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The World of Islam
Chapter 6
The Rise of Islam
The Arabs
Arose in the Arabian Peninsula and influenced Western
Asia and beyond.
They were a nomadic, Semitic-speaking people who
lived in the arid climate of the Arabian Peninsula.
The environment was harsh, they were organized into
tribes and were led by a sheikh who was chosen from
a council of elders. The tribes were independent, but
worked together
Early Religion
-Most Early Arabs were polytheistic,
many recognized a chief, or supreme
god who they called Allah which is
Arabic for “God.”
-Allah was symbolized by a sacred stone, each tribe
had their own stone, but there was one central stone
called the Black stone which was placed in the shrine
called the Kaaba.
-This shrine was located in the city of Makkah
(Mecca) in what is now Saudi Arabia.
Trade
The Arabian Peninsula became an important
center for trade. The city of Mecca became
rich from the caravan trade traffic which
passed through the area.
The domestication of the camel enabled
traffic to cross the deserts and as empires
grew up in the region trade increased
greatly.
As the merchants became rich from the
Caravan traffic the life of the poor people of
the area suffered.
The Life of Muhammad
Muhammad was born in
Makkah in present-day Saudi
Arabia to a merchant family.
His parents died when he
was young and he ended up
living with his uncle who was
a merchant and he became a
caravan manager.
Muhammad in
Arabic Calligraphy
Muhammad married an older widow named
Khadija.
Over time, he found the richness and corruption
of the merchants and townspeople to be
troubling.
He decided to visit the hills to meditate.
Muslims believe that while he was meditating
in the hills he received revelations from God
through the Angel Gabriel.
Muhammad’s Revelation
Muslims believe the Angel Gabriel told
Muhammad to recite what he heard, it was
believed that Allah had already revealed
himself through Moses and Jesus, but now
had a final revelation for man.
This final revelation became the religion of
Islam. Which means submission to the will of
God.
The Quran (Koran)
The revelations to Muhammad were written
down by scribes and became known as The
Quran, which is the holy book of Islam.
The Quran contains ethical
guidelines and laws by which
Muslims (followers of Islam)
should live their lives.
After the Revelation
After Muhammad received his revelation he went to
his wife Khadija, she was his first convert to the
new religion.
He began to try to convert the people of Makkah to
his message, but he was unsuccessful. After three
years he was forced to go to the city of Yathrib,
which later became Medina. This flight, or
migration, is known as the Hijrah and marks the
beginning of the Muslim calendar. This was in the
year 622 CE.
Acceptance in the city of the Prophet
In Yathrib, renamed Medina (which means the city of
the prophet) Muhammad was accepted and gained
followers.
One of the groups which converted to the new
religion of Islam were the Bedouins who were
desert Arabs. This new community became the first
to practice the religion.
After several years, Muhammad became both a
spiritual and political leader, there was not an idea
of the separation of church and state. He raised an
army and conquered the city of Makkah.
The Kaaba
After Muhammad took the city
of Makkah he cleansed the
Kaaba of idols and dedicated it
to Allah, who he taught was
the one true God.
All Muslims are encouraged to
make a pilgrimage to Makkah
known as the Hajj at least once
in their life if they are
physically and financially able.
The Teachings of Muhammad
Islam is Monotheistic, like Judaism and Christianity.
Islam teaches a belief in an afterlife, those who hope
to achieve this afterlife must submit to the will of
Allah.
Muslims do not believe the Muhammad was divine,
they believe that he was a man.
Islam is seen not just as a religion, but as a way of life.
Muslims believe that Islam was God’s final
revelation for mankind. Muslims feel that in
order to achieve salvation that they must obey
the will of Allah, or God.
In order to do this they must follow the five
major principles of Islam known as the Five
Pillars of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam
• 1-Declaration of Faith
– Muslims must state that there is not God but Allah
and Muhammad is his prophet.
• 2. Daily Prayer
– Muslims must pray five times a day facing the
Kaaba in Mecca.
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Pre Dawn
Noon
Afternoon
Sunset
Evening
Five Pillars Continued . . .
3. Charity
– Muslims are supposed to help others and donate
part of their income to charity.
4. Fasting-Ramadan
Muslims must fast from sunrise to sunset
during the holy month of Ramadan which
celebrates the recording of the Quran.
