Muslim Civilization Section 1

Muslim Civilization Section 1

Muslim Civilization Section 1 Click the icon to play Listen to History audio. Click the icon below to connect to the Interactive Maps.

Muslim Civilization Section 1 Main Idea Reading Focus The Origins of Islam Muhammad, a merchant whom Muslims believe was the last prophet, reported that he received messages from God. The religion he taught Islam drew many followers. What was Arabia like at the time of Muhammad s birth? What were Muhammad s messages, and how were they received? What are some basic ideas of Islam?

The Arabian Peninsula Arabia was sparsely populated 1,500 years ago. Small bands of bedouins moved their herds between scattered oases in the desert. The Setting Religious Function Farming limited in Arabia Commerce lively Trade routes met at the Arabian Peninsula Ideas and merchandise exchanged Trade-dependent towns rose near coasts Mecca, near Red Sea, most important of coastal towns The Kaaba, cube-shaped structure, at heart of Mecca 500s, already ancient, considered sacred Possible meteorite built into one wall, relic from heaven Idols of local gods inside Site drew religious pilgrims One god considered supreme: Allah

Muhammad the Messenger Early Life Muhammad s Faith Muhammad ibn Abd Allah born 570 Parents died, Muhammad raised by uncle, powerful clan leader Grew up to have successful career in Mecca as merchant Married to older woman at age 25, fathered seven children, all but one of whom died young Met followers of Judaism, Christianity while traveling on business Had always been religious man, but faiths of others probably also influenced Muhammad s thinking Took frequent spiritual retreats Angel appeared to him during retreat, commanded him to speak messages from Allah Muhammad disturbed by visitation, unsure of meaning After more visits from angel, Muhammad concluded God had chosen him to be a prophet

Messages Among many messages from angel, Muhammad reported Allah one and only true and all-powerful God Other messages; instructions on how to live to please Allah, live in paradise Public Preaching Safety The Revelations Muhammad originally told only wife, few friends about experiences Began to preach in public after about three years, attracted many followers Some powerful Meccans did not accept teachings Many disliked Muhammad s criticism of traditional beliefs in many gods Only protection of uncle kept him safe After uncle s death Muhammad knew he and followers not safe in Mecca

Hegira 622, Muhammad moved to Yathrib, came to be called Medina, the Prophet s City ; journey from Mecca to Medina came to be known as hegira Later Muslims marked year of hegira as first year of Islamic calendar Building Faith Muhammad spent decade building community of fellow believers Called faith Islam, meaning achieving peace through submission to God Followers known as Muslims Mecca Sharing the Revelations People of Mecca who wanted Muhammad stopped did not give up Fought several battles with Muhammad, followers, ultimately lost ground 630, Muhammad controlled Mecca, influence unmatched

Basic Ideas of Islam As Muhammad gained political power, revelations continued Muhammad could not read, write; recited revelations Followers memorized words, some wrote them down Writings Muslims believe as direct revelations from God collected in Qur an, sacred text of Islam Qur an Five Pillars of Islam Muslims read from Qur an to hear Allah s teachings Seek religious experience in rhythm, beauty of words Full meaning known only in original Arabic language Translations not true representation Five basic acts of worship central to Islam, Five Pillars of Islam 1. Profession of faith 2. Five daily prayers 3. Giving of alms to poor, needy 4. Fasting during month of Ramadan 5. Make pilgrimage to Mecca

Profession of Faith There is no god but God Five Pillars of Islam By affirmation, Muslim signals acceptance of the faith Denies existence of other gods, accepts Muhammad as prophet Five Daily Prayers Worshippers say daily prayers five times during day Always face Mecca to pray, no matter where they are Giving Alms to Poor, Needy Muslims supposed to give percentage of income to charity Even those with little encouraged to help others Fasting During Ramadan Muslims required to go without food, drink, dawn to dusk Ramadan when Muhammad began to report messages written down in Qur an

Mecca Pilgrimage to Mecca Muslims physically, financially able required to go to Mecca Journey called the hajj Gather to pray in mosque Perform various rituals, walk seven times around Kaaba Climb Mount Arafat, site of Muhammad s last sermon

