Download (Section I): The Rise and Spread of Islam

Section I: The Rise and Spread of Islam
(Pages 170-178)
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This section is about:
Muhammad, the father of the
monotheistic religion of Islam.
How Muhammad attracted
followers all over the Arabian
Peninsula.
The basic beliefs of Islam and
how it spread to Asia and the
Mediterranean regions.
How Turkish speaking groups
challenged Islamic rulers.
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Islam began on the
Arabian Peninsula – in
southwest Asia.
We really just call the
area “the Middle East.”
It’s one of the driest
areas of the world, with
no permanent rivers or
lakes (but there is an
occasional oasis).
The Middle East is also a “crossroads” of trade.
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Camels helped carry on
trade between Africa,
Asia, and Europe.
Incense, spices, gold,
ivory, silk…. all traded –
often in and around
Mecca.
Mecca was first known as
Arabia’s busiest trading
center – it’s now the
center of the Muslim
religion.
One of the Arab clans that lived
in Arabia were…
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… Bedouin Nomads.
They were desert travelers
who raised sheep, goats, and
camels.
They often had to travel great
distances to find food and
water for their animals.
One of these Bedouins was
named Muhammad.
He ended up becoming the
most important person in the
history of Islam.
Muhammad was born in Mecca – about 570 AD
His uncle raised him (his parents both died before he was even 7)
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Muhammad was one of those
guys who liked to wander off by
himself and think about things
(like the meaning of life).
One day (in 610), he had a (like Buddha)
vision: the angel Gabriel
appeared to him.
Muhammad was told to preach
the word of God.
He didn’t really know how to do
that, but he had dreams, and
more visions, and got advice
from family and friends.
They told him he was destined
to be a prophet (a man who
spoke for God).
His wife was his first convert.
Before long, some people
were listening to him
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He was telling people that
Allah was the one true God
– and Allah is the only one
(and only) God they should
pray to.
Some people believed him
and did what he asked.
Others began to harass and
persecute him.
In 622, Muhammad and his
followers decided to leave Mecca.
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The traveled to Medina (on a
trip they called the hijra).
They left on July 16, 622 –
which is day 1 of the Islamic
calendar.
Muhammad successfully
converted all of Medina to Islam
and started what we know as
Islam.
Later, Mecca and Medina had
some issues between them.
Muhammad and the Muslims
conquered Mecca in 630.
He destroyed many statues in
the Kaaba and made it into the
center of the Muslim religion.
The teachings of Muhammad:
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All people are equal
before God
There is only one God:
Allah
Muslims must
“submit to the will of
Allah”
Muslims must follow the
“Five Pillars of Islam”
The Five Pillars of Islam
(all Muslims MUST)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Confessional Faith
“There is no God but Allah”
Pray 5 times a day
(facing Mecca)
Fast during Ramadan
(sunrise to sunset)
Give alms to the poor
(2 ½ % of salary +)
Make a Pilgrimage (hajj) to
Mecca
(at least once in your
lifetime)
Just one man talking about the beliefs of Islam – but very full of information
The Koran (Quran):
the book of Muslim rules and laws
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Is the word of god, given to
Muhammad, by the angel
Gabriel.
Guides Muslims through every
aspect of life: moral, social,
political, and legal.
The first Chapters: describe
the goodness and power of
Allah.
There are many similarities to
the Jewish and Christian
bibles.
Muslims even called them:
“the people of the book” and
were a little tolerant of them.
The Bible is the most read book ever
The Koran is the most read book ever (in it’s original language)
Many Muslims view Islam as a very old religion.
Many other people view it as a newer religion.
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One Side
They feel they believe in the same
God (Allah) who was the god of
the Jews/Hebrews and Christians.
Allah just came back again to tell
Muslims about who he was - to
Muhammad.
Muslims are the “Chosen People
of God/Allah.”
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The Other Side
Hebrews feel they’re “God’s
Chosen People” through Abraham.
Feel these Muslims have come up
with an entirely new thing.
