ads ▁halt ed ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁expansion ▁into ▁Europe ▁for ▁almost ▁thirty ▁years . ▁ ▁The ▁set back ▁at ▁Constantin ople ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁further ▁revers es ▁across ▁the ▁vast ▁Muslim ▁emp ire . ▁As ▁Gib bon ▁writes , ▁" this ▁Mah omet an ▁Alexander , ▁who ▁s ighed ▁for ▁new ▁world s , ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁preserve ▁his ▁recent ▁con quest s . ▁By ▁the ▁universal ▁defe ction ▁of ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁and ▁Afr icans ▁he ▁was ▁re called ▁from ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ." ▁His ▁forces ▁were ▁directed ▁at ▁putting ▁down ▁re bell ions , ▁and ▁in ▁one ▁such ▁battle ▁he ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁ins urg ents ▁and ▁killed . ▁Then , ▁the ▁third ▁governor ▁of ▁Africa , ▁Zu he ir , ▁was ▁over th rown ▁by ▁a ▁powerful ▁army , ▁sent ▁from ▁Constantin ople ▁by ▁Const antine ▁IV ▁for ▁the ▁relief ▁of ▁Car th age . ▁Meanwhile , ▁a ▁second ▁Arab ▁civil ▁war ▁was ▁ra ging ▁in ▁Arab ia ▁and ▁Sy ria ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁four ▁cal i ph s ▁between ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁in ▁ 6 8 0 ▁and ▁the ▁asc ension ▁of ▁Abd ▁al - Mal ik ▁in ▁ 6 8 5 , ▁and ▁was ▁on going ▁until ▁ 6 9 2 ▁with ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁re bel ▁leader . ▁ ▁The ▁Sar ac en ▁Wars ▁of ▁Justin ian ▁II ▁( r . ▁ 6 8 5 – 6 9 5 ▁and ▁ 7 0 5 – 7 1