Guidelines for Behavior Qur an provides guidelines for moral behavior Muslims may not eat pork, drink alcohol, must wash before praying Qur an prohibits murder, lying, stealing Requires jihad, to defend Muslim community, also means holy war Sunna and Sharia Record of Muhammad s behavior, teachings known as Sunna, tradition, provides guidance in personal relationships, business Muslim legal system known as Sharia, reflects various rules by which Muslims should live, outlines method of reasoning, argument for legal cases, made up of opinions, writings over several centuries

People of the Book Islam monotheistic like Jewish, Christian faiths Islamic beliefs: Allah the same as God in Jewish, Christian traditions Abraham, Moses, Jesus messengers from God Muhammad, last of God s prophets Qur an represents God s final message Muslims told to respect Jews, Christians as people of the book; share tradition of prophets who taught, received God s revelations

Muslim Civilization Section 2 Main Idea Reading Focus The Spread of Islam After Muhammad s death, Islam spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula, shaping a major empire within 100 years. While the empire eventually broke into smaller parts, Islam continued to spread. How did Islam evolve after Muhammad s death? What were key events of the Umayyad dynasty? What changes occurred under the Abbasid dynasty? What led to the end of the caliphate s unity?

Islam after Muhammad s Death The death of Muhammad in 632 presented a challenge for the Muslim community. Who would lead the group and keep it unified? The answer affected the faith s spread and its future. Muhammad s Successors Priorities Expansion of Territory Muhammad had not named successor No clear candidate Abu Bakr, close companion, early convert, chosen leader, called caliph, successor Abu Bakr focused on bringing back bedouin tribes Built strong Arab fighting forces to keep tribes under control Reunified Arabia, led forces north Abu Bakr, successor Umar, expanded Muslim rule rapidly 637 early victory against Persian forces in Iraq 642 victory over Persian Empire complete

More Expansion After Iraq, Persia, Arab army faced wealthy Byzantine Empire to west Byantines first lost Damascus, Syria, Jerusalem 639, Byzantine province of Egypt fell; 642, rest of Nile Valley under Arab rule Empire Only 10 years after Muhammad s death, followers had created empire Conquests continued under later caliphs 661, caliphate stretched from northern Africa in west to Persia in East Internal Conflict and Division Deep conflict within Muslim leadership, began with choice of Abu Bakr, caliph Some had supported Muhammad s cousin, Ali 644, Ali lost again, to Uthman, supported by powerful Mecca clan Umayyad

Ali s Troubles Civil War Sunnis and Shias Umayyads had been Muhammad s enemies, converted reluctantly, were unpopular Uthman killed by rebels Ali became caliph Civil war broke out between Ali s forces and the Umayyad; Ali was killed, Umayyad regained control Most Muslims accepted the Umayyad caliph, Mu awiya Umayyad supporters were called Sunnis; followers of the Sunna, or way of the Prophet Ali s supporters refused to go along with Umayyads. Ali s supporters became known as the Shia, party of Ali

The Shia and Imams Shia believed God had specially blessed Ali s descendants Ali s descendants were Muhammad s true heirs Shia called each of Ali s successors imam Imam means leader For the Shia, only imams can interpret the Qur an.

Conflict Conflict deepened between Sunni, Shia after the deaths of Mu awiya, Ali Many thought Yazid, Mu awiya s son, successor, not a good Muslim Muhammad s grandson, Husayn, led rebellion against Yazid Husayn, forces defeated in battle at Karbala, Iraq Further Division Husayn killed while holding infant son, battle became known as the martyrdom of Husayn; split between Sunni, Shia has remained bitter Third group developed within Islam the Sufis Sufis seek mystical, personal connection with God, using range of practices including breath control and meditation in rituals

The Umayyad Dynasty Under the Umayyad caliphs, Muslim rule spread. Internal problems weakened the Umayyads, though, & led to their fall. Continued Expansion Umayyads strengthened rule after death of Husayn Achievements: Established Arabic as official language Made coinage uniform throughout empire Began first great work of Islamic architecture, Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem Military Conquests Armies conquered territory to borders of China, Indus River Valley, to east Took northern Africa, most of Spain, to west Conquests spread Muslim faith, while allowing religious freedom for People of the Book; some restrictions, taxes for Non-Muslims

The Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem, Israel

Umayyads strengthened central government as caliphate grew in size Arab Muslims became ruling class, with power, privilege unavailable to those they conquered Creation of privileged class conflicted with strong Muslim ideal of equality Wars over succession also upsetting to many faithful, unhappy with emphasis on political ambition End of the Umayyads Displeasure with Umayyads widespread Shia opposition continued Also unrest among conquered people, some Arab tribes Umayyads weakened by discontent, time ripe for rebellion Ruling the Empire Rebellion Abbasids, led by descendant of Muhammad s uncle, united many Umayyad opponents by appearing to support their causes Abbasids wiped out Umayyads in series of battles, late 740s Caliphate entered Abbasid dynasty

The Abbasid Dynasty Baghdad Abbasids relocated capital of caliphate; rulers lived in splendor Chose Baghdad, on Tigris River, in present-day Iraq Persian Influence Move to Baghdad beginning of end of Arab domination of Muslim world Abbasids adopted Persian style of government Government Rulers cut off from people Caliph hidden behind screen in throne room, could not be seen Used Persian officials; vizier, deputy, oversaw affairs of state Change in Islam Nature of Islam changed Abbasids invited all to join in, turned Islam into universal religion, attracted people of many cultures

A Changing Culture Importance of Trade Funding for Change Islam spread through trade Muslim traders journeyed from end to end of caliphate, exchanging goods and information Exchange brought Islam to West Africa, Southeast Asia Trade helped fund cultural achievement Most prominent Abbasid caliph, Harun al-rashid, helped bring culture to great heights, 786 to 809 Support of scholarship helped produce lasting achievements of Islamic arts, sciences

The End of Unity As early as the 800s, Abbasid political power weakened. By the 900s, a number of small, independent states broke away from the caliphate. Challenges from Europe Problems from Egypt European Christians weakened Muslim rule Christian armies began to drive Muslims out of Spain, 1000s European Christians began Crusades Wanted to make Holy Land Christian, won at first Muslims eventually retook Jerusalem 969, serious threat, Fatimid dynasty established in Egypt Claimed descent from Muhammad s daughter Fatimah From Egypt, controlled Mediterranean, Red Sea Disrupted Abbasid trade Fatamids soon richer, more powerful than Abbasids

Seljuk Turks Many non-arabs among peoples of caliphate, including Turks 1055, Turkish Seljuks rose to power, took control of Baghdad Seljuks were Sunni Muslims, supported Abbasid caliph War Against Byzantine Empire Mamluks and Mongols Seljuk Turks and Others Seljuks defended the Abbasids against the Fatimids, went to war against the Byzantine Empire, defeated the Byzantines at Battle of Manzikert Seljuks went on to create their own empire 1200s, Mamluks took power in Egypt, Syria 1258, Mongols destroyed Baghdad, killed Abbasid caliph; caliphate finished Islam still a vital force, spread to India, Central and Southeast Asia

Muslim Civilization Section 2

Muslim Civilization Section 3 Main Idea Reading Focus Society and Culture For the first Muslims, Islam was more than a religion. It was a guide to political, social and cultural life. The early Muslims responded with spectacular achievement in many fields. What were some key features of Muslim society? What were some of the accomplishments of Muslim scholarship? What were some of the contributions to the arts made by Muslim artists?

Islam affected almost all aspects of daily life, providing guidance on how Muslims should deal with many issues. The Family Islam set forth roles within family Man head of family Men could have several wives Husbands supposed to treat all wives equally Rights of women and children were protected Muslim Society Women Rights of women varied from clan to clan prior to Islam According to Qur an, women equal to men before Allah Women could inherit property, seek divorce in some cases Played vital roles Went into battle Influenced politics Lost status in Abbasid dynasty