Here’s how it’s supposed
to have happened:
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Very simply, Abraham and Sarah his wife were passed child
bearing age but God had promised them a son. Being
impatient, as we humans are, and as was a custom then,
Sarah tried to hurry things along.
She told Abraham to take her servant, Hagar and have a son
by her, which Abraham did. This son was named Ishmael
(but he was not the promised Son).
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Eventually, Sarah did conceive and bear a son, Isaac, which
was the promised son. Sarah became jealous of Hagar and
asked Abraham to get rid of his and Hagar’s son, which
eventually happened. He sent them away – into the desert.
Issac was to father Jacob and Jacob was to father twelve
sons, some of these too were by servants. These twelve
sons were the twelve patriarchs, fathering the twelve tribes
of Israel or the nation of Israel.
However, Ishmael also fathered twelve sons that became
large tribes but these were always the enemy of Israel and
gave Israel much trouble over time.
When he conquered Mecca,
Muhammad was 60 years old
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He only lived 2 more
years.
But before he died, he did
teach that Muslims must
spread Allah’s rule.
Sometimes this might
require jihad (which can
mean different things to
different people).
Jihad can mean great
effort, great struggle, and
sometimes even implies
fighting and wars.
Who would take Muhammad’s place?
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No-one.
Muslims consider
Muhammad the last of the
prophets.
4 men tried. They were
called caliphs (Arabic for
successors).
They acted as political and
religious leaders and
oversaw the spread of
Islam (Muhammad told
his followers to “spread
the word.”).
1. Abu Bakr – united the Arab peninsula
2. Umar – led armies which spread Islam
out of the Arabian peninsula.
3/4. Uthman and Ali – expanded the
empire east and west
Among Muslims,, two separate groups arose
(they still exist even today)
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Sunnis
Larger of the two.
Supported the caliphs.
Believed the Koran was the
only guide they needed.
Are Lutherans and Catholics alike?
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Shiites (several)
Believed the only successor to
Muhammad had to be his
daughter, son-in-law, and
their descendants.
Believed they needed a
person as a guide – between
Allah and the people.
From 630 (Muhammad’s death) – 750
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Muslims armies fought,
conquered, and controlled:
Rhodes, Sicily, North Africa,
Afghanistan, the Byzantines,
Jerusalem, Persia, Syria,
Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, North
Africa, and even some of
China.
But, not Europe – they
would remain Christian.
The Abbasid Dynasty started making the Muslim
world special - for reasons besides Muhammad
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Built mosques, schools, and
hospitals.
Economics based on
agriculture, commerce, and
manufacturing.
Built a new capital on the Tigris
River (Baghdad).
Brought in new plants: rice,
sugar cane, lemons, limes,
bananas, coconuts, palms,
spinach, eggplant.
Traded: porcelain from China,
ivory and gold from Africa, furs
from Europe, spices, gems,
linens, beautiful glassware.
Peace, prosperity, the arts,
learning, literature, poetry,
medicine, math, astronomy…
Another Muslim group arose at this time: Sufis
They believed they got closer to Allah through
continuous inner prayer, fasting, and other rituals.
Whirling Dervishes
The Empires of the caliphs did not remain united
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Most of the lands conquered by the
Muslims adopted Islam.
But, the caliphs all wanted to do
their own things. At one time there
were even 3 different caliphs
(Baghdad, North Africa, and Spain).
That allowed one group of Turks
(the Seljuks) to move in.
The Seljuks grew stronger in the
eastern part of the Muslim Empire
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They replaced the caliph
with their own leader and
called him a sultan.
The Seljuks also
conquered an area ruled
by the Christian emperor
(Constantinople) and he
asked the pope for help
to get rid of them.
The pope was more
interested in trying to win
back Jerusalem than
Constantinople.
So, Pope Urban started a series of wars to win
back the holy lands of Jesus (including Jerusalem)
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These wars were called: the
Crusades.
The Crusaders conquered
Constantinople and eventually
Jerusalem, but in the process
killed many men, women, and
children.
For 150 years, fighting went on
between Christian Crusaders
and Muslims.
The Muslim empire was never
again as united as it was before
these wars.
Horrible History – The Crusades