Ask AI: What are some of the places that Islam spread to in the centuries after its origin?

Islam originated in the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula (modern-day Saudi Arabia), and in the centuries after its origin, it spread to a wide range of regions through trade, conquest, missionary work, and diplomacy. Some of the major places that Islam spread to include: **1. The Middle East:** - The Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan) - Iraq - Egypt and North Africa **2. North Africa:** - Libya - Tunisia - Algeria - Morocco **3. Sub-Saharan Africa:** - Sudan - Mali - Niger - Nigeria (Especially via trade routes across the Sahara) **4. The Iberian Peninsula (Europe):** - Spain and Portugal (known as Al-Andalus, under Muslim rule from the early 8th century until the late 15th century) **5. The Indian Subcontinent:** - Present-day Pakistan - India - Bangladesh **6. Persia and Central Asia:** - Iran (then known as Persia) - Afghanistan - Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (Spread along the Silk Road) **7. Southeast Asia:** - Indonesia (now the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country) - Malaysia - Brunei - Southern Philippines - Southern Thailand **8. Anatolia:** - Modern-day Turkey (especially after the Seljuk and then Ottoman empires) Each region experienced a unique blending of Islamic beliefs with local cultures, resulting in diverse expressions of Islam around the world.