Download Rise of Islam

The Rise of Islam
“Submission to the Will of Allah”
Entrance
to the
Ka’ba
The Bedouin people were tribal and nomadic
Some had settled down into towns and engaged in trading.
Present day Bedouin homes
Camels feeding on grass near the Desert
Bedouin watching his flock in the desert
Oases were scattered. Where they were you had cities or towns.
Trade routes would go from city to city, following the oases.
Oasis in the middle of the desert.
Large oasis near the city of Medina
Small Arab Oasis
Major Incense
Trade Routes
Incense Road
In the hidden valley at Sarif,
spring-fed ponds have been
cooling weary desert travelers
for 6,000 years.
The 2,000-foot Jebel Mahrat
escarpment blocks the monsoon
rains, creating a microclimate
where frankincense trees grow.
The City of Petra
Located in present-day Jordan,
Petra grew rich from the spice
trade. During the late Hellenistic
and Imperial period local worthies
engaged in a fantastic array of
construction, carving GrecoRoman façades from the living
rock.
Another
important
city was
Mecca
Mecca
•
Mecca was a commercial and religious center. Polytheistic.
•
It held a building called the Kaaba that, legend has it, was built by
Abraham and his son Ishmael. Contained within were many idols.
•
Because Mecca was a religious center, fighting and weapons
weren’t allowed. That enabled more effective trading to take place.
Who was Muhammad?
• Born around 570 in the city of Mecca
• He was a merchant and prospered
from several successful caravans sent
to Syria.
• He married his employer Khadija who
was his senior by several years.
• Khadija bore him several children
among whom four daughters survived.
• All but one predeceased their father.
Muhammad is the founder of the religion of Islam and is regarded by Muslims as a
prophet of God (‫هللا‬, Allāh), the last and the greatest law-bearer in a series of
prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other prophets. Muslims
consider him the restorer of the uncorrupted original monotheistic faith. He was
also active as a diplomat, merchant, philosopher, orator, legislator, reformer,
military general, and, according to Muslim belief, an agent of divine action.
Muhammad’s Religious Experience
• Discontented with life in Mecca, he
retreated to a cave in the surrounding
mountains for meditation and
reflection. According to Islamic
beliefs it was here, at age 40, in the
month of Ramadan, where he
received his first revelation from God.
• He was overcome by visions and
voices.
• He realized it was the angel Gabriel
who was telling him – ‘iqra’ or ‘recite’
• These Suras became the Q’uran
(Koran).
• Many of the early recitations dealt
with judgments and the end times.
The cave Hira in the mountain Jabal
al-Nour where, according to Muslim
beliefs, Muhammad received his first
revelation.
Muhammad’s Religious Experience
• Three years after this event
Muhammad started preaching these
revelations publicly, proclaiming
that "God is One", that complete
"surrender" to Him is the only way
acceptable to God, and that he
himself was a prophet and
messenger of God.
• The duty of human beings is to
surrender to this unique
omnipotent god, the Merciful, the
Compassionate; to surrender from
the bottom of one’s heart, with
one’s whole soul and mind.
• The word “Islam” means this
complete surrender to the Divine
will.
• One who practices such a
surrender is a Muslim. Same root
as salam – peace.
Muhammad Receiving Instruction
from the angel Gabriel
The Hijra – 622 CE
•
•
•
•
Merchants of Mecca did not take
to Muhammad’s message and he
left the city. Much of Mecca’s
economy is built on people
visiting the Kaaba and its idols
as part of a pilgrimage. If
Mohammed’s new religion starts
taking root, then people will stop
coming and their economy will
fall apart.
He went to the city of Medina
because he had been asked by
the leaders there to share his
message with them.
This journey to Medina is called
the hijra or hegira.
Muhammad was now convinced
that he was preaching the true
message of Abraham and Jesus
that had been distorted by the
Jews and the Christians.
Muhammad
arriving in
Medina
Gaining Influence and Followers
in Medina
The Buraq
• Mohammed also takes a tour of hell and heaven during this time.
• He’s taken from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night on the back a strange
beast called the Buraq. From there, he goes to heaven and meets Moses.
