Explain the term “High Caliphate.” Which period and which caliphates in the history of the Muslim World does this term refer to? Why? In your answers, make sure to discuss how far each of these caliphates represents a change in administrative, military, social, and economic traditions of the Middle East. Provide specific examples for your arguments.
What are the main sources of sharia? Describe them shortly and discuss how the Islamic law helped consolidation of the Muslim identity before and during the High Caliphate. In your discussion, you may want to pay close attention to the evolution of Sunni schools of law and the differences in Sunni and Shii approaches to Islamic law.