Slavery Islamic texts also addressed slavery, common in Muslim Empire Qur an did not condemn slavery, required slaves be treated fairly Freeing slaves was praised as a religious act Treatment of slaves improved, but remained part of society, economy Economy Economic life of Muslim community built largely on commerce Merchants followed trade routes east, west across Arabian Peninsula Traders developed practical business methods, spread use of coinage, standardized weights, measures, extended credit Trade provided much of wealth to maintain empire, spread faith

Learning added to Muslim cultural unity. Scholars made essential contributions in several fields. Many later European intellectual achievements grew out of the work of Muslim scholars. A Culture of Learning Muslim Scholarship Vastness of Caliphate Contributions Scholarship thrived in the Muslim world Islam commanded followers to examine their world and seek evidence of Allah in its wonders Caliphate vast, included many different cultures Particularly influential were Greek, Persian, Indian civilizations Translation into Arabic of ancient Greek works Much work took place at House of Wisdom, maintained by government at Baghdad

Translations Valuable Contributions Muslim Spain Through translations from Greek, texts from Hippocrates, Euclid, Galen, Ptolemy made available to new audiences Texts stimulated further study throughout Muslim world Influence of texts extended to Europe; eventually translated into Latin, made available to European scholars Exchange point for much of knowledge Muslim scholar of Cordoba, Ibn Rushd wrote commentaries on Aristotle His work on relationship between reason, faith influenced not just Muslim but also Jewish, Christian thinking into the 1400s

Discoveries Muslim scholars explored astronomy Astronomy came to Muslim world through texts from Persia, India Almagest Astronomers Astronomy Most important influence on astronomy, Ptolemy s work, first translated into Arabic 800s Described movements of heavenly bodies, gave tables for predicting paths Muslim astronomers built observatories; helped create calendar still in use Muslims needed to predict phases of moon to plan religious festivals Perfected astrolabe, used in navigation to plot positions of stars, planets

Mathematics Muslims also made advances in mathematics From India, adopted symbols 0 through 9 Making its way to Europe, this system became known as Arabic numerals Algebra and trigonometry also came from Muslim thinkers

Muslim Civilization Section 3

Medicine and Beyond Medicine highly developed in the Muslim world Doctors in Baghdad had to pass rigorous tests in order to practice Baghdad had world s first school of pharmacy Muslim doctors developed many skills, including eye surgery Scores of different instruments invented, perfected Ibn Sina most well-known medical scholar of time Other Fields of Study History Geographers made many strides Empire included many different lands, people Pilgrims needed to find way to Mecca, travel guides written One geographer measured earth s circumference with much accuracy 1300s, Ibn Khaldun wrote history of world Historians still interested in comments Warned against basic errors like bias, praising rulers too highly in order to gain favor

Artistic Expression Like scholarly life, Muslim artistic expression rich, varied Developed distinctive features, influenced by many cultures in vast empire Arts and Literature Islamic Art Muslim artists worked in range of materials, wood, metal, ceramics, textiles Religious art does not contain human, animal figures Idolatry Believed portraying people, animals could tempt worship Worshipping anyone, anything besides Allah the worst possible sin Patterns, Designs Avoidance of figures led to use of geometric patterns, floral designs Intricate design known as an arabesque

Examples of Arabesque Art

Calligraphy Another distinctive feature of Islamic art, calligraphy beautifully styled writing Artists who produced copies of Qur an sought perfection in reproduction of word of Allah Artful representation of words became central part of Islamic art Calligraphy appears on walls of mosques, adorns many household objects

Muslim Architecture Architecture in Muslim world also developed distinctive features Several forms, plans for building mosques developed All have features in common Minarets, tall towers from which faithful called to prayer Domes Some show Persian, Turkish influence in designs

Qur an Literature Most significant written work in Islam is the Qur an Clear style, message have won millions of converts to the faith Influenced later development of Arabic language Nonreligious works Arabian Nights tells how beautiful young woman saved herself and other women from murderous caliph The tales were collected over time, include contributions from many countries Poets Produced works in several different languages Jalal ad-din Rumi s Persian language poems of 1200s still recited today Omar Khayyam s The Rubaiyat celebrates simple pleasures

Muslim Civilization Section 3

Muslim Civilization Section 3 Video The Impact of Islam throughout the World