Download Human Heritage: A World History Chapter 22: The

Human Heritage: A World History
Chapter 22: The Spread of Islam 500 A.D. – 1300 A.D.
Why It’s Important – p. 331
● Arabian Peninsula located between northwest coast of Africa and central Asia
● people = Arabs
● most Bedouins = herders who roamed desert in search of water and grass
● Bedouin warriors in 600s raided other peoples and fought one another – they believed in many gods
● in 600s Islam began in Herjaz = mountainous area of western Arabia
● within 100 years Arab empire based on Islamic beliefs controlled larger area than Roman Empire
Section 1: Islam
● Islam = Arabic word – means “the act of submitting, or giving oneself over, to the will of God”
● founded by Muhammad = prophet of Allah
● Allah = “the God” – followers called Muslims
● one of every seven persons on Earth follow Islam
Makkah (Mecca)
● 3 major towns in Hejaz = Yathrib, Taif, and Makkah (largest and richest)
● traders stopped in Mekkah for food and water on way to Constantinople – pilgrims came to worship
holiest shrine Ka’bah (low, cube-shaped building surrounded by 360 idols – nearby = holy well)
● believe Ka’bah was build by Adam – later rebuilt by Abraham and son Ishmael
● dedicated to worship one God – people filled with idols represented the gods and goddesses of different
tribes
Muhammad
● 570 = Muhammad born to widow – at 6 mother died – lived with uncle
● in teens worked as business person – 25 married a rich 40 year-old widow named Khad’juh
● successful in caravan business
● worried about drinking, gambling, and corruption in Makkah
● thought and fasted in cave outside city
● decided people had been led to evil by belief in false gods
● concluded only one god – same as Jews and Christians
● 610 = revelation – meditating in cave and angel appeared and ordered to read some writing – heard
voice of angel Gabriel telling him to preach about God – holy man told him that this heavenly visitor
was same who had visited Moses and other prophets
● Muhammad was to be prophet of his people
● 613 = began preaching to people of Makkah – only one God, Allah – all believers are equal – urged
rich to share with poor – life = preparation for the Day of Judgment (day people rise from dead and be
judged for actions on Earth)
● government afraid people would stop coming to Ka’bah to worship because of Muhammad – Makkah
made money on people who came
● began to persecute Muhammad and his followers
● 620 = invited Muhammad to come to Yathrib and be their leader
● 622 = several hundred his followers fled Makkah to Yathrib
● year 622 = Anno Hijrah or “Year of the Migration” – first year of Muslim calendar – city of Yathrib
renamed Madinat al-Nabi, “the city of the prophet,” or Madina
● Muhammad = able leader – united people and made them proud of new faith
● Makkah angry with Muhammad’s success – attacked with superior army several time – Muslim
defended city
● 628 = signed peace treaty with Makkah
● 630 = Muhammad and companions entered Makkah and conquered peacefully
● within two year = all tribes of Arabia = faith Islam – loyalty to Muhammad
● Muhammad died in 632
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The Quran
● Quran = Muslim scriptures – believed direct word of God as revealed to Muhammad
● written in Arabic – tells how a good Muslim should live
● describes pillars of faith – 1 = confession of faith
● 2 = must pray five times a day facing Makkah – dawn, noon, late afternoon, sunset, and evening prayers
said anywhere – Friday noon prayer = at mosque led by imam
● 3 = giving of zakah (charity) – every Muslim has to give 2.5 percent of his/her annual savings to a needy
person or an institution involved in education or social services
● 4 = fasting – young, sick, pregnant, and travelers do not fast – fast during daylight hours of the holy
month of Ramadan
● 5 = pilgrimage to Makkah two months after Ramadan at least once in his/her life – called a hajj
● fulfill duties = go to Paradise (has shad, fruit trees, beautiful flower gardens, cold springs, singing birds)
– hell = flame-filled pit – drinking water = salt water and food = strong-smelling plant that causes
hunger
Section 2: The Arab Empire – p. 336
● after Muhammad’s death a group of Muslims chose new leader called khalifa or caliph = “successor”
The Rightly Guided Caliphs
● first caliph = Abu Bakr – Muhammad’s father-in-law and friend – and next three ruled for life from
Madina – called Rightly Guided Caliphs because close touch with people and asked advise of trusted
friends
● Rightly Guided Caliphs followed Muhammad’s wish to carry Islam to other people – sent warriors to
Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, and North Africa – were victorious
