Rise of Islam

1. Rise of Islam Lecture

2. Islam- General Information • Estimated 1.5 billion adherents of Islam • Fastest growing religion in world today • Christianity :2.1 billion • Hinduism: 900 million • Chinese traditional religion: 394 million • Combination of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism • Buddhism 376 million • Judaism: 14 million

3. Islam- General Information • Islam’s founder is Muhammad • Is not seen as anything other than human • Clear difference of perception in Christianity’s Jesus of Nazareth • Islam founded in Middle East as was Judaism & Christianity • Arabian Peninsula

4. Islam- General Information • Islam became and is a “universalizing” religion • Islam is a “post-classical” religion • Arrived at a time when religion in Eurasia was becoming a unifying cultural & economic force • Within 150 years of its founding in 622 C.E. it had spread • throughout southwest Asia • into Europe • Into northern Africa

5. Origins of Islam • Began in Arabian Peninsula • Area called “Empty Quarter” • In area of a lot of uninhabitable desert • People in this area called Bedouins • Most organized into kinship-based tribes & clans • Tribes & clans often fought with one another over scarce natural resources • Medina & Mecca major trading towns with access to Red Sea

6. Origins of Islam • Struggle in land of Bedouins was based on family ties • Without your family or clan you probably would not have survived • Many disputes over water rights • Clan councils regulated this • Violations of water rights usually ended in revenge on violating clan • Virtually no one political leader in this region

7. Origins of Islam • Mecca founded by Umayyad clan of the Quraysh Bedouin tribe • Close to the Red Sea & was a large trade center • Mecca also a religious center • Home to many shrines & various spirits (polytheistic) • Most revered stone was the Ka’ba, or Black Stone • Stones represented spirits called jinns • Ka’ba contained idols representing many gods • One was called Allah

8. Origins of Islam • Bedouin religion blend of animism (spirits residing in ordinary objects) & polytheism • Quraysh recognized Allah to be a supreme deity • Mecca history changed significantly with the birth of Muhammad in 570 C.E.

9. Muhammad’s Early Life • Muhammad born into a powerful Meccan family • Orphaned at age six • Raised by a grandfather • Became a trader & business manager for a wealthy merchant’s widow, Khadijah • Muhammad as a merchant came in contact with monotheists: Jews & Christians • Took great interest in religion

10. Muhammad’s Vision • At age of 40 Muhammad had a significant religious experience • He described it as a vision from Allah • He often spent time alone in a cave outside of Mecca in prayer & meditation • Said he was visited by the Angel Gabriel as a messenger of Allah • He had other visions and these became the basic tenets of the Islamic faith • Recognized Allah as the one God

11. Muhammad’s Vision & New Threat • Muhammad shared his visions with friends & relatives • Began to have many followers • Umayyad political leaders & merchants began to feel threatened by him • New faith perhaps seen as disruption to those coming to worship the multitude of gods at the Ka’ba

12. Muhammad’s Mecca to Medina(Hijrah) • Muhammad’s actions set off rivalries within the clan & then with other clans • Area around Mecca was on the verge of civil war in 622 C.E. • Muhammad escaped Mecca & went to Medina where he had relatives on his mother’s side • In Medina he became the leader & mediated the disputes of Bedouin clans in the region • Flight to Medina from Mecca is called thehijrah • Is the founding date of the religion • In Muslim calendar the hijrah became year one

13. Muhammad as a Political & Military Leader • Not only a religious leader but a political & military organizer • Won followers who accompanied him on raids on Meccan caravans • Quraysh responded with series of attacks on Muhammad • Muhammad’s success at defense and counter-attacks won esteem for him in Medina • 628 C.E. Quraysh signed a treaty with Muhammad

14. Muhammad’s triumphant return to Mecca • 629 C.E. he returned to Mecca with 10,000 followers • They smashed all the idols of the shrine • Black Stone left as symbol of acceptance of Allah as the one god • Before his death (632 C.E.) citizens of Mecca were won over by Muhammad • Founding of umma, or Muslim community, now encompassed many clans • Clans became united under the banner of Islam

15. Islamic Beliefs • Upon Muhammad’s death Abu Bakr, becameMuhammad’s successor • Ordered those who acted as secretaries of Muhammad to organized his revelations into a book, the Qur’an • Qur’an believed by Muslim’s to be the sacred word of Allah • Complied around 650 C.E.

