Download Islam

Islam
By: Tara Moon
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CHARACTERISTICS
One god, Allah, and all people must submit to him
No homosexuality
Very fixed in its ways (unlike Hinduism and
Buddhism)
Can only enslave prisoners of war
o Even so, Southern Sahara did enslave
African Muslims
KEY PEOPLE
Muhammad: received revelations that were the
“words of one god, Allah”
Abu Bakr: took over Muhammad’s place as
caliph→ re- established Muslim authority over
Arabs and oversaw compilation of Quran in book
form
A’isha: Muhammad’s wife; said what Muslims fear
most about women: sexuality and meddling in
politics
Batu: Mongol ruler who converted to Islam and
tried to avenge the last caliph
Uthman: third caliph; caused civil war
KEY EVENTS
Muhammad had revelations→ Islam
Muhammad and followers fled to Medina (622)
Civil war fought between Uthman’s clan and
supporters of Muhammads cousin, Ali→
Ummaya won→ Umayyad Caliphate & Shi’ites/
Sunnis
Islam conquests began (7th century) → Arab
Muslims became minority rulers over non- Muslim
societies (did not try to convert)
Abbasid Caliphate declined (1258) → Samanids
in Bukhara, Fatimids in Egypt, Seljuk Sultanate
(Seljuk Turks)
Crusades (against Muslims) → Muslims united
under Saladin (limited impact)
Urbanization→ expanding market → increase in
trade
WOMEN
Veiled and secluded
o Except for some places, like Mali
Only slave women could appear in public before
men
Rights to property and retain it in marriage, to
divorce, remarry, testify in court, and go on
pilgrimmage
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KEY TERMS
Ka’ba: small cubical shrine in Mecca
Umma: community of believers in Medina;
developed into core of Islamic state
Quran: sacred book; “Word of God”
Ulama: Muslim religious scholars
Shari’a: Islamic law; held that all Muslims share
same morals
Sunna: source of law that was the traditions of the
Prophet
Hadith: reports about Prophets words
Madrasas: religious colleges
Sufi brotherhoods: mystic fraternities whose
members sought union with God through rituals
and training; originated urban→ countrysides
Shi’ites: supported Ali’s claim to caliphate
Sunnis: support: Uthman/ Umayyad
CALIPHATES
1. Ummayad Caliphate (661)
 Islamic conquests outside Arabia began
 Arab empire, not Muslim empire
 Overthrown by rebellions (750)
2. Abbasid Caliphate
 Family of Abbas (uncle of Muhammad)
 Literature & learning thrived
 Renewed religious leadership
 More conversions of non- Muslims to Islam
 Couldn’t maintain over vast territory
 Local revolts→ Abbasid realm turned into
small Muslim states
 Mongols murdered last caliph
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HOW IT SPREAD
Deliberate & organized fashion
Forced conversions rare
Anatolia= route by which Islamic culture was
transferred to Europe
Brought social/ cultural changes to communities,
but developed differently in each society
Africa
o Brought literacy to peoples
o Influences= stronger than European
influences (language/ religion spread
more rapidly)
India
o Development of Urdu
o Papermaking technology
KEY AREAS
Mecca: caravan city; Muhammad’s birth place
Medina: where umma was formed
Baghdad: center of political/ economic system of
non- Muslim provincial populations