● Arab were successful because Islam held them together – believed that struggling for Islam = going to
Paradise – mentally and physically tough – handled camels and horses with great skill
● if gave up without fight = got to pay taxes, have Arab protection, and keep land – if fought = had to pay
taxes and loss land
The Umayyads
● Ali = Muhammad’s son-in-law = last of Rightly Guided Caliphs – killed 661
● New Caliph = Mu’awiya moved capital to Damascus and founded Umayyad Dynasty – after that title of
caliph was hereditary
● ruled more like kings – reorganized government – Arabic was official language – first Arabic money –
created postal routes – built beautiful mosques – encourage arts
● many changes helped people – conquered people who became Muslim not treated same as Muslim born
– earned less serving in army – paid higher taxes
● two groups of Muslims
● smaller group = shi’ah – followers called shi’ites – believed caliph should be descendant of Ali
● lager group = Sunni – followed Rightly Guided Caliphs – war between Umayyads and Abbasids (group
of Muslims) – in 750 Abbasids = new rulers of Arab Empire
The Abbasids
● ruled from 750 to 1258 – 1st 100 years = Golden Age of Islam
● new capital = Baghdad – built on east bank of Tigris River by over 100,000 people in four years
● Baghdad shaped = circle – surrounded by three huge walls and a moat – highways divided city into four
pie-shaped sections
● Arab no longer meant person from Arabia – meant subject of empire who spoke Arabic
● created vizier (chief advisor) – he ran empire and chose governors of provinces
● did not try to conquer new lands – made Baghdad major trading center
● led to exchange of ideas – writers and philosophers came
● translated Greek writings into Arabic – mathematical and scientific achievements were recorded
● advanced farming methods used – trade made Arabs rich – time to ply games (polo, chess) – men
stopped wearing traditional Arab robes – wore pants – meals served on tables instead of floor
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● empire too big for caliph to control – began to break into independent kingdoms
● 836 caliph moved to new capital – Samarra – returned to Baghdad in 892 – tried to regain power but
failed – 945 = Persians took control of Baghdad
The Golden Age of Muslim Spain
● Moors = Muslim Arabs in North Africa who intermarried with Berbers – in 710 invaded Spain – with
help from Spanish Jews defeated West Goths – set up kingdom allowing religious freedom
● flourished for next four hundred years – Muslims, Jews, Christians studied medicine and philosophy
together
● Jews traveled and traded all over Arab Empire and beyond – brought back spices and silks from China
and India
Islamic Life
● Islam wanted to correct society where men could have many wives and killing of female children was
common
● Muhammad taught that raising female child = Paradise – entitled woman to half the share of husband’s
wealth – recognized women’s right to inheritance – only if could afford a man could have up to four
wives
● men and women had to seek knowledge – at birth a prayer recited into baby’s ears – this brought the
child to Islamic culture – reciting and memorizing Quran was important – mosques = neighborhood
schools – boys sent to higher education in cities
Section 3: Arab Contributions – p. 342
● 770s and 1300s = Arab scholars helped preserved much of the learning of ancient world – Arabic (as
common language) helped unite scholars
● Arab scientists made experiments and recorded results = Arabs considered the founders of modern
chemistry
● Arab astronomers named stars (many names still used)
● correctly described eclipse of sun – proved the moon affects on tides
● worked with geographers to determine size of Earth – might be round
● astronomer-geographer al-Idrisi drew first accurate map of the world
● Arab mathematicians invented algebra
● Arab doctors had to pass test before practicing (unlike other countries)
● set up world’s first school of pharmacy – opened world’s first drugstores
● Arab doctors discovered blood circulates to and from heart – Persian doctor ar-Razi = found difference
between measles and smallpox
● Persian doctor Avicenna = first to understand that tuberculosis is contagious
● Arab doctors published Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine – used in European medical schools for 500
years
● The Arabian Knights = collection of tales
● Rubáiyát = famous poems by Omar Khayyám
● Islamic art = not of people – think sin to make pictures of Allah’s creations = geometric designs with
flowers, leaves, and stars
● Arabs wrote down the history of Islam – that is how we know all of this today
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