16. Islamic Beliefs • Second of importance to Muslim’s is the hadith, [hah deeth] • A collection of stories & teachings of Muhammad • Hadith exists in many documents • Islamic scholars have poured over the hadith for many years sorting out authentic stories from those that are not • Over time Muslim societies developed shari’a [shah-ree-ah] or laws based on beliefs in the Qur’an & hadith

17. Islamic Beliefs • During Muhammad’s life he accepted many monotheistic beliefs of Jews & Christians • Muhammad became known as the Seal of Prophets after his death by his followers • Meaning the last of the prophets sent by God to communicate with human beings • Prophets of Abraham and Moses are accepted by all three religions • Muslim’s do not see Jesus as the Son of God, but only as one of the prophets

18. Five Pillars of Faith in Islam • The confession of Faith– To become a Muslim, a person must make this statement: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet.” • Prayer – Muslims must pray five times daily, turned to face Mecca • Fasting – for one month of the Muslim year (Ramadan), Muslims must fast from sunup to sundown, demonstrating to the umma their commitment to the religion

19. Five Pillars of Faith in Islam • 4. Alms – the faithful mist give a portion of their wealth as alms to help the needy, a requirement that also helped to build cohesion in the umma • 5. Hajj – Once in a lifetime, any Muslim who could possibly do it is expected to make a pilgrimage (called the hajj) to Mecca to worship Allah at the Ka’ba. Every year this gathering in Mecca is still a highly viaible testament to the universal character of the religion

20. Other beliefs in Islam • Other customs, beliefs, & laws were followed • Muslims not to eat pork nor drink alcoholic beverages • A man could marry as many as four wives as long as he could support them • Marriage with non-Muslims was forbidden • Prayer led in local mosques (temples) • Islam stressed equality of all individuals and encouraged wealthy to take care of poor

21. Understanding the succession of Muhammad • Muhammad died in 622 leaving no successor • On afternoon of his death umma leaders met to select a caliph[kallif] • A political and religious successor to Muhammad • Ali, Muhammad’s cousin & son-in-law was passed over in favor of Abu Bakr • Abu Bakr [uh-boo-bak-er] was one of Muhammad’s earliest followers & closest friends

22. Understanding the succession of Muhammad • Under Abu Bakr, Muslim commanders raided into areas north of Arabia • As far as modern-day Iraq & Syria • Eastward into modern day Egypt • 100 years after Muhammad’s death Islamic lands stretched from northwest Africa and Spain in the west to Indus River in the east • Arabs under the banner of Islam took advantage of weakening post-classical empires • They were passionate about their faith

23. Understanding the succession of Muhammad (jihad) • Conquest of Islam came under the banner of jihad • Jihad originally was the term for “struggle” referring initially to the inner struggle to understand faith and be a submissive follower • Came to many followers to mean the defeat of non-Muslim areas

24. Understanding the succession of Muhammad • Success of Muslim armies was under scored with tensions of umma as to proper succession or who is the proper caliph • Of early caliphs, all but Abu Bakr were assassinated by rival clans • Fourth caliph was Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law who was assassinated in 661 C.E. • Set off a factional war

25. Understanding the succession of Muhammad (Shi’ites & Sunni) • Ali’s supporters said only legitimate members of Muhammad’s family (blood-line) could become caliph • This is the Shi’ite group today (minority) • Iran is mostly Shi’ite • Shi’ites disclaimed the authority of the first three caliphs & Ali’s successor, Muawiya—founder of the Umayyad Dynasty • Followers of Muawiya [Mu'āwiya] & successors became known as Sunni • Sunni’s believe early caliphs legitimate • Split continues today: Most Muslims are Sunni

26. The Islamic Dynasties • Two primary dynasties following the death of Muhammad • Umayyad Dynasty (661-750) • Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258) • Understanding the word “caliphate” • This is the word for an Islamic empire • A “caliph” is an Islamic religious and political leader • An Islamic theocracy is ruled by a caliph • A theocracy is a government run by God with the ruler or caliph being the interpreter of God’s word

27. Umayyad Dynasty (661-750) • In both the Umayyad and Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258) a caliph ruled over an increasing number of non-Arab people • First Umayyad caliph was Muawiya (Mu’āwīya)

28. Muawiya • Moved capital from Medina to Damascus • This move resulted in rule over many non-Arabs • Office of caliph became more powerful and imperial • Created a lavish palace • This differed from Muhammad’s original humble beginnings

29. Umayyad expansion • Umayyad military conquered east and west • In the east all the way through Afghanistan • In the west northern Africa and Spain

30. Umayyad Empire’s Government • Created a bureaucracy • Most of caliph’s government were Muslim Arabs who shared in rewards of conquest • Umayyad’s worked to keep interactions between Arab Muslims and subject people to a minimum • Didn’t work– a lot of intermarrying • Non-Arab Muslims still had to pay property taxes and a head tax • “People of the Book” (Jews & Christians or dhimmis) treated better, but still had to pay taxes

