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Unit 6
The Islamic World
Chapter 3
The Rise of Islam
Arabian Geography
Geography is Destiny
• Arabia (a peninsula) is mostly desert. This harsh hot
dry desert climate influenced life in Arabia.
• The people were either nomadic, crossing the desert,
or sedentary, based in an oasis town.
• Arabia lies in the SW corner of Asia at the intersection
of three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe); thus it
was a crossroads for trade for thousands of years.
• Merchants carried spices, silk, gold and slaves along
these ancient land and sea trade routes.
• Ideas, products and people crossed these routes and
influenced Arabian culture and society.
Arabia’s Physical Features
• Arabia is part of a series of deserts that cross Arabia
and northern Africa.
• Huge, hundred of miles long, sandy deserts with sand
dunes up to 800’ high cover Arabia.
• The Rub’ al-Khali, world’s largest sand desert, covers
most of S Arabia and is known as the “Empty Quarter.”
(little life)
• Arabia lacks permanent rivers and lakes. Water is
found in Oases (wet fertile areas) which developed
into important settlements along trade routes.
• Mountains border the S and W Arabian coasts and wet
marshes are near the Persian Gulf.
• People settled near water in the more milder areas.
A Desert World
• Arabia is one of the world’s hottest and
driest areas.
• Daily temperatures reach at least 100
degrees.
• Most Plants and animals cannot survive.
Plants and small animals are found near
water.
• People had to adapt to this severe
inhospitable climate
Nomads
• Nomadic tribes lived in tents and herded herds of
sheep, goats and camels across the desert. These
herds provided food, milk and hides. Camels provided
transportation and milk.
• The nomadic tribes moved in accord with the seasons
seeking water and food. Tribes were groups of related
people. (a clan)
• Nomads owned their tents & camels but water and
grazing rights belonged to the tribe. The tribe provided
protection for frequent attacks and violence.
Townspeople
• Townspeople farmed near oases. The
oases along trade routes became towns.
• Most Arabians lived in towns. Towns had
merchants and craftspeople that
depended on the trade caravans.
• Where do you think the largest towns
would develop?
• The access to water was key to Arabian
town development.
Souk
• Towns were trade centers.
• A souk was a marketplace. (bazaar)
• There nomads traded animals and herbs for cooking
supplies and clothing.
• Merchants sold spices, leather, gold and slaves.
• Arabian towns and souks became important stations
along the trade routes linking India and NE Africa and
the Mediterranean.
• As a result Arabs met people with different cultures
and ideas.
• So in 570 AD is Arabia peacefully coexisting with its
neighbors?
Chapter 3
The Origins of Islam
Preface
• Muhammad, a merchant from Mecca,
became a prophet and founded Islam in
Arabia.
• Islam, Muhammad’s teachings, borrowed
ideas from Judaism and Christianity as
well as introducing new ideas.
• At first Islam was rejected but then spread
throughout Arabia.
Muhammad becomes a Prophet
• Nothing is known of Muhammad outside of what is
written in Islamic religious writings.
• He was born into a wealthy important merchant family
in Mecca around 570 AD. His father died before he
was born. His mother died when he was 6. He was
raised by his grandfather and then his uncle.
• He traveled with his uncle’s merchant caravans. He
traveled as far as Jerusalem and Syria.
• As an adult he managed a trade caravan.
• At 25 he married Khadijah. (owner of the caravan)
Muhammad’s Mecca
• Caravan trade made Mecca rich. The
hierarchical society had a few wealthy
families and a vast poor population.
• The poor lived squalid destitute mean
miserable lives and relied on charity from
the wealthy.
• During Muhammad’s youth the wealthy
were beginning to forsake the poor.
The Message
• Disillusioned by conditions in Mecca, Muhammad prayed and
mediated in the hills outside Mecca.
• When he was 40, while praying, an angel appeared and told
him to recite a passage found in the Koran. (page 60)
• Muslims believe God spoke to Muhammad and made him a
prophet of God.