The Dome of the Rock
• The site from which Mohammed is believed to have ascended is one of
the holiest sites in Islam and is where the Dome of the Rock is in
Jerusalem on the Temple Mount.
This same rock is
believed by Jews to be
the slab upon which
Abraham bound Isaac
and nearly sacrificed
him (in Islamic
tradition, it was
Ishmael). And that it
was the rock upon
which the Ark of the
Covenant was put.
The Return to Mecca
• Eventually war erupts between the Medina faithful and the Meccans.
• Mohammed started raiding caravans headed to Medina. He Believed
this piracy was justified because the Meccans had taken the property of
the Muslims when they fled to Medina.
The Battle of Badr
• 300 Muslims confront
1,000 Meccans.
• Mohammed takes up a
defensive position and
relies on range weapons
such as slings and arrows.
• The Muslims also had
religious fervor on their
side while the Meccans
weren’t too enthusiastic.
• About 70 Meccans are
killed and another 70 are
taken prisoners. Only 14
Muslims fall.
War continues and Mohammed
conquers Mecca in 630. He spares
the populace that had opposed him
and most convert to Islam. He
proceeds to destroy all the idols in
the Kaaba. Hence, Islam takes root.
The Ka’ba
The Ka’ba predates Islam. It was
originally a pagan site with
hundreds of idols surrounding it.
In 630, Muhammad and his
followers returned to Mecca as
conquerors, and he destroyed the
360 idols in and around the
Ka’ba. While destroying each
idol, Muhammad recited
[Qur'an 17:81] which says
"Truth has arrived and falsehood
has perished for falsehood is by
its nature bound to perish.”
Muhammad at the Ka’ba.
•
•
•
•
•
The collection of the teachings Muhammad
received from Allah. Can only be read in
Arabic.
Muslims regard the Qur’an as the culmination
of divine messages that started with those
revealed to Adam, regarded in Islam as the
first prophet, and continued with the Scrolls of
Abraham, the Torah, the Psalms, and the
Gospel.
These books are not explicitly included in the
Qur’an, but are recognized therein.
The Qur’an also refers to many events from
Jewish and Christian scriptures, some of
which are retold in distinctive ways from the
Bible and the Torah.
The Qur'an itself expresses that it is the book
of guidance. Therefore it rarely offers detailed
accounts of historical events; the text instead
typically placing emphasis on the moral
significance of an event rather than its
narrative sequence.
The Q’uran
Muslims believe the Qur'an itself to be the main
miracle of Muhammad.
The Five Pillars of Faith
•
Faith – “There is only one god and
Muhammad is his prophet.”
•
Fasting – During the month of Ramadan –
changes every year because the Islamic
calendar is lunar.
•
Alms- Similar to the Christian tithe. Must
give a portion of their income to charity and
to spreading the faith.
•
Prayer – Must pray five times a day at
dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and in the
evening. Must be in Arabic. Must face
Mecca.
•
Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca. Must be made
once in your lifetime. However, the elderly
and the poor can send a representative.
The 5 Pillars of Islam
Faith
Prayer
Alms
(charity) Fastin
g
Pilgrimage
(Hajj)
The Hajj
Each pilgrim wears a simple draping
garment so that everyone is equal.
• Different parts to it, but it
culminates with walking
seven times around the
Ka’ba to replicated
Mohammed riding seven
times around it when he
conquered Mecca.
Religion
Judaism
God(s)
 Monotheistic
 belief in one powerful god
 Monotheistic
 belief in one powerful god
 c 2000 B.C
 c 30 A.D
Brief History
Hebrews settled near Ur in
Mesopotamia.
Diaspora (Scattering of
people): Migration to
Palestine then to Egypt
where they were enslaved.
By 1000 B.C they set up the
kingdom of Israel
Palestine, where most Jews
lived, conquered by the
Romans in 63 B.C
Jesus, a Jew, was born c 4
B.C in the Roman Empire
At age 30 he began preaching
to crowds. Word spread that he
had performed miracles.
Claimed to be a messiah, or
savior sent by God.
