Download Rise of Islam

Why do you think people switch
religions?
Islam Spreads
Goals/Objectives
• Who were Muhammad’s successors and
how did they spread Islam?
• What was the Umayyad Caliphate?
• What caused the split in Islam (Sunni vs.
Shi’a)?
Muhammad’s Successors
• 1st 4 are “Rightly Guided” Caliphs
• After Muhammad died - Many abandon
Islam
Abu-Bakr - 1st Caliph
• Invoked Jihad
• Inner struggle against evil
• Armed struggle against non-believers
Umar
• Muslim armies conquered Syria
• Lower Egypt (part of Byzantine)
Uthman and Ali
• Spread Islam even further
• Not as much as Abu-Bakr and Umar
• Both murdered
Why so Successful?
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Fought to defend Islam
Armies disciplined
Weakness in Byzantines and Sassanids
Persecuted people in Empires
Equality and economic benefit
Conquered People
• Allowed to follow own religion
• Must pay tax
• Christians and Jews could not spread
religion
Internal Conflicts
• Uthman and Ali murdered --> How to
choose next caliph?
• Umayyads come to power
Umayyad Dynasty
• Move capital to Damascus
• Easier to control conquered territories
• Surrounded with $
Sunni vs. Shi’a
• Most Muslims accepted Umayyads’ rule
(Sunni)
– Followers of Muhammad’s rule
• Shi’a believed Caliph needed to be
descendant from Prophet
• Sufi - rejected life of Umayyads.
– Life of poverty and devotion to spiritual path.
Abbasids
• Took control of empire
• Rebels overthrew U’s
• Move capital to Baghdad (trade)
Fatimids
• Independent Muslim state
• Caliphate claimed descent from
Muhammad’s daughter
• N. Africa to western Arabia, Syria
Expansion
Trade Network
• Arabic
• Dinar - Single
currency
• Banks in cities
• Sakks “Checks”