• At first Muhammad told no one of the angel, except for his wife,
but in 613 AD he began to tell others.
• The messages from the angel became the basis of Islam (to
submit to God), the religion of Muslims.
• Muhammad received messages from God throughout his life.
These messages makeup the Qur’an. (Holy Book)
The Three Monotheistic Faiths
• They are Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
• They all originated in SW Asia.
• All three teach kindness towards fellow
people and belief in one God.
• Each has a holy book” Torah, Bible and
Qur’an.
Muhammad’s Teachings
• Some were borrowed from Judaism and
Christianity and some were new.
• They upset the Arabs because they
proposed changes to many aspects of
Arabian life.
Belief in One God
• There is but one God and He is Allah (The God).
• This monotheism is similar to Judaism and
Christianity.
• These three faiths recognize many of the same
prophets (Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Adam, Methuselah,
Noah, Enoch, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job,
David, Solomon, Ezekiel, and Jesus). Jesus is not
seen as the son of God.
• Jews and Christians were to be respected as “people
of the Book.”
Challenge to Old Ideas
• Muhammad’s ideas were familiar to Jews and
Christians but novel to the Arabs.
• Arabs were polytheistic. They worshipped gods
and goddesses at shrines throughout Arabia.
• The Kaaba Shrine located in Mecca was an
important pilgrimage destination prior to Islam.
• Arabs objected to the loss of their pantheon of
gods. They objected to ending annual
pilgrimages to Kaaba. Mecca’s merchants
feared lost income.
Shocking New Ideas
• Muhammad stated that all who accepted Allah
would become members of a community where
the rich and poor were treated equally. This was
unacceptable to the rich and powerful.
• Muhammad required alms be given to the poor.
However, the rich wanted to keep their wealth
for themselves.
• Many did not want to hear Muhammad’s
messages.
Islam Spreads Within Arabia
• Mecca rejected Muhammad’s one God and
societal equality. M was forced to leave Mecca.
Slowly M teachings took root. The rulers of
Mecca decided to kill M and his followers.
• M decided he would have to seek followers
outside of Mecca.
• Arabic is the language of the Arabs.
Medina
• Some residents of Medina invited M and his
followers to relocate in Medina.
• In 622 AD M, his followers and his daughter
Fatimah went to Medina (the Prophet’s City).
• This exodus to Medina is called the Hegira
(journey).
• In Medina M became a spiritual and political
leader. 622 AD became the 1st year of the
Islamic Calendar. M house became the first
mosque (Muslim place of prayer)
New Revelations in Medina
• M announced that Muslims should face Mecca when
praying. Prior, they had faced Jerusalem as had Jews
and Christians.
• Muslims were to face Mecca because of the Kaaba
which M said was built by Abraham for the worship of
one God.
• Islam grew stronger in Medina and other tribes
converted to Islam.
• War broke out between Mecca and Medina and in 630
AD Mecca capitulated and welcomed M and Islam.
• Eventually most Arab tribes were Islamic.
Muhammad’s Religious Intolerance
• Once in Mecca M and his followers
destroyed all the statues of gods and
goddesses in the Kaaba.
Muhammad Dies
• In 632 Ad M died in his home in Medina. He
had lived only a short while after taking Mecca.
• He is buried in the Holy Mosque of the Prophet.
• His only descendants are his daughter
Fatimah’s two sons.
• Her husband, Ali, marks the beginning of the
split between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
• Shia believe Ali was M successor. Sunni do not.
Chapter 3
Islamic Belief
Preface
• Islam’s sacred books are the Qur’an and the
Sunnah.
• The Qur’an directs Muslims’ daily lives.
• The Sunnah instructs Muslims of their required
duties as Muslims.
• Islamic law is based on the Qur’an and the
Sunnah.
The Qur’an
• M’s followers wrote the Qur’an after M died.
Muslim’s view the Qur’an as the exact
(verbatim) word of God.
• The Qur’an holds that there is but one God and
he is Allah. Allah must be obeyed.
• Muslims believe that Allah will judge all people
on the world’s final day. The obedient will go to
paradise and the disobedient will suffer in hell.
