Download Spread of Islam

Chapter 11
The Muslim World
(622–1650)
Rise of Islam
• How did Muhammad become the prophet
of Islam?
• What are the teachings of Islam?
• How did Islam help shape the way of life
of its believers?
Muhammad Becomes the Prophet of Islam
Muhammad said he heard the angel Gabriel calling him
to be the messenger of God.
Muhammad devoted his life to spreading Islam.
Muhammad made a journey from Mecca to Medina, where he
was welcomed by Muslim converts. This was a turning point
for Islam.
Muhammad returned to Mecca and worked to
unite Arabs under Islam.
The Teachings of Islam
Islam is monotheistic,
based on the belief in
one God.
Muslims believe that the
Quran contains the
sacred word of God and
is the final authority on
all matters.
All Muslims accept five duties,
known as the Five Pillars of Islam:
• faith
• daily prayer
• charity
• fasting during Ramadan
• hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca
The 5 Pillars of Islam
1. Faith
2. Five daily prayers
3. Charity
4. Fasting during Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
Haji denotes one who has made the Hajj
• Some authorities add a sixth pillar:
Jihad or Holy War in defense of Islam.
Means active opposition to evil and injustice, more
than literal warfare.
Islam as a Way of Life
Islam is both a religion and a way of life.
The Islamic system of law, called Sharia, regulated
moral conduct, family life, business practices,
government, and other aspects of a Muslim
community.
Unlike the law codes that evolved in the West, the
Sharia does not separate religious matters from
criminal or civil law.
Islam Spreads
• How did Muslims conquer many lands?
• What movements emerged within Islam?
• Why did the empire of the caliphs decline?
An Age of Conquests
How were the Muslims able to
conquer so many lands?
• The Byzantine and Persian empires were weak from
years of fighting each other.
• People in the Fertile Crescent welcomed Arab
conquerors as liberators.
• The Arabs used bold, efficient fighting methods, which
overwhelmed traditional armies.
• The common faith of Islam united a patchwork of tribes
into a determined, unified state.
The spread of Islam
Inherent appeal
 Simplicity
 Equality
 Rights for Women
 High moral teachings
Jihad
 Military skill
 Good government
 Tolerance
Conversion
Incentives
 Tax on "People of the
Book” - Originally
Christians and Jews, later
Hindus and certain other
groups as well.
 Forced conversion of
pagans
Trade
 Indonesia and subSaharan Africa
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Spread of Islam: Causes and Effects
Immediate Effects
Islam spreads from the
Atlantic coast to the Indus
Valley
Centers of learning flourish
in Cairo, Córdoba, and
elsewhere
Long-Term Effects
Muslim civilization emerges
Linking of Europe, Asia, and
Africa through Muslim trade
network
Arabic becomes shared
language of Muslims
Split between Sunni and
Shiites
Movements Within Islam
Shortly after Muhammad’s death, divisions arose within Islam.
SUNNI
Believed caliph, or
successor to
Muhammad, should
be chosen by leaders
of the Muslim
community.
Viewed caliph as a
leader, not as a
religious authority.
SHIITES
Believed that only
descendants of
Muhammad could
become caliph.
Believed descendants
of Muhammad to be
divinely inspired.
SUFI
Muslim mystics who
sought to
communicate with
God through
meditation, fasting,
and other rituals.
Respected for their
piety and miraculous
powers.
Decline of the Muslim Empire
• Around 850, the caliphs power faded and they became
unable to maintain centralized control, and the empire
fragmented.
• In the 900s, Seljuk Turks invaded the Middle East and
built a large empire in the Fertile Crescent.
• The crusades had a lasting effect on the Muslim world
although it had a greater impact on W. Europe
• In the 1200s and 1300s, Mongol invaders dominated
the Middle East.
Muslim Society
Muslim rulers united people from diverse
cultures. As a result, Muslim civilization
absorbed and blended many traditions.
The class distinction between Arabs and nonArabs faded over time.
People enjoyed a certain degree of social
mobility, the ability to move up in social class.
Slavery was a common institution.
The Muslim Economy
Between 750 and 1360, merchants built a vast trading
network across the Muslim world and beyond.
New business practices were established, such as
partnerships, credit, banks, and bank checks.
Handicraft manufacturing in cities was organized by
guilds.
Outside the cities, agriculture flourished.
Influences on Art and Literature
Islamic religion
Quran forbid artist to
portray God or human
figures in art.
Traditions of the
many people living
under Muslim rule
MUSLIM ART
AND LITERATURE
Skills and styles of
Greeks, Romans,
Persians, Indians, and
other peoples with
whom they came in
contact
Muslim Advances in Learning
PHILOSOPHY
Scholars tried
to harmonize
Greek ideas of
reason with
religious
teachings of
Islam.
Ibn Khaldun set
standards for
scientific study
of history.
MATHEMATICS
Scholars studied
Indian and Greek
mathematics.
Al-Khwarizmi
pioneered the
study of algebra
and wrote
mathematics
textbook that
became standard
in Europe.
ASTRONOMY
Al-Khwarizmi
developed
astronomical
tables.
Astronomers
calculated
circumference of
the Earth.
MEDICINE
Government set up
hospitals with
emergency rooms.
Muhammad al-Razi
studied measles and
smallpox.
Ibn Sina wrote a
medical
encyclopedia.
Surgeons developed
treatment for
cataracts.