ABSTRACT
The development of Islam as a major institutional religion began during the eighth century, and the most influential developments took place in former Byzantine and Sasanian territories. The multiplicity of laws and customs across the vast Muslim-ruled areas (the Dar al-Islam) made it obvious that a universal system of Islamic law was needed, and the Shari‘a was the result. Some Muslims, however, felt that an emphasis on rules and regulations stifled the religious impulse, and they developed the mystical path known as Sufism. Meanwhile, still other Muslims became fascinated with the intellectual advances made by Indian, Persian, and Greek scholars, and the ground was laid for a new burst of cultural creativity.