• Paradise is a beautiful garden of food and drink.
Islamic Behavioral Requirements
• The Qur’an directs daily life. It dictates how to
worship, how to behave and how to organize society.
Pork and alcohol are forbidden. Ceremonial washing
is required before prayer.
• Arabia had slavery before and after M, but the Qur’an
encourages the freeing of slaves.
• Women had few rights before M, and after they had
some such as owning property, earning a wage and
being educated (?). Islamic women have fewer rights
than Islamic men.
Jihad
• Jihad means (from the Merriam Webster
dictionary) 1) a holy war waged on behalf of
Islam as a religious duty; 2) a personal struggle
in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual
discipline; 3) a crusade for a principle or belief;
4) a struggle to defend the Muslim community;
5) to convert people to Islam (willingly?).
The Sunnah
• The Sunnah dictates Muslim behavior.
• It refers to the way M lived his life which is
seen as a model for the lives of Muslims.
• The Hadith is the written record of M’s
words and actions.
The Five Pillars
• These are the required acts (duties) of Muslim
worship.
• 1. “There is no God but Allah and M is his prophet.”
(Said at least once, but usually daily)
• 2. Pray 5 times a day, preferably in a mosque.
• 3. Give annually to a religious official to support
charity.
• 4. Fast during the month of Ramadan, sunrise to
sunset.
• 5. Make a Hajj to Mecca to visit Kaaba, Islam’s most
sacred shrine at least once.
Sunnah Daily Life
• The Sunnah provides examples of M
actions and teachings and serve as a
basis for how Muslims should treat others.
• Here are some examples:
• Treat guests with generosity.
• It is bad to owe money.
• One should obey one’s leaders.
Shariah Law
• Shariah law, a form of theocracy, is a legal system based on
Islamic religious sources.
• Shariah law holds actions of individuals and communities as
being required, accepted, disapproved or forbidden. It sets
limits to authority.
• There is no distinction between religious beliefs and daily life,
Islam controls all of ones daily existence. It defines one’s
rights.
• Shariah law rewards good behavior and punished bad. It was
the historic basis for Muslim nation’s laws.
• There is a movement in the Islamic world to abandon Western
legal ideas and apply only Shariah law.
• Some Muslim communities in Europe want to live by only
Shariah law and not by the laws of their resident nations!
• How does Shariah law view abortion, homosexuality,
conversion from Islam to Christianity, speech critical of M,
Atheism that denies Allah, Women’s rights/liberation?
Islam Has No Vatican or Pope
• There is not one human authority in Islam.
There are no corporate religious headquarters.
• Islam is not contained in one book.
• Islam is a set of texts and opinions that have
undergone numerous changes throughout
Islam’s history.
• Different interpretations of Islam exist in
different Muslim regions.
• At times, even today, Muslims war with each
other over these differing opinions.
Chapter 4
The Sword of Allah
The Spread of Islam
Preface
• Islam was spread via conquest. Muslim
armies conquered territory and Islam
followed.
• Trade spread Islam as well.
• Blended (mixed) cultures developed in
some conquered areas.
• Urbanization (cities) increased
Muslims Armies Conquer Vast
Territories
• After M death, Abu Bakr, one of M’s earliest
disciples, was selected to lead Islam.
• Abu was accorded the title caliph which is the
highest political and military ruler in Islam,
similar to emperor.
• Caliph’s had to follow M example or model and
rule according to the Qur’an (Theocracy).
• Caliphs are not religious leaders. They are not
popes.
• Abu waged war against non Muslim lands.
Abu Conquers Arabia
• Abu began by attacking Arab tribes that refused to
convert to Islam.
• In 634, when Abu dies, Arabia is a unified Muslim
state.
• Next Muslim leaders attacked the Byzantine and
Persian Empires.
• As a result Christians and Jews were conquered.
Some areas had been Jewish for 1000’s of years and
some had been Christian for 700 years.