After the crucifixion of Jesus,
Apostles, or those who spread
Jesus’ message began
spreading Christianity
Sacred
texts/laws
The Torah (First five books
of the Bible’s Old Testament)
Laws: The Ten
Commandments
The Bible (both Old and New
Testament)
Laws: The Ten
Commandments
When the
religion began
Christianity
Islam
•Monotheistic
• belief in one powerful
god, Allah
 c 622 A.D
•The Angel Gabriel tells
Muhammad that there is only
one god.
• He attempts to spread Islam
in Mecca but is persecuted. He
flees to Medina where Islam is
more accepted. Eventually he
returns to Mecca and Islam
spreads there.
• Islam spreads quickly around
the middle east, north Africa,
and Spain.
•The Koran (Qu’ran)
•Laws: The Sharia &
The 5 Pillars.
5 Pillars of Faith
Aim: How did the Islamic Empire affect the societies which it conquered?
Analyze the map of the spread of Islam. To where does the religion spread? How
long did it take for Islam to spread to these areas? How do you think it was able to
spread so quickly?
After Muhammad
Unifying Forces of Islam
Shariah - System or code of laws
Regulated moral behavior, family life, business, govt. etc.
Helps followers to interpret the Koran and to apply it to everyday life
No separation of church and state
Applied Koran to all aspects of life (secular and religious)
Theocracy
Arabic language
Koran and prayer in Arabic only
Islam spread through two main avenues:
Military conquest, and Trade/Missionary activity.
The Rise of Islam
Muhammad unified the Arabic people both
politically and through the religion of Islam
The Will of Allah
Divide & Conquer
Fair Treatment
The Mighty Sword
Divide & Conquer
The Mighty Sword
Muslims were united in their belief in Islam,
and were inspired to spread the word of Allah
Byzantine and Persian Empires were
weakened from fighting against each other
Muslim rulers treated conquered fairly; many
converted to Islam; non-Muslims must pay a
special tax, but could practice freely
Arabs were strong fighters
Match each with
the correct
phrase above.
The Will of Allah
Fair Treatment
Why was Islam so attractive?
•Zoroastrianism was also too
closely associated with Persian
culture and so was not considered
a real option for the Arabs.
•Orthodox Christianity had become so
identified with Greek culture that it
seemed totally foreign and unrelated
to the life of the Arabs.
•
The Byzantine and Persian empires (especially the Byzantine) were considered
oppressive and cruel. To such an extent that during the Byzantine-Persian wars
the Jews sided with the Persians.
Islam’s attractIveness
• Provided an alternative to old
Arab class structures. Giving
poorer Arab a more equal status
with the more prestigious
families.
• Eliminated the inter-clan
fighting by removing local gods
and spirits and replacing them
with worship of Allah alone.
• The revered "black stone" (alHajar-ul-Aswad) becomes the
symbolic stone for all Arabs and
eventually all Muslims (since not
all Muslims are Arabs).
A Challenge to Christianity
The Caliphs
The death of Muhammad in 632 created confusion
in the Muslim community, for Muhammad had left
no details as to who should succeed him.
After a heated discussion by the senior members
of the community, Abu Bakr was selected as the
first caliph or “deputy”.
Abu Bakr became head of the state,
chief judge, religious leader, military
commander
The region ruled over by the
caliph is referred to as a
“caliphate”.
The Rightly-Guided Caliphs
•Those Caliphs who truly followed
in the Muhammad's foot steps are
called 'The Rightly-Guided
Caliphs'
•Abu Bakr
•Umar
•Uthman
•Ali.
•All four were among the earliest
and closest companions of
Muhammad
The Expanding Caliphates
Divisions Within Islam
Two sects develop after the death of Muhammad
Sunnis (90%) believed caliph (leader) should be chosen by Muslim leaders
Shi’ites (10%) believed the caliph had to be a relative of Muhammad
Sunni
• The largest of the
three sects.
• Dominated the early
Islamic empires.
• Believe that any
righteous Muslim
can become a
Caliph.
• This ideas was
heavily supported by
the Umayyad clan
after Muhammad’s
death.
