The Umayyads were the first Muslim dynasty—that is, they were the first rulers of the Islamic Empire to pass down power within their family. Under their rule, which lasted from 661 to 750 AD, the early Islamic community was transformed into the most powerful empire of the day. In many ways, the Umayyads defined how an Islamic Empire would be ruled. Nonetheless, their lack of descent from Muhammad, their controversial practice of handing down power from father to son, and their mistreatment of non-Arab Muslims made them a controversial dynasty, a topic of debate among Muslims even to this day, and ultimately led to their fall.