Pact of Umar
• Conquering Muslims forced their subjugated
Christian and Jewish peoples to accept treaties,
like the Pact of Umar, that relegated them to
second class citizens.
• Christians and Jews could not build places of
worship, dress in Muslim garb and had to pay
special heathen taxes. Of course, some were
simply killed.
• The Pact of Umar was signed in 637. It is
named after the 2nd Caliph. What were the
consequences for refusing to sign the pact?
Muslim Disunity
• The Shia- Sunni split solidified when M’s
grandson Hussein was murdered. Hussein
was the head of Shia Islam.
• Anger at Hussein's death was turned into
a rallying cry that helped undermine the
Umayyad caliphate (UC) and ultimately led
to the overthrow of the UC by the Abbasid
Revolution.
The Umayyad Caliphate
• Many early caliphs came from the Umayyad
family.
• The UC moved its capital from Medina to
Damascus which they had captured from the
Byzantine Empire.
• The UC conquered Central Asia (Christian, Arab
and Jewish) and N. India (Hindu).
• The UC controlled trade in the E. Mediterranean
and N. Africa.
The Berbers
• In the late 600’s the Berbers (Christian
people of N. Africa) slowed the advance of
Islam in N. Africa.
• Eventually, the Muslims were victorious
and they absorbed Christian N. Africa.
• Many Berbers that converted, joined the
Muslims in attacking Christian Europe.
The Conquest of Spain
• In 711 the Muslim armies including
recently converted Berbers conquered
Spain.
• Thereafter, the Muslims attacked Christian
France but were defeated, by the Christian
Franks led by Charles Martel, at Tours,
France. The Muslims retreated to Spain.
• The Moors (Muslims in Spain) subjugated
Spain for 700 years
The Abbasid Caliphate
• The Abbasid Caliphate (AC) was the third of the
Islamic caliphates to succeed M. Founded by M
youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib
(566–653 CE). They ruled as caliphs, from their
capital in Baghdad after seizing authority over
the Muslim empire from the UC in 750 AD.
• The AC reorganized the Caliphate government
and relied heavily on Persian bureaucrats. Over
time the AC lost territory to Bulyid and Seljuq
Turks (861-1118). The AC ended when
conquered by the Mongols in 1258. (Khan)
Trade Helps Spread Islam
• Trade helped Islam spread into S. Asia, Africa
and parts of SE Europe.
• Due to trade, India developed Muslim coastal
communities.
• Due to trade, Africa developed blended
societies practicing Islamic and African
customs. Often African leaders converted but
the common people did not. Trade carried
Muslim as far E as Malaysia and Indonesia.
Indonesia is the largest Islamic region in the
world today.
Trade Brought Products & Inventions
• Trade made some Muslims rich and introduced many
non-Muslim products and inventions to the Muslim
people.
• Examples are paper and gunpowder from China,
cotton, rice and oranges from Asia.
• In Africa, Muslims merchants traded in Slaves, ivory
and spices.
• Muslim traders offered porcelain (China), cloth (India)
& iron (E and SW Asia) in exchange for Slaves and
other goods.
• Merchants travelled across the Sahara trading in salt
and seeking gold.
Mixed Society
• Remember, Islam arose in an Arab,
Christian, Jewish world and spread via
primarily warfare into territories that had
been Jewish, Arabian, African or Christian
for up to 1000’s of years. Obviously, the
Muslims would encounter different
lifestyles and beliefs as they conquered.
Tolerance
• Some but not all Muslim conquerors were tolerant of
Jews and Christians practicing their own faiths.
• However, Jews and Christians had to pay a special tax
and abide by the rules set down in the pacts
(treatises) they were forced to accept.
• Of course, in order to escape persecution and
prejudice, many just converted to Islam.
• Overtime Islam became an international religion.
Arabic is still the language of Islam.
• It is important to note that some people converted to
Islam out a true religious calling.
Islamic Cities
• People products and ideas converged in
Islamic cities.
• The wealth of cities allowed for cultural
development.
• Baghdad and Cordova are prime
examples of the golden age of Islamic
culture and architecture.