Shia
• Originally led by
Muhammad’s father-in-law
and his cousin/nephew Ali.
• Believed that the Caliph
could only come from the
family of the prophet.
• Dominates Southern Iraq
and most of Iran.
• Ali was killed/martyred at
the battle of Karbala in
modern day Iraq.
• Being on the losing side is a
sign of righteousness – not
unlike early Christianity
and Judaism.
Sufi
• The mystical branch of Islam.
• The Whirling Dervishes of Turkey are the most famous
representatives.
• Because of its mystical leanings, it was the ideal form of
Islam for India because it fit in well with Hindu mysticism.
Film Clip
The Role of Sufis
•
Most effective missionaries; referred to as “Islamic Mystics”
•
Encouraged devotion to Allah by passionate singing or dancing
•
Sufis led ascetic and holy lives, won respect of the people
•
Encouraged followers to revere Allah in their own ways
•
Tolerated those who associated Allah with other beliefs
Characteristics of Islamic Society
1.
Strong commitment to the monotheistic belief system, resting on the Five
Pillars of Islam, first articulated by Muhammad and later elaborated on by
scholars and mystics.
2.
The development of overland and maritime trade and communication routes
that facilitated the spread of new crops, trade goods, and ideas, from improved
techniques in agriculture to the writings of the classical Greek philosophers.
3.
Engagement with and sometimes adoption of various cultural traditions
encountered by the far-flung realm and its trade contacts. Hence elements of
Persian, Indian, Christian, and Greek cultures found their place into Islamic
society and thought.
Compare these characteristics with what was happening in Medieval
Europe. Which were common to both societies?
The Umayyad Dynasty
661-750 C.E.
• In 644 CE a member of the powerful Meccan
Umayyad family, Uthman, was elected as caliph.
• In 656 Uthman was killed by a group of those
supporting Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad.
• Ali was then elected caliph but was opposed
by another Umayyad named Mu'awiyah, the
governor of Syria. Mu'awiyah claimed the
caliphate, fought with 'Ali, and emerged
victorious.
• In 661 Ali was assassinated and Mu'awiyah
founded the Umayyad dynasty.
Shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq
The Umayyad Dynasty
661-750 C.E.
• From that point on, the caliphate ceased to be a sacred position of leadership for
the entire Muslim community, and became instead a prize to be violently fought over.
• The Umayyads were able to change the
caliphate from an elected position to one that
was in effect hereditary.
• The Umayyads were also responsible for
expanding the dar al-Islam to North Africa,
Spain, and Central Asia
The Umayyad Great Mosque, Damascus
• With the Umayyad dynasty, the political center of Islam shifts from Medina to Syria.
The Umayyad capital was at Damascus. Followed a Byzantine type structure and
focused power in the Mediterranean. The dynasty survived roughly a century until
overthrown by the Abbasids in 750 CE.
Umayyad Expansion
Policy
Umayyad Policies
• Tightly run centralized government.
• Coins were stamped with Arabic words
and symbols, replacing the Christian and
Zoroastrian symbols that had previously
adorned Islamic coins.
• Established Arabic as the language of
administration
• Favored fellow Arabs and created
policies that reflected the interests of the
Arab military aristocracy.
• Ruled the dar-al-Islam as conquerors.
• Allowed conquered peoples to observe
their own religions but levied a special tax,
the jizya, on those who did not convert to
Islam.
Impact
• The Umayyad dynasty succeeded in
pulling the Islamic empire together into a
coherent state, eliminating the remnants
of the Arabs' nomadic lifestyle.
• Arabs gained from the monetary benefits
and growing wealth of the Umayyad
Dynasty.
• Arabs were appointed to positions such
as governor and administrators of
conquered lands.
• Deep Resentment among conquered
people and restiveness against Umayyad
rule ocurred.
The Umayyad Dynasty
• In 685AD the Umayyad Khalif, 'Abdul Malik ibn
Marwan, commenced work on the Dome of the Rock.
Essentially unchanged for more than thirteen centuries,
the Dome of the Rock remains one of the world's most
beautiful and enduring architectural treasures.
