I. The Rise of Islam A. Arabs come from the Arabian Peninsula. Most early Arabs were polytheistic. They recognized a god named Allah and other gods.
1. Mecca and Muhammad Mecca was a great trading center on the Red Sea A wealthy Meccan, Muhammad, was troubled by the greed of wealthy people. The angel Gabriel visited him and gave him revelations from God (Allah). Muhammad told these teachings to his disciples, who wrote them down in the Quran (Koran).
According to the Koran: Allah is the one true God (monotheism) Moses and Jesus were prophets of God, Allah However, the final revelations of God were revealed through the prophet Muhammad Islam means submission to the will of Allah A Muslim is one who submits to Allah A Muslim follows the ethical guidelines contained in the Koran
2. The Hijrah - In 622 A.D., after three years of preaching, Muhammad had thirty followers. He and his supporters moved north to Medina and won support from the people. This movement was called the Hijrah.
3. In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca with 10,000 men and converted most of the city.
C. The Five Pillars of Islam acts of worship 1. Faith - There is one god (Allah) and his messenger is Muhammad 2. Prayer - Pray five times a day (toward the Kaaba) 3. Charity - Give part of their wealth to the poor 4. Fasting - Refraining from food and drink from dawn to sunset through Ramadan 5. Pilgrimage - Making the journey to Mecca once in a lifetime (at least). This is called the hajj.
II. Islamic Practices A. After Muhammad s death, scholars developed shari ah law, which provides believers with a set of practical laws to regulate their lives.
1. Shari ah Law rules for family life (marriage), business, government, morality Some prohibitions: Gambling Eating certain foods Drinking alcohol Lying, cheating, stealing
B. Mosques were established as a place of worship for Muslims. The muezzin calls the faithful to prayer from the minaret. Call to prayer The Great Mosque of Samarra. The Muezzin, or crier, calls the faithful to prayer five times a day from the minaret
In the tradition, Abraham built a structure called the Kaaba where he worshipped. The Kaaba is inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca. It is the holiest place in Islam.
The Arab Conquest Muhammad had no sons. Abu Bakr was named Muhammad s successor, or caliph. Under Abu Bakr, the Arabs began to conquer and spread into nearby lands. Muslim holy war is called jihad.
The spread of Islam
III. The Umayyad Dynasty A. An Arab general gained control of the caliphate and made it hereditary in his family. This became the Ummayad dynasty, whose capital was Damascus. Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
Random review Mecca why important? Koran Muhammad Hijrah Five Pillars of Islam name them shari ah law mosque muezzin Minaret hajj Kaaba hijab caliph Ummayad dynasty jihad
1. By 750 A.D., under the Umayyads, the Arabs moved through northern Africa into Spain. The advance was stopped in France in the West. In the East, the Byzantine Empire was a barrier to the intrusion of Islam for a while.
a) Islam splits in two 1) The Shia (Shiites)- accept only the descendents of Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad, as caliphs. Many Shia Muslims live in modern Iraq and Iran. 2) The Sunni accepted the Umayyads as caliphs. Worldwide, Shia are the minority, and Sunni the majority.
The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258) The Abbasids overthrew the Ummayads Built new capital at Baghdad in Mesopotamia The Arabs had conquered many of the richest provinces of the Roman Empire Baghdad was a center of an enormous trade Empire
The Abbasid Empire, 800
The Seljuk Turks Seljuk Turks: nomads from Central Asia Converted to Islam and served as soldiers for the Abbasids In 1055, Seljuk Turks overthrew the Abbassids The Seljuk leader was known as the sultan The Seljuks put pressure on the Byzantine Empire The Byzantines turned to the West for help
The Crusades In 1095, the Byzantine (Roman) Emperor asked western Europe for help fighting the Muslims Western Europeans began to fight the Muslims to retake the Holy Lands These wars were known as Crusades In 1096, the first crusades began to retake Muslim areas. After initial success against the Muslims, Christian forces were expelled by Saladin in 1169.
The Crusades
Effects of the Crusades Europeans came in contact with Islamic cultures Trade routes developed between Europe and Asia Europeans began to desire (demand) luxury goods from the East, like silk and spices The Crusades brought Islamic achievements in philosophy, math, and science to Europe
The Mongols The Mongols were nomadic people from Central Asia The Mongols captured Persia and Mesopotamia, ending the Abbasid dynasty. A group of Turks, the Mamluks, established the new center of Islam in Cairo. Ghengis Khan, the Mongol leader, created the largest Empire in world history
The Mongol Empire
Mamluk Empire
Prosperity in the Islamic World The Arab Empire was prosperous due to its trading system. Extensive trade was carried out within the empire. The Arab Empire was urbanized. Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus were commercial and cultural cities in the Arab Empire. Cordoba was Europe s most populous city in the 10 th century. Public buildings, fountains, and bazaars (marketplaces) were important parts of Muslim cities
The Great Mosque in Cordoba (Spain)
A bazaar
The impact of Islam on world history Islamic achievements in philosophy, science, history, and the arts had an important influence on European civilization.
Philosophy, Science, and History Muslim scholars translated the works of Aristotle and the Greek philosophers into Arabic. Many ancient Greek works were preserved by the Arabs. The Iberian Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd (Averroes) wrote a commentary of virtually all of Aristotle s works
Effects of the Crusades Europeans came in contact with Islamic cultures Trade routes developed between Europe and Asia Europeans began to desire (demand) luxury goods from the East, like silk and spices The Crusades brought Islamic achievements in philosophy, math, and science to Europe
Mathematics Muslims adopted and passed on the numerical system of India, including the use of zero. The mathematical discipline of algebra was also developed by Muslims.
Science and History Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) wrote the medical encyclopedia that became the European standard for centuries. Ibn Khaldūn was a prominent historian who wrote about the cyclical life of civilizations. Muslims perfected the astrolabe, an instrument used for navigation. The astrolabe allowed Europeans to sail to the Americas.
C. Women in Islam- In many Islamic societies, women are expected to cover themselves in public such as with the hijab (headscarf). Women are expected to have a male guardian in public Men may marry more than one wife. This is called polygamy.
Dress of some Muslim women
Random review Shia (Shiites) Sunni Abbasids Umayyads Baghdad Seljuk Turks sultan Crusades Holy Lands Saladin Mongols Mamluks Ghengis Khan Cordoba bazaars Rushd (Averroes) algebra Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) Ibn-Khaldūn polygamy