Baghdad
• In 732 Hammurabi's capital became the capital of the Islamic
Empire. Baghdad (B) sits at the intersection of major trade
routes and waterways.
• Between 700 and 800 AD B was one of the richest cities in the
world. It was the Islamic center of culture and learning
• B was well suited for agriculture and trade.
• It was known as the round city for its 3 round walls circling the
caliph’s palace. The palace comprised 1/3 of B’s area.
• The caliphs funded science and the arts. They built a hospital,
observatory, library and university.
• The university translated many ancient texts into Arabic.
• B was home to many great Muslim artists and writers.
Cordova
• In 756 Cordova (C) was selected by the Moors to be their
capital for Spain. C had a strong economy based on trade and
agriculture. C exported textiles and jewelry to E.
• By 900’s C was the largest and most advanced city in E. C had
mansions, mosques, souks, aqueducts (Roman?), water and
lighting systems.
• Cordova’s university drew people from throughout the
Mediterranean world and E.
• Students translated Greek, Roman, Jewish & Christian works
into Arabic and Arabic writings into Latin. European scholars
thus read Arabic teachings on math, medicine, astronomy,
geography, history and art. C had a significant Jewish
population and many Jews served in the government.
The Great Mosque
• This Moorish treasure is located in C. It
should be on any tourist’s list of must see
architectural wonders of the world.
The Hajj
• Annually, 2 million Muslims make a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca
as required by the 5 Pillars of Islam.
• Mecca is the holiest city in Islam and where M lived and taught.
• Muslim pilgrims come from Africa, Asia, Europe and the
Americas.
• Before entering Mecca, pilgrims undergo a ritual cleansing and
don white garments.
• In Mecca, guides assist pilgrims through the required rituals.
• Standing on Arafat pilgrims pray for hours where M gave his
last sermon.
• Pilgrims then participate in a 3 day “stoning” where they stone
three pillars.
• In completion they attend a great feast in the Grand Mosque.
Chapter 4
Muslim Empires
Preface
• The Ottoman Empire rises in Eastern Europe,
Asia Minor, The Holy Lands and Egypt and N.
Africa (S. Mediterranean)
• The Safavid rises in Persia, West Afghanistan,
SW Mesopotamia, E. Armenia thus bordering
the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf.
• The Mughal Empire encompasses all of India
up to the Himalayas and between and beyond
the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers.
• The amount of religious tolerance varied from
empire to empire.
The Ottoman Empire
• Centuries after the early Arab conquests the
Ottoman empire controlled much of E. Europe,
Asia and Africa.
• It began in the mid 1200’s when Ottoman Turks
began conquering lands of the Byzantine
Empire (Eastern Roman Empire).
• The key to their conquest was their army which
used gun powder weapons like canons.
Janissaries
• The Ottomans trained Christian boys from
conquered Christian towns to be soldiers.
• These slave soldiers (White Slavery) were
called Janissaries.
• They were forced to convert to Islam and were
trained to be fierce soldiers.
• They were an elite fighting force that won many
battles for the Ottomans.
Mehmed II The Conqueror
• In1453, led by Mehmed II, (ruled 1451 – 1481)
using huge canons, the Ottomans conquered
Constantinople and defeated the Byzantine
Empire.
• Mehmed II renamed Constantinople Istanbul.
• The beautiful Hagia Sophia Orthodox Cathedral
was remodeled to be a mosque.
• Mehmed greatly restored Istanbul after the
destruction it suffered under Mehmed’s canons.
The Ottoman Empire Expands
• Later sultans, rulers, expanded to the E and took
Anatolia (Asia Minor), Syria and Egypt.
• Mecca and Medina submitted to Ottoman rule.
• Under Suleyman I, (ruled 1520 – 1566) The
Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire reached its zenith
and took control of the E. Mediterranean and pushed
further into E. Europe and took areas they would hold
until the 1900’s!
• Under Suleyman I the Ottoman Empire reached its
cultural peak wherein poets wrote beautiful works and
architects transformed Istanbul.