31. Uprising against the Umayyads • Those in the Muslim brotherhood were said to be part of the “umma” • Jews, Christians, and non-Arab Muslims were not considered part of the “umma” • Non-Arab subjects (mawali) joined with rebel forces in 740s • Demanded social and religious equality • Overthrew the Umayyad Dynasty

32. Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258) • Abbasids claimed to be descendants of Muhammad’s uncle • This made them more acceptable to Shi’ites at first • Abbasids learned from mawali rebellion that they must change the policy concerning non-Arabs • This change helped to make Islam a universalizing religion • Brought more non-Arabs into powerful positions of caliphate

33. Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258) • Capital of Abbasid Dynasty was moved from Damascus to Bagdad • This city became the center of Islamic Golden Age • What is a Golden Age? • Golden Age: • period of peace, harmony, stability, and prosperity

34. Decline of Abbasid Dynasty • Abbasids faced the same problem of the classical civilizations • How to centrally govern a vast, multi-ethic domain • Abbasids lost control in the fringes of its territories and then in territory close to Bagdad (during 100 year span) • Mongols finally defeated the Abbasids, but Islam became the cultural glue in its expanded territories • Today all regions conquered by Abbasids are Muslim except Spain

35. Golden Age of Islam • Golden Age of Islam occurred during the Abbasid Dynasty from about 800 to 1200 CE • Importance of surplus as a prerequisite to a Golden Age • Surpluses create prosperity and allow specialization • Prosperous societies create the ability to support scholars, artists, and development of technology • Agricultural methods improved, food supply increased, & large market places developed in: • Baghdad, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, & Toledo

36. Golden Age of Islam • Cities developed and became governmental and religious centers • Had elaborate mosques, public baths, governmental buildings, and religious schools • Many east Africa slaves were used for difficult jobs • Abbasid Dynasty at its height began to see caliphs living lavish lifestyles • Abbasid Muslim merchants prospered with trade in Indian Ocean routes

37. Major Contributions of Islamic Societies • Islamic societies became united through widespread use of Arabic language • Comparison to Inca in New World with Quiché language • Sacred belief that Qur’an could only be written in Arabic • Greatest literary art in Islamic societies was poetry • Also produced storytelling—The Thousand and One Nights

38. Major Contributions of Islamic Societies • Caliphs established urban universities called madrasas • Major contribution of these universities was to translate the writings of the ancient Greeks & Indians • Islamic universities saved and preserved the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Hippocrates, and other Greek scholars

39. Major Contributions of Islamic Societies • Development of Muslim art • Qur’an forbade any lifelike representation of human figure • Belief that only Allah could create human life • Fast forward to cartoons of Muhammad in modern society & understand the rage created • Some Persian art showed Muhammad with a veil over his face • Most Islamic art had a lot of geometric figures • Triangles, diamonds, & parallelograms

40. More on Islamic Art • Public buildings elaborately decorated with ceramic tiles, semiprecious stones, gold, and silver • Architecture featured columns and arches • Mosques featured great domes and minarets (towers for the call to prayer)

42. Islamic Societies Contribution to Math & Science • Arabs built on mathematical knowledge of Hindu scholars • concept of zero and number system based on 10 • Developed Arabic numerals that we use today • These numbers allowed development of al-jabr or algebra • Development of Arabic numerals is a marker event • Arabs made advancements in optical science, pharmacology, and anatomy

43. Decline of Abbasid Caliphate • Even though advances were made in the Arab societies, at same time Abbasid power was declining • Religious split continued between Shi’ites and Sunnis • Distance became a problem for the central government in Baghdad to control outer regions • Slave and peasant revolts began occurring • Abbasid caliphs became incompetent

44. Decline of Abbasid Caliphate • During 800’s areas in Africa & Arabia broke away from Baghdad control • Abbasids only legitimately controlled Middle East region • Abbasid caliph began using Seljuk Turks (nomadic group from central Asia) as soldiers • They were hired soldiers—excellent horsemen • By mid 11th century Seljuk Turks had more power than the caliphs • Turkish groups began feuding with each other and this opened the door for Mongol conquest in 1258 • Mongols destroyed the political framework, but Islam remained strong

45. Women in early Islam • Women in early Islamic societies generally had more rights than women in the areas that were conquered • Mohammad’s first wife Khadijah was a merchant business woman • Muhammad’s fouth wife (and widow) stood up for the rights of the Ummayads • Ali’s daughter, Zainab fought against the Ummayads

46. Women in early Islamic societies • Once Abbasid Dynasty began flourishing women’s rights for upper-class women became restricted • Harems eventually developed in Abbasid Dynasty and the veiling of women began • Harems became the secluded place of male wives and concubines (unofficial wives) • Protected by eunuchs