The Dome of the Rock
• Córdoba, the seat of the Umayyad rulers in Spain, was the centre
of cultural life. Its wonderful mosque has inspired Muslim poets
right up to the 20th century.
• The Nasri palace of Alhambra, in Granada, is one of the finest
examples of the high art and culture achieved by the Islamic
civilization in Spain.
• Women gained some rights. They were employed in the fields
of commerce and law and took greater control of household
operations.
The Moors
Umayyad Decline
• Failed attack of Constantinople in 717
weakened Empire.
• In 739, Berber subjects in North Africa
rebelled against the routine discrimination the
Arabs imposed on them.
• Class differences: The ruling class had
acquired great wealth from its territorial gains,
and its lavish lifestyle contrasted sharply with
the poverty faced by many of the empire's
subjects.
• Opposition group, led by descendants of
Muhammad's uncle, Abbas, called themselves
the Abbasids. After several military conflicts,
the Abbasids succeeded in overthrowing the
Umayyads in 750, and installed their own
caliph on the throne.
The Abbasid Palace, Baghdad
Abbasid Dynasty
750-1258 C.E.
• The Abbasid Family seized power in 750,
when it finally defeated the Umayyads in
battle and killed the entire family except
one man.
• The Abbasids also distinguished themselves
from the Umayyads by attacking their
secularism, moral character and administration
in general.
• The Abbasids also appealed to non-Arab
Muslims, known as mawali, who remained
outside the kinship-based society of Arab
culture and were perceived of as a lower class
within the Umayyad empire.
Abbasid Dynasty
• Did not look to expand the reaches of the dar al-Islam.
• Created new capital city in Baghdad. Moved away from the west and turned east
stressing more Persian elements.
Baghdad
The House of Wisdom
• Within a generation of its founding,
Baghdad became a hub of learning
and commerce. Under Abbasid rule,
Baghdad became a city of
museums, hospitals, libraries, and
mosques.
• Baghdad was one of the largest and
most cosmopolitan cities in the
world, home to Muslims, Christians,
Jews and pagans from across the
Middle East and Central Asia.
The Abbasid Palace in Baghdad
• By the 800's Baghdad probably had nearly half a million people (that is half as big
as Rome during the Roman Empire), and was the largest city in the world outside of
China.
Film Clip
Start at 3:55
The Golden Age
• This period of glory has become known as the "Golden Age" of
Islamic civilization, when scholars of the Muslim world made
important contributions in both the sciences and
humanities: medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry,
literature, and more.
•
Most of the famous Muslim scholars
from the 9th to 13th centuries had their
educational roots in
Baghdad. Here, teachers and students
worked together to translate Greek
manuscripts, preserving them for all
time. They studied the works of
Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, Euclid,
and Pythagoras.
• The House of Wisdom was home to, among
others, the most famous mathematician of the
time: Al-Khawarizmi, the "father" of algebra.
Harun al-Rashid
• Harun was a great patron of
art and learning, and is best
known for the unsurpassed
splendor of his court and
lifestyle. Some of the stories,
perhaps the earliest, of The
Thousand and One Nights
were inspired by the
glittering Baghdad court, and
King Shahryar.
Julian Köchert's painting of Harun alRashid receiving the delegation of
Charlemagne demonstrates diplomatic
contacts between their respective
domains.
• Harun built a palace in Baghdad, far
grander and more beautiful than that of any
caliph before him. He established his court
there and lived in great splendor, attended
by hundreds of courtiers and slaves.
Abbasid Art and Architecture
Paintings
Calligraphy
Great Mosque at Samarra
Achievements
Abbasid Decline
• Civil Wars between members of ruling
elite.
• Tension between Sunni and Shiite Muslims
and disputes over succession of caliphs.
• Corrupt and inept local leaders.
• Popular uprisings and peasant rebellions
weakened the dynasty
• Persian noble seized control of Baghdad in
945 and controlled Abbasids as figureheads.
The Mongols ended the
Abbasid Dynasty in 1258 CE
End of Islamic Golden Age