Ottoman Government & Society
• Shariah Law controlled Ottoman Law. Sultans issued
laws and made all major decisions.
• Society had two classes: ruling and common.
• Judges and the sultan’s advisers were the ruling class.
They had to be practicing Muslims, loyal to the sultan
and follow Ottoman customs.
• The commoners were the rest of society including
Jews and Christians from conquered lands.
• Christians and Jews lived in Millets (communities)
where they chose their own leaders.
Women
• Women were restrained by Ottoman
society, especially ruling class women.
• Such women lived apart from men in the
harem. The sexes were segregated.
• Women were excluded from public life.
• Women could own property or businesses.
• Some endowed schools, mosques and
hospitals.
The Shia – Sunni Divide
• While the Ottomans grew in power the Safavids were
doing the same in Persia.
• The Safavids came into conflict with the Ottomans and
other Muslims over who should be the Caliph.
• In the mid 600’s Islam had split into 2 main camps: the
Shia and the Sunni.
• Shia believe only M’s relatives could be caliph.
• Sunni believe a caliph needed only to be a good
Muslim and a strong leader.
• Over time the divide erupted in warfare and killing.
The Safavid Empire
• In 1501 Safavid leader Ismail conquered Persia and
proclaimed himself Shah (king) and founded the
Safavid Empire.
• Ismail made Shiism (Shia Islam) the official religion.
• His advisers worried because the Safavids were
Sunni. Ismail said he would kill any who objected.
• He dreamed of conquering all of Islam and forcing
them to be Shia.
• He fought the Uzbeks to the N but was crushed by the
Ottomans (Sunni).
• He died in 1524 and the empire entered a chaotic
period.
Abbas
• In 1558 Abbas the Great became shah.
• He armed his military with gunpowder
weapons.
• Abbas took foreign slave boys to be forced
to be soldiers as did the Ottomans.
• He defeated the Uzbeks and took back
territory lost to the Ottomans.
Safavid Culture and Economy
• The Safavid Empire (SE) blended Persian and Muslim
customs.
• Beautiful mosques were built in Esfahan. The Shah’s
Mosque is a prime example of the magnificent
architecture of Esfahan.
• Abbas encouraged the manufacture of traditional
products for export. Carpets, textiles (silk and velvet)
were major industries.
• The SE was admired for its ceramics and metal
working (steel).
• Wealth from trade made the SE a major Islamic
civilization until the mid 1700’s. (Enlightenment)
The Mughal Empire
• Turkish Muslims from C. Asia under the
leadership of Babur established the
Mughal Empire (ME) in N. India in 1526.
• Under Akbar the ME conquered half of
India and instituted religious freedom and
ended the tax on non-Muslims. Hindus
were invited to be part of the ME.
• Akbar was able to unify the ME.
The Mughal Empire Grows
• In the 1600’s the ME grew to include most
of India. It was not a peaceful period.
• Akbar’s religious tolerance was
discontinued.
• Hindu temples were destroyed and strict
religious laws were enforced.
• Non-Muslims were persecuted and the tax
on non-Muslims was collected.
Sikhs
• Sikhs were a religious sect that combined
aspects of Hinduism and Islam.
• The Sikhs were persecuted in the ME.
• When they protested they were crushed
by war elephants.
• As a result violent rebellions broke out in
the ME in the 1600’s.
• These rebellions led to the fall of the ME.
Cultural Achievements
• The Mughal Empire blended Persian and
Indian cultures (Muslim and Hindu).
• Persian dress and language were popular
under Akbar’s reign but he encouraged
writing in Hindu and Urdu.
• Architecture blended Persian, Islamic and
Hindu styles.
The Taj Mahal
• The Taj Mahal (built 1631 – 1647) is a
monumental architectural masterpiece that
serves as the tomb of Shah Jahan’s
(Akbar’s grandson) wife.
• It includes a gateway, reflecting fountain,
mosque and gardens. It is exquisite in its
aesthetic qualities.