Hajj
• 5. Pilgrimage: Hajj
– The fifth pillar of Islam is the Hajj.
– Once in a lifetime, if they are physically and
financially able , Muslims are to journey to Mecca
(Makkah) in Saudi Arabia and perform the rituals
of the Hajj.
Guest Speaker
• Before our guest speaker I thought…
• After our guest speaker I think…
Facts about Islam
• Quran (Koran)-Holy book
of Islam
• Muslim- A follower of
Islam
• Mosque- A Muslim House
of Worship
• Minarets- The towers
located on a Mosque from
which the Muezzin calls
the faithful to prayer.
Minaret
Islamic Law
• After the death of Muhammad there were further
interpretations of his teachings. These are known as the
Hadith. There are different versions of the Hadith for
different branches of Islam.
• These teachings were further interpreted in the Shari’ah.
This is a set of laws which regulate many aspects of
Muslim life. It does not separate between church and
state and covers family life, business, government, and
moral conduct.
• Muslims are expected to practice honesty and justice in
dealing with others and are forbidden to gamble, eat pork,
drink alcohol, or engage in dishonest behavior.
Creation of An Arab Empire
• After the death of Muhammad, unity was difficult to
maintain.
• The friend and father-in-law of Muhammad, Abu
Bakr, was chosen to be the first Caliph, or successor
to Muhammad.
• Abu Bakr helped to unify the Muslim world and
expanded in Arabia and beyond.
• Under the idea of jihad, or “struggle in the way of
God” the early Muslims expanded their territory.
The believed that defensive warfare was permitted
by the Quran.
Does “jihad” exist in the American
mindset?
Arab Rule
• The Arabs were now united and expanded their
territory instead of fighting each other.
• They defeated the Byzantine army in 636 taking the
province of Syria. By 642 they took Egypt and by 650
they controlled the Persian Empire
After Abu Bakr died there was conflict over who
would be the next Caliph.
The next two Caliphs were both assassinated.
After that Muhammad’s son-in-law
Ali was
appointed Caliph,
but five years later
he too was assassinated.
Infer
Tell me why:
If Islam is a religion of peace and
submission. If jihad is permitted only in
matters of defense; Why are Caliphs
being assassinated and why is the
Empire expanding and taking over other
nations?
Administration
• Muslim administrators were fairly tolerant of the
people they defeated.
• Initially, both Christians and Jews were allowed
to practice their religions, with some
restrictions, because they were “People of the
Book” who had written scriptures revealed to
them by God before the time of Muhammad.
Those who chose not to convert had to be loyal
to the Muslim state and pay a special tax.
The Umayyad Dynasty
• At the beginning of the eighth century
Islam had expanded across northern
Africa and had converted the Berbers
(a pastoral people along the
Mediterranean coast) to the faith.
• By 710 combined Berber and Arab
forces crossed the Strait of Gibraltar
into Spain and had taken most of the
country by 725. In 732, however, the
Muslim advance into Europe was
halted at the Battle of Tours.
• By 750 the Muslim advance came to an end.
The southern and eastern Mediterranean and
parts of the old Roman Empire were now
Muslim territory.
• The Umayyad Dynasty was centered in
Damascus, in modern-day Syria and was
wealthy. This was also a very diverse empire as
many different peoples had been conquered in
new territory.
• The diversity helped lead to a split within the
Islamic faith
A Split in Islam
• Many non-Arab Muslims
resent the favoritism which
the Umayyad Empire
showed toward Arabs.
• The large empire was
difficult to rule efficiently
and there were financial
problems as well.
The Revolt of Hussein
• The grandson of Muhammad,
Hussein, led a revolt against the
Umayyad Empire in 680.
• His solders defected and he was
killed by an overwhelming
Umayyad force.
• This struggle led to a split within
the faith of Islam between Sunni
and Shi’a (Shiite) Muslims.
Sunni vs. Shi’a (Shiite)
• Sunni Muslims supported the Umayyad
Dynasty. They believe the Caliph does not
need to be a direct descendant of
Muhammad.
• Shi’a Muslims supported Hussein and believe
that the Caliph should be a direct descendant
of Muhammad through his son-in-law Ali and
his grandson.