Download Section 4: Islam`s Golden Age

Section 4: Islam’s Golden Age
Omar Khayyan was a skilled Muslim
astronomer and mathmetician
 From 800 to 1100 is viewed as a brilliant
in world history

 A society can only reach the point of great
art and progress if it has money!
○ The Islamic world had plenty of money

Islamic Empire was rich from the many
lands it controlled and from trade
 Baghdad was the capital during the Golden
Age
 Traders from all over brought their goods to
the Caliph
○ This was Muhammad’s successor and the
person with the right to rule

Harun ar-Rashid: Caliph of Baghdad
 This was a time of prosperity
 He lived a life of luxury during his rule
 He was a patron of the arts
○ He paid skilled writers, musicians, dancers,
and artists to live in Baghdad
○ He rewarded the works that pleased him

Tolerance was a major feature of Islam
during the golden age
 Jews and Christians who accepted Muslim
rule were free to practice their religions
 Non-Muslims were allowed to govern their
own communities
○ They paid higher taxes than Muslim subjects
and were not allowed to carry weapons
○ They were not required to serve in the military

Benefits of tolerance
 Jews and Christians helped to create Islam’s
golden age
○ Example of this= Maimonides, was a Jew
living in the Muslim Empire
 He was a doctor who wrote about how people could
believe in science and religion at the same time

Intellectual achievements
 Scholars made contributions to science,
Mathematics, and Medicine
 Stories like “Aladdin” were written and
collected from all over the Empire
○ These works were a collection of Indian and
Persian fairy tales, Egyptian romances and
Arab legends and love stories
 Serious works of poetry were also written
○ These poems were used to teach ideas and
beliefs
 The Sufis were a group of Muslims who
used poetry
○ They thought the world would reveal its
mysteries to the seeker who makes careful
observations
○ Sufis tried to be closer to God through prayer
and a simple life
 They had little respect for religious authority
○ The most Famous Sufi poet founded the
religious group called the Whirling Dervishes
in the west