• The ME built many monuments that are
synonymous with India today.
Chapter 4
Cultural Achievements
Preface
• Muslims contributed to philosophy, science
(astronomy and geography), medicine, mathematics,
literature and art.
• Muslim explorers traveled great distances and
recorded their discoveries.
• Muslims scholars in Cordova and Baghdad translated
(preserved) ancient Greek and Roman writings into
Arabic.
• Since Arabic was the language of Islam these writings
became universally accessible.
• How much advancement was due to conquest?
Astronomy
• Many Islamic cities had observatories from
which astronomers studied the sun, moon and
stars trying to better understand time and clock
making.
• The Greek astrolabe was improved. It was used
to locate one’s position on Earth.
• This allowed Muslims to know in which direction
to turn to pray to Mecca.
• The Astrolabe helped with the exploration of the
seas.
Geography
• Astronomy helped navigation and
exploration.
• Ibn Battutah visited Africa, India, China
and Spain.
• Muslim geographers made better maps
and more accurately calculated distances.
• Al-Idrisi collected data from sailors and
wrote a highly accurate account of the
geography of the Islamic world.
Mathematics
• Muslims combined the Indian number
system including zero with the Greek
system of mathematics.
• Al Khwarizmi used these ideas to write an
algebra textbook.
• Europeans called the blended number
system used in the Islamic world the
Arabic numeral system.
Medicine
• Muslims added to the foundation of Greek and Indian
medical knowledge.
• Beginning in the 800’s AD Muslim doctors created
tests doctors had to pass to practice medicine; made a
drug encyclopedia including side effects; wrote
disease descriptions; created a pharmaceutical
school; built a public hospital in Baghdad.
• Ar-Razi diagnosed and treated small pox.
• Ibn-Sina (Avicenna) wrote a medical encyclopedia that
was translated into Latin and used in Europe.
Philosophy
• Muslims studied Greek philosophy regarding
reason and rational thought.
• Sufism developed as a rejection of Islamic
materialism. It embraced spirituality and mysticism.
One should live a simple life devoted to God.
• Sufis practice Sufism.
• Their central tenet is that one finds God’s love
through a personal relationship with God.
• One must love God and refer to Him as one’s
Beloved. Sufis praised God with music and dance.
Omar Khayyam
•
•
•
•
Poetry and short stories were most popular.
Sufis wrote poems about loyalty to God.
Omar Khayyam was a famous Sufi poet.
In the Rubaiyat he wrote about emotions like
faith, hope, sadness and joy.
• Omar was a Persian mathematician,
astronomer and poet .
• Although best known for his poetry he
developed a highly accurate calendar.
1000 and 1 Nights
• The Thousand and One Nights was a
popular collection of short stories about
legendary heroes and characters. Later
versions contained additional material.
• Sinbad the Sailor, Aladdin and Ali Baba and
the 40 thieves were later additions.
• Why so many tales? If the princess did not
entertain the Sultan each night with a tale he
would have her killed! (?)
Architecture
• Mosques were the great architectural legacy of
Islam. (Akin to Gothic Cathedrals)
• The first mosques were simple and based on
the courtyard design found in Muhammad’s
Medina home.
• As the Muslim empires (Caliphates) grew rich
more elaborate and splendid mosques were
built by rulers and other patrons.
• Muslim architecture is known for domes,
arches, colored bricks and decorative tiles.
Mosque
• The main part of a mosque is a huge hall where
people assemble to pray. Men and women were
segregated inside the mosque.
• The Minaret is a tall narrow tower from which
Muslims are called to prayer in the Mosque.
• Most mosques have a central dome or domes.
• The mihrab niche points in the direction of
Mecca.
• Great mosques were built Mecca, Cairo,
Baghdad, Istanbul and Cordova.
Art
• Islam forbids ANY depiction of animals
and humans (including Muhammad) and
Allah.
• This left Muslim artists with a challenge!
• Artists employed calligraphy, decorative
writing, as the art form of choice.
• Calligraphy was augmented with
decorative patterns.