools."

256--Bukhari, traditionist, collects his Sahih, considered by Sunnis to be the most reliable of the "six books" of hadith.

259--Muhammad al Mahdi, 12th Imam of the Shi'ites, begins the "minor occultation."

261--Muslim, traditionist, collects his Sahih, which is considered the second most reliable of the "six books" of Sunni hadith. Abu Dawud, traditionist, collects his Sunan, another one of the Sunni "six books."

272--Ibn Maja, traditionist, assembles his collection of hadith, but which is generally considered the weakest of the "six books."

278--Tirmidhi, traditionist, collects hadith into one of the Sunni "six books."

4TH CENTURY--SUNNI THEOLOGY SYSTEMATIZED, SHI'ITE HADITH CODIFIED, AZHAR UNIVERSITY FOUNDED

302--Nasa'i, the last great Sunni traditionist, assembles his collection of hadith, which becomes the last of the "six books."

310--Tabari, historian, writes his Tarikh, which becomes one of the earliest systematic accounts of Islamic history.

323--Ash'ari, legist and theologian, systematizes Sunni theology against rationalist philosophy.

328--Fourth emissary of the Twelfth Shi'ite Imam dies, beginning the "greater occultation," and Kulayni, Shi'ite traditionist, assembles his al Kafi, which is the earliest written collection of Shi'ite hadith.

339--Kashshi, biographer, develops systematic biographical study of hadith transmitters.

344--Mas'udi, historian, writes Muruj al Dhahab, which is a history of Islam up to the Abbasid dynasty.

360--Azhar University founded by Shi'ite Fatimid Caliphs in Cairo, which is still in use in 15th c. AH .

380--Ibn Babuwayh, traditionist, collects hadith into one of the Shi'ite "four books."

c. 395--Five schools of Islamic law widespread throughout House of Islam by end of 4th c. AH.

5TH CENTURY--SHI'ITE THEOLOGY SYSTEMATIZED

413--Mufid, historian, writes Kitab al Irshad, which becomes one of the earliest account of the lives of the Shi'ite Imams.

458--Tusi, theologian. collects two books of Shi'ite hadith, and begins to systematize Shi'ite theology.