Download The Heritage of the Middle East

The Heritage of the
Middle East
What to Look for in the Unit:
• Islam was the third major religion to
come out of the Middle East and
spread around the world.
• Preserved ancient traditions and
cultures and also made advances of it’s
own.
• Arabs and than the Ottomans made
large empires in the Middle East and
North Africa.
• European imperialism helped to make
the Middle East fight for independence.
The Adventures of Ibn Battuta
• Left Morocco June 14th 1325 to go to
Mecca and see the tomb of
Mohammad
• Traveled the world for 30 years and
met over 60 monarchs
• Traveled over 75,000 miles by both
foot and camel caravan
• Visited the areas of:
– Nile Valley, Fertile Crescent, Asia
Minor, India, China and West Africa
• All of these areas were under the
Muslim Empire
The Beginning of Islam
• Muhammad became a prophet for the religion
known as Islam
• According to the beliefs over the next 12 years
God (Allah) talked to Muhammad and this
created the Koran
– Koran- the holy book of Islam (similar to the Bible)
• During 600-700 Islam spread across the Middle
East to Africa, Asia and Europe
• Almost 1/5th of the world’s people today are
Muslim
From a Manuscript
written in 1498
The Beginnings of Islam
• Begin in the Arabian Peninsula where it was mostly
desert area
• The people living there (Arabs) were mostly
nomads and lived all over
• Two biggest towns were Mecca and Yathrib
– Connected by a main trade route from Arabia to the
Mediterranean Sea
• Kabba- sacred shrine that housed the image of
Arab gods
• Black Stone- a meteorite that was believed to be
sent from heaven
• Both of these things existed before Muhammad’s
time
The Beginnings of Islam
Muhammad: The Prophet
• Born in Mecca around 570 A.D
• Worked for a wealthy widow named Khadija when
he was 25
– Led caravans across the desert to Syria and Palestine
• Married Khadija, who convinced him to go and fast
and pray and find God
• Had a vision of Gabriel (an angel) telling him to go
and spread God’s word
• Many Arabs did not believe that there was only
one God as Muhammad said and he left Mecca to
go to Yathrib (later called Medina) in 622 A.D
Muhammad: The Prophet
• Migrating from Mecca to Medina was called the
Hejira and was the turning point for Islam
• It was the beginning of the spread of Islam across
the region
• Captured Mecca in 630 and smashed all the
figures of other Gods in the Kabba than he
dedicated the Black Stone to Islam
• Muhammad died in 632 after having spread Islam
all the way across the Arabian Penisula
What is Islam?
• “La ilaba illa Allah: Muhammadun rasulu Allah.”
– Means- “No God but Allah: Muhammad is the
prophet of Allah.”
• The word Islam translates to mean “Submission”
• A Muslim is someone who submits to God
• This is the religion that spreads across the area
and through which large empires are created.
Comparison Questions
1.) Looking at Christianity, Judaism and Islam what are
some similarities that you might find between them?
2.) What are differences that you see between the
three of them?
The 5 Pillars of Islam: Duties of a Muslim
• First Pillar
– Proclaim that they only
believe in one God
(Allah)
– Accept that God’s
message was only
revealed to Muhammad
– They revere other
prophets like Abraham,
Moses and Jesus but
Muhammad is the most
important
– They do not worship
him as a God
• Second Pillar
– Must pray five times a
day
– Facing the holy city of
Mecca, wherever they
are in the world
– Prayer rugs and copies of
the Koran can be used
The 5 Pillars of Islam: Duties of a Muslim
• Third Pillar
– Charity to poor people and
people that are old
– Caring and compassion in
other words
– Remember that Islam
teaches non-violence as
well
• Fourth Pillar
– Fasting during the holy
month of Ramadan
– The ninth month in the
Muslim calendar
– Gabrial (the Angel) spoke
to Muhammad during this
month
– Also the month of the
hejira
– No eating or drinking from
dawn till sunset during
Ramadan
The 5 Pillars of Islam: Duties of a Muslim
• Fifth Pillar
– The Hajj- pilgrimage to
the holy city of Mecca
– All Muslims who are
able are required to
make the journey once
in their lives
– Imagine having to
travel to Mecca from
wherever you live
anywhere in the world
– To the right is a picture
of Mecca at the site of
the Kabba
The Koran
• This is the sacred book of Islam
• Believe that the Koran contains the exact words
of God as revealed to Muhammad
• Basis for all aspects of a Muslims life:
– Religion, Politics, Law, Economic and Social Issues
• For many years Muslims were forbidden to
translate the Koran from Arabic to any other
language
People of the Book
• Jews and Christians influenced the development
of Islam as Muhammad met them on his travels
• Similarities to the three religions:
– Monotheistic
– Believe in a final day of judgment
– Holy book and Prophet
– Teaching non-violence
– Ethical conduct (how to act and behave)
• Muhammad called Jews and Christians- people of
the book
– Ahl al-dhimma – protected people and were to be
treated with tolerance
Expanding Islam
• Spread very quickly after the death of
Muhammad
• By 732 Muslim Empire controlled from the Indus
River to the Atlantic Ocean (see page 572)
• Included peoples from:
– Persia, Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa and Spain
• Largest empire in the region in history
• Actually had an empire on three different
continents at the same time
– Asia, Africa, and Europe
Expansion of Islam
• Reasons for Success
– Arab armies were united
with their beliefs
– Jihad – struggle in God’s
service
– Lure of riches and wealth
– Many conquered peoples
found Islam appealing
– Muslims did not force their
religion on others
– People could worship their
own gods if they got
conquered
• Divisions within Islam
– Within 30 years of
Muhammad's death a
major division occurred
– Sunni and Shiite Muslims
split from one another
– Arguing over who should
become the next Caliphsuccessor to the Prophet
– This struggle still exists
today in the Middle East
Arab Empires
• Umayyad Dynasty
– 661 to 750 ruled the Arab
World
– Damascus, Syria was their
capital
– Emphasized Arab culture
throughout their reign
– Arabic was spoken and the
highest jobs went to Arabs
– Overthrown in 750 by nonArabs who felt
discriminated against
• Abbassid Dynasty
– 750 to 1258 ruled the Arab
World
– Baghdad, Iraq was their
capital
– Home to more than 1
million people at the height
of power
– Many building projects:
• Mosques, irrigation systems,
libraries, hospitals, public
baths and schools
– Included many different
peoples in their empire
Golden Age of Muslim Civilization
• Blended Greek, Persian and Indian cultures
• Wealthy and powerful trading empire gave them
money and influence
– Created banks and the idea of credit
– Receipts and Bills were created to organize and track
orders
• Learning and education were stressed
• Libraries and schools were setup that were well
ahead of anything in Europe at the time