uccessor, assumed leadership. The two caliphs succeeding Muhammad furthered the Islamic cause by conquering vast territory. Their culture infiltrated lands "from the Pyrenees and Atlantic coast in Spain to the Indus Valley of India and China's far western borders (Andrea 88)." Their world community called Dar al-Islam spread across land and included non-Muslim peoples. Muslims allowed the Christians living in this realm to continue practicing Christianity. However, the Pact of 'Umar, a political document, succinctly laid out the requirements of Christian observance within the presence of Muslims. Although it was a restricted existence for the Christians, the Muslims did practice and offer tolerance towards this disparate religion. At least the Muslims didn't savagely murder Christians, which was the strategy for the Christian crusaders. How did the Christian crusaders re-conquer the territory they considered to be theirs? The Islamic leaders slowly lost control over their lands due to internal factional differences. Therefore, the Christians were able to make advancements towards the campaign of the re-conquista, the conquest. Although the Christian crusades were slowly fought, in fact, it took over three centuries to re-acquire their lost territories (A.D. 1000-1300), they secured their presence within the region by utilizing tactics that became firmly established in the campaign that also fought in the name of God. This, indeed, was a fight justified in the name of God. It was the Christians who believed they were the real inheritors of God's greatest offering for humankind: the after-life, heaven. Christians viewed the conquest as a legitimate expression of Christian piety against the Muslims. While the Muslims believed that Muhammad was the last great prophet and the Koran is the final word of Allah, Christians rejected this view. Moreover, Christianity believed that Jesus Christ was the last prophet and savior o...
