Download Ch. 6. Sec. 2: Origins of Islam PowerPoint

History of the Islamic World
Chapter 7
Mr. Gahsman
Social Studies 7
Origins of Islam (Section 1)
• Life in a Desert Land
– Arabian Peninsula (Arabia) in SW Asia
– At the intersection of Africa, Europe and Asia
– Physical features and Climate
• Very hot and dry
– Summer temperatures reach 100° daily
• Bands of desert
– Sand dunes can rise up to 800 feet
• Limited amount of water
– Mostly located at an oasis
– Oasis = A wet, fertile area in a desert
» Key stops along Arabia’s overland trade routes
– Two Ways of Life
• Nomads
– Lived in tents
– Raised herds of sheep, goats and camels
» Provided milk, meat, wool and leather
» Camels carried heavy loads
– Traveled the desert in search of water and food
– Divided into tribes
• Arabs
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Lived a more settled life
Made homes in oases
Built towns on trade routes
Sold spices, gold, leather and other goods
• A New Religion
– Muhammad Becomes a Prophet
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Born to an important family
Born in Mecca in A.D. 570
Married Khadijah at age 25
Concerned about how the poor were mistreated
Would go to the hills to meditate
– Received a message from an angel…”Recite, Recite!”
– Told to spread the message of God (Allah)
• The messages he received are the basis for the religion
of Islam
– Islam = Arabic for “to submit to God”
– Muslims = People who follow the religion of Islam
– Qur’an (Koran) = The holy book of Islam
– Muhammad’s Teachings
• Started to share his messages in A.D. 613
• Monotheistic (believed in only one God)
• All people who believed in Allah were bound together like members of
a family
– Allah = Arabic word for “God”
• People should help others who are less fortunate
– Islam Spreads in Arabia
• Muhammad began to attract followers
• Mecca’s rulers plotted to have Muhammad killed
• Muhammad moves to Medina in A.D. 622 (The Hegira)
– Hegira = Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina
– A.D. 622 is the first year of the Muslim calendar
• Muhammad becomes a spiritual and political leader
• Muhammad’s house became the first mosque
– Mosque = A building for Muslim prayer
• Muhammad’s army fought against Mecca
– Muhammad wins in A.D. 630
– Most people in Mecca accept Islam as their religion
– Islam spreads to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula
• Muhammad dies in A.D. 632
Islamic Beliefs and Practices
(Section 2)
• The Qur’an
– Muhammad’s messages were originally
memorized and not written down
– After Muhammad’s death, the messages were
collected and written down in a book called the
Qur’an (sometimes spelled Koran)
– The Qur’an is considered to be the exact word of
God as it was told to Muhammad
– Beliefs
• There is only one God (Allah) and Muhammad is his prophet
• People must obey Allah’s commands
• The world has a definite beginning and will someday end
– On the final day, God will judge all people
– Those who obeyed God’s orders will be granted eternal life in
paradise
– People who did not obey God, will suffer
– Guidelines for Behavior
• Must wash before praying
• Not allowed to eat pork or drink alcohol
• Jihad = “to make an effort or to struggle”
– Refers to the inner struggle people go through in their effort to
obey God and behave according to Islamic ways
• The Sunnah
– Muslims also study the Hadith
• Hadith = The written record of Muhammad’s words and
actions
• Hadith is the basis for the Sunnah
– Sunnah = The way Muhammad lived, which
provides a model for the duties and the way of life
expected of Muslims
– Guides Muslims’ behavior
– The Five Pillars of Islam
• Five acts of worship required of all Muslims
• First Pillar = Statement of faith
– At least once in their lives, Muslims must state their faith by
saying “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his
prophet”
» Said when they accept the religion of Islam
» Often said during daily prayers
• Second Pillar = Daily prayer
– Must pray five times per day
» Before sunrise, at midday, in late afternoon, right after
sunset and before going to bed
» Call goes out from a mosque
» Muslims try to pray together when possible
• Third Pillar = Yearly donation to charity
– Must pay part of their wealth to a religious official
– Donated money is used to help the poor, build mosques or
pay debts
• Fourth Pillar = Fasting
– Fasting = Going without food or drink
– Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan
» Fast between dawn and sunset
• Fifth Pillar = Pilgrimage to Mecca
– Must travel to Mecca at least once in their lives if they can
– Visit the Kaaba in Mecca
» Kaaba = Islam’s most sacred place
» Hajj = The religious pilgrimage to Mecca
– The Sunnah and Daily Life
• Sunnah has other examples of Muhammad’s actions
and teachings
– Treat guests with generosity
– Stay out of debt when you can
– Obey your leaders
• Islamic Law
– The Qur’an and Sunnah form the basis of Islamic Law
called the Shariah
• Shariah = Islamic Law
– No distinction between religious beliefs and daily life
– Sets rewards for good behavior and punishment for
crimes
– In modern times, many countries mix Shariah with
other legal systems
– Shariah is not found in one book
• A set of opinions and writings that have changed over the
centuries
• Different Muslim regions have variations on Shariah
Muslim Empires (Section 3)
• Islam Splits
– In the mid-600’s, Islam split into two major divisions
• Shia
• Sunni
– Split was caused because of a disagreement over who should lead Islam after
the death of Muhammad
• Shia believe that only people descended from Muhammad could become Caliphs
– Caliph = A title that Muslims use for the highest leader of Islam
• Sunni believe that any good Muslim could become Caliph and did not have to be
descended from Muhammad
– Some Muslim empires (and countries) are mostly Shia and some are mostly
Sunni.
• Between 25 and 35% of Muslims are Shia
• Countries with a Shia majority
– Iran
– Iraq
– Azerbaijan
• Countries with a Sunni majority
– Saudi Arabia
– Pakistan
– Afghanistan
Cultural Achievements
(Section 4)
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Science and Philosophy
– Astronomy
• Built observatories
• Improved the understanding of time
– Built more accurate clocks
• Improved the astrolabe
– Astrolabe = A device used to determine
a person’s location on Earth
– Geography
• Traveled widely
• Ibn Battutah – Traveled to Africa, India, China
and Spain in the 1320’s
• Drew more accurate maps
– Philosophy
• Studied classical writings from the ancient Greeks
• Believed in the importance of reason
• Developed Sufism
– Sufism = A philosophy that taught people they could find
God’s love by having a personal relationship with God
– Math
• Combined ancient Indian math concepts with ancient
Greek to get the number system we use today
– Including the concept of zero
• Developed algebra
– Medicine
• Some of the greatest Muslim achievements
• Combined Greek and Indian knowledge with new
discoveries
• Started the world’s first pharmacy school
• Built hospitals to cure serious diseases like smallpox
• Avicenna = Muslim doctor recorded Muslim medical
knowledge in an encyclopedia
– Used throughout Europe until the 1600’s
– One of the most famous books in the history of medicine
• Literature and the Arts
– Literature
• Poetry was very popular
– Influenced by Sufism
– Omar Khayyam = Famous Muslim poet
» Wrote many famous works
• Rubaiyat = Collection of his poetry
• The Thousand and One Nights
• Stories about legendary characters
• Sinbad
• Aladdin
• Ali Baba and the 40 thieves
– Visual Arts
• Built beautiful mosques
– Featured large domes and minarets
» Minarets = Tall towers from where Muslims are called
to prayer
• Also built palaces, marketplaces and libraries
• Most Muslim art does not show people or animals
– Usually complex geometric patterns
• Used a lot of calligraphy
– Calligraphy = Decorative writing