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The Muslim World
Chapter 10
A.D. 600-1250
I. The Rise of Islam
A.
Important Places
1.
2.
Arabian Peninsula: trading crossroads to Europe,
Africa, and Asia
Mecca: a city in western Arabia where pilgrims
came to worship


Ka’aba: shrine associated with Abraham, contained
over 300 idols
Allah: God
Rise of Islam (cont’d)
B.
Muhammad
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Born into powerful Meccan family
At 25, Married Khadijah (wealthy business
woman)
At 40, heard voice of Gabriel; believed he was
the last prophet
Taught that Allah was the one and only God
Known as The Prophet
Rise of Islam (cont’d)
C.
Islam : “submission to the will of Allah”
1.
2.
Religion founded by Muhammad
Muslims: “one who has submitted”

D.
Followers of Islam
Hostility
1.
2.
Neglect of Arab gods
Mecca would lose pilgrimage center
Rise of Islam (cont’d)
E.
Hijrah: Muhammad’s trek north that resulted
in an drastic increase in followers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fashioned agreement b/t Muslims and Jews
Became military leader
Returned to Mecca, destroyed the Ka’aba
Meccans pledged loyalty to Muhammad
Died two years later at 62
II. Beliefs and Practices of Islam
One God, Allah
Individual responsible for his/her actions
Five Pillars
A.
B.
C.
1.
2.
Faith: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the
messenger of Allah.”
Prayer: pray 5 times a day; facing Mecca

3.
4.
5.
Mosque: Islamic house of worship
Alms: responsibility to support the less fortunate
(through
religious tax)
Fasting: during Ramadan (holy month), don’t eat b/t dawn and
sunset
Pilgrimage: Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca by physically and financially
able Muslims
Beliefs and Practices (cont’d)
Other laws:
D.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Forbidden to eat pork and drink intoxicating beverages
Friday afternoons are set aside for communal worship
No priests or central religious authority
Everyone worships Allah directly
Ulama: religious teachers who apply the words and deeds
of Muhammad
Qur’an: holy book of Muhammad, written after his death

Written in Arabic; only language of worship
Beliefs and Practices (cont’d)
E.
F.
Sunna: Muhammad’s example; best model
for proper behavior
Shari’a: body of laws that regulates family
life, moral conduct, and business and
community life
Beliefs and Practices (cont’d)
Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
One God: Allah
Jesus prophet
Qur’an revealed to
Muhammad
Ancestry to Abraham
Heaven, hell, day of
judgment
Christianity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
One God
Jesus son of God
Bible (Gospels)
revealed to
Moses/New Testament
writers
Ancestry to Abraham
Heaven, hell, day of
judgment
III. Islam Expands
A.
Muhammad’s successors spread Islam
1.
Community elected Abu-Bakr



2.
1st Caliph: “successor”
Jihad: an armed struggle against unbelievers
Muslim state controlled all of Arabia
“Rightly guided” caliphs


Muslim armies conquer Syria & lower Egypt (parts of
the Byzantine empire)
By 750, Muslim empire stretched from Atlantic Ocean
to the Indus River
Islam Expands (cont’d)
B.
Reasons for success
1.
2.
3.
4.
Muhammad’s desire to spread Islam North
Disciplined and well commanded armies
Persecution suffered by people under Byzantine
and Sassanid rule b/c they didn’t support state
religion
Muslims allowed conquered peoples to follow
their own religion, but not spread it, as long as
they paid the tax
IV. Internal Conflict Creates Crisis
A.
Civil War
1.
656- Uthman murdered; groups struggle for
power

2.
Ali natural choice; assassinated; elective system dies
with him
Umayyads rule



Move capital from Mecca to Damascus
Surrounded selves with wealth
Led to fundamental divisions
Internal Conflict Creates Crisis
(cont’d)
3.
Sunni/Shi’a Split


Majority of Muslims accept Umayyads
Shi’a develop alternate view (shi’ites)
Internal Conflict Creates Crisis
(cont’d)
Shi’a
Sunni
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Did not outwardly resist
Umayyads
Believe the first four caliphs
were “rightly guided”
Muslim rulers should follow the
Sunna, or “Muhammad’s
example”
Claim that the Shi’a have
distorted the meaning of various
passages in the Qur’an
1.
2.
3.
4.
83% of population
5.
Develop alternate view to
Umayyads
Believe that Ali, the Prophet’s
son-in-law, should have
succeeded Muhammad
Believe that all Muslim rulers
should be descended from
Muhammad; do not recognize
the authority of the Sunna
Claim that the Sunni have
distorted the meaning of various
passages in the Qur’an
16 % of population
Internal Conflict Creates Crisis
(cont’d)
B.
Conflict Extends
1.
2.
3.
4.
750, Rebels overthrow Umayyads, Abbasids gain
control
Murder remaining family members
Move capital to Baghdad, Iraq; great trade routes
Create strong bureaucracy ($ affairs)
Internal Conflict Creates Crisis
(cont’d)
C.
Trade networks
1.
2.
Sea Trade-Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean
Currency


3.
Abbasid Dinar: single currency in empire
Sakks: “check”; letter of credit exchanged for cash at
any bank
Large cities



Cordoba: pop 200,000
In contrast, Paris: 38,000
Fueled immense achievements in arts and sciences
V. Muslim Culture
Society
A.
1.
Rise of Muslim Cities



2.
Many cultures combined
Attracted many people
Baghdad approaches 1 million people
4 Social Classes:




Upper class—Muslim at birth
Second Class—converts to Islam
Third Class—”protected peoples” included Christians, Jews, and
Zoroastrians
Lowest Class—slaves (POWs; all non-Muslims)
Muslim Culture (cont’d)
3.
Women



Shari’a gave Muslim women specific legal rights
concerning marriage, family, and property
Expected to submit to Muslim men
Responsibilities varied with income



Poor women worked fields, wealthier women
responsible for household and servants
Had access to education
Over time, women forced to live increasingly
isolated lives
Muslim Culture (cont’d)
4.
Art and Science flourishes


Fall of Rome (476) created chaos in Europe;
scholarship suffered
Umayyads and Abbasids expanded knowledge
a)
b)
Literature
Art and Architecture

c)
d)
e)
Calligraphy
Medical advances
Math and Science
Philosophy