Download The Spread of Islam

The Spread of Islam
Section 3
7.2.4
• Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule
through military conquests and treaties,
emphasizing the cultural blending within
Muslim civilization and the spread and
acceptance of Islam and the Arabic
language.
Background Knowledge
• By the time Muhammad died, most people
on the Arabian Peninsula had converted to
Islam.
• Expansion of Islam and Muslim rule
• Islam in the world today
Muslim Expansion
• The first was a wave of
conquests by Arab armies.
• The second was a series of
conquests by non-Arab
groups that had adopted
Islam.
– the conquered or converted
peoples
• The final phase was the
peaceful spread of Islam by
merchants and
missionaries.
• a new leader to win back the loyalty of Arab tribes
who had broken away.
•Abu Bakr, was given the title of caliph, or successor
•regain control of the Arabian Peninsula
• The next caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab
– Mesopotamia, Palestine, and Syria. Then, Persia and Egypt.
• Conquests continued under other caliphs
– Afghanistan and India and across North Africa and into Spain
• Battle of Tours in 732
– 100 years the Muslims had built an vast empire
Reasons for Success
The decline of the Byzantine
and Persian empires.
– Years of warfare had left these
empires weak and vulnerable.
• The skill of Arab armies.
– expert soldiers on horseback
– struck quickly and with deadly
force in harsh desert
environments
Reasons for Success
– jihad, or “holy struggle.”
striving hard in God’s
cause. Sometimes it means
a person’s internal struggle
to live by Muslim principles.
But it can also mean
waging war to spread the
Islamic faith.
Religious Tolerance
• The Arabs generally allowed people to
practice their own customs and
beliefs.
– the Torah and the Bible are sacred books
• Before capturing Damascus, the Arab
general Khalid ibn al-Walid made the
following promise:
– Jews and Christians were generally
respected as “People of the Book.” did not
have the same legal status, pay a special
tax. But they were allowed to practice their
own faith and follow their own laws.
Religious Tolerance
• A final factor in the Muslims’ success was
the appeal of Islam itself.
– Islam offered followers a direct path to God
and salvation.
– It emphasized the equality of all believers,
regardless of race, sex, class, or wealth.
– no priestly class monitoring people’s behavior.
– follow the Five Pillars.
Conquests by Non-Arab Peoples
• The second phase, was a result of
conquests by non-Arab peoples
– Converts who took Islam back to their
homelands and lands that they conquered
• The most successful of these groups
were the Turks and the Mongols.
Conquests by Non-Arab Peoples
• The Turks from Central
Asian migrated into Muslim
lands in the 900s.
– These fierce soldiers entered
the service of Muslim armies
– The Seljuks, spread Islam into
Central Asia.
• The Ottomans, created a
large Muslim empire starting
in the 1400s.
– conquered Constantinople and
carried Islam into southeastern
Europe
Conquests by Non-Arab Peoples
• The Mongols swept into
Muslim lands from Asia in
the 1200s.
• After adopting Islam, they
took Islam into Central
Asia and western China.
– Muslim Mongols also
invaded India and
converted many Hindus to
Islam.
Merchants and Missionaries
• Southeast Asia, and West Africa
experienced the third peaceful
phase in the spread of Islam
• Muslim merchants they took
their faith to new lands.
– traveled east from India by ship
into Malaysia and Indonesia
– traveled south in camel caravans
from North Africa into the lands
beyond the Sahara
Merchants and Missionaries
• Missionaries often
accompanied the traders to
spread the word of God.
– They converted many
Africans and Southeast
Asians to Islam.
Islam Today
• The spread of Islam is still going on today.
Islam is the religion of many people
around the world.
The Growth of Modern Islam
• Islam is the world’s second-largest religion after
Christianity.
– More than one billion people
– one fifth of the global population
• fewer than 20 percent of Muslims are Arabs
– Nearly half live in South and Southeast Asia
• Indonesia has the largest Muslim population
– followed by Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India
• Several million Muslims live in the United States
Divisions in Islam
• The Sunnis are the majority Islamic
sect, making up about 85 percent of all
Muslims.
• The Shiites form the largest minority
Islamic sect.
Divisions in Islam
• Some religious differences separate the
two groups, but the origins of the split are
political.
Divisions in Islam
• After Muhammad’s death, most
Arabs believed that a caliph
should be chosen by leaders of
the Muslim community.
– This majority group, which
supported Abu Bakr, became
known as the Sunnis.
• Caliph is a leader, not a
religious authority.
Divisions in Islam
• Some followers, believed that
only Muhammad’s relatives
should become caliph.
– The Shiites, felt his relatives were
inspired by God.
• They favored Muhammad’s
cousin and closest relative, Ali
ibn Abu Talib.
– Ali did become caliph later, but
the split between Sunnis and
Shiites continued.
Divisions in Islam
• Despite this division, Muslims around the
world are united in their basic beliefs. They
worship one God. They revere the word of
God as revealed to Muhammad in the
Qur’an. And they accept the Five Pillars as
guidelines to a proper life.