history of the Middle East, 600-1500.

Write an organized, essay in response to the following question:

The later idealized version notwithstanding, from its inception in the early 7th century the
Islamic state was marked by political discord and social division. The terms and stakes
of these political and social differences changed as Islam grew from a small community
into a complex state, but some underlying themes remained the same. Ultimately these
differences contributed to the undermining of the state under the Umayyads. Comment,
with examples.