Download Chapter 6 The World of Islam

The
World
of
Islam
Section 1
The Rise
of Islam
The Arabs
 The Arabian Peninsula is a desert land. Arabs
were nomads who moved constantly to find food
and water. Organized into tribes with a Sheikh
in charge.
 Were 1st shepards and raiders of trading
caravans. Then became traders.
 Trade route developed between Makkah
(Mecca) and Yemen. Towns prospered along
route.
 Tensions developed between wealthy merchants
and Bedouins (Arabs in the desert). The
merchants were showing less and less concern
for the welfare of their poorer clanspeople and
slaves.
 Began as polytheistic. Traced ancestors to
Abraham and his son Ishmael, who were
believed to have built at Makkah (Mecca) the
Kaaba, a house of worship whose
cornerstone was a sacred black stone.
 1 supreme god, Allah (Arab for “God”). Also
worshipped other tribal gods.
 Problems with Mesopotamia and Egypt
allowed the Arab trade route to prospered
and became more popular.
The Life of Muhammed
 Born in Makkah in 570. Became a caravan
manager. Concerned about the gap
between rich merchants and Makkans.
 Went to meditate & believed that Allah
revealed to him his beliefs. These were
written down into the Quran, the holy
scriptures of Islam (“peace through
submission to the will of Allah”).
 People who practice Islam are Muslims.
 They believe that there was only 1 God,
Allah.
 Most people didn’t accept Muhammad’s
revelations. So he & his followers moved
to Yathrib, later renamed Medina (“city of
the prophet”). This journey became known
as the Hijrah in 622.
 Submission to the will of Allah meant
submission to his prophet, Muhammad,
who became both a political & religious
leader. He formed a military and took over
Mecca. They converted to Islam.
 Muhammad died in 632.
The Teachings of Muhammad
 Islam is monotheistic. Allah created the
universe and everything in it.
 Muhammad was a prophet, not divine. Allah
sent his final revelation through Muhammad
since his earlier prophets had been
rejected.
 Five Pillars of Islam
1. Belief in Allah & his prophet Muhammad.
2. Standard prayer 5 times a day & public
prayer on Fridays at midday.
3. Giving alms, such as food & money, to the
poor.
4. Observance of the holy month Ramadan,
including fasting from dawn to sunset.
5. Make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once
in a lifetime called the hajj.
 Islam is a way of life. Shari’ah is a set of
laws to regulate daily life.
 Muslims are forbidden to gamble, eat pork,
drink alcohol, or engage in dishonest
behavior.
Section 2
The Arab Empire
and its
Successors
Creation of an Arab Empire
 When Muhammad died, he had not named a
successor. This created a problem.
 They elected his father-in-law, Abu Bakr & named
him caliph.
 He began raiding their enemies to expand the
movement. Became known as jihad “struggle in
the way of God”. Soldiers believed that if they died
in battle, they were assured a place in Paradise.
 Conquered the entire Persian empire. Conquered
people were not expected to convert, rather be
loyal to Muslim rule & to pay taxes.
 After Abu Bakr died, the next 3 caliphs were
assassinated.
The Umayyads
 661, Gen. Mu’awiyah became caliph. Used
force when only necessary. He made the
office hereditary. Created the Umayyad
dynasty.
 Arabs conquered the Berbers in N. Africa.
Tried to conquer Spain, but lost in the Battle
of Tours in Gaul. Expansion in Europe
ended.
 Non-Muslims felt they were treated unfairly.
Hussein, led a revolt that split Islam into 2
groups: The Shiites, who accepted
descendents of Ali as true caliphs and The
Sunni, who accepted descendents of the
Umayyads as caliphs.
The Abbasid Dynasty
 750, Abu al-Abbas overthrew the Umayyads.
 Built new capital at Baghdad on the caravan
route from the Mediterranean to central Asia.
 Muslims could hold civil & military offices,
regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.
 During the Golden Age of the Abbasid,
Harun al-Rashid was known for his charity.
Period of great prosperity.
 A vizier, advised the caliph and helped rule
the empire. His sons fought over who would
succeed him. Abbasid Empire broke apart.
The Seljuk Turks
 The Fatimid dynasty in Egypt created an army
of soldiers from other countries to fight for them.
 The Seljuk Turks were nomads from central
Asia. Converted to Islam. 11th century took over
the eastern provinces of the Abbasid Empire.
Took over Baghdad and took command of the
empire.
 Sultan (“holder of power”) became the political
and military leader. Abbasid was religious
leader.
 Defeated the Byzantines when they attacked.
Took over most of Anatolian peninsula.
The Crusades
 The Byzantine Emperor, who was Christian,
asked for help against the Turks.
 1096, a series of crusades began. They
conquered areas & established crusader
states.
 Saladin, made himself Sultan after taking
control of Egypt, ended the Fatimid dynasty.
Attacked the crusader states. Invaded
Jerusalem and destroyed the Christian army
there.
 Crusades ended and led to centuries of
mistrust between Muslims & Christians.
The Mongols
 13th century had the Arab Empire being attacked
by the Mongols.
 From the Gobi, they were destructive and cruel.
Goal was to create so much terror that people
would not fight back.
 Seized Persia & Mesopotamia. Hulegu hated
Islam so he destroyed Baghdad. Unable to
conquer Egypt.
 Cairo becomes new learning center of Islamic
civilization.
 Mongols later converted to Islam and rebuilt
many of the cities they had destoryed. Mongol
Empire split into separate kingdoms.
 End of the old Islamic Empire.
Section 3
Islamic
Civilization
Prosperity in the Islamic World
 Trade flourished under the Abbasid
dynasty. Development of banking and the
use of coins made it easier to buy/sell
goods.
 Sahara- gold & slave
 China- silk & porcelain
 E. Africa- gold & ivory
 SE Asia & India- sandalwood & spices
 Egypt- grain
 Iraq- linen, dates, precious stones
 India- textile goods
 Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus became great
trading cities.
 Bazaar, or covered markets were important
part of every city/town.
 Most people still lived in the countrysides.
Lived by farming & herding. Peasants owned
most of the farmland.
 Later, wealthy landowners began to create
large estates.
Islamic Society
 Belief that all people are equal in the eyes of
Allah. But not true.
 Ruling families, government officials, and
wealthy merchants were the upper class.
 Slaves, because they were non-Muslims
were never considered equal.
 Slaves served in the army & in households.
Could buy their freedom. Should be treated
fairly. Considered a good act to set them
free.
 Women were not considered equal.
Expected to be treated with respect by men.
Had right to inherit/own property. Expected
to be good wives/mothers. Had a male
guardian.
 Parents arranged marriages.
 Men could have more than 1 wife, but no
more than 4. Had to pay dowry (a gift of
money/property) to their brides.
 Women stayed home. Covered nearly all of
their body when in public.
Section 4
The Culture
Of
Islam
Preservation of Knowledge
 Arabs translated works of Aristotle and Plato
& put them into the House of Wisdom in
Baghdad.
 12th century, translated into Latin and taken
to Europe.
 Texts on math were brought from India.
 Paper brought from China in 8th century.
 Paper factories built in Baghdad to help
preserve the knowledge.
Philosophy, Science, & History
 Islamic scholars made great contributions in
math & science.
 Adopted & passed on numerical system of
India. In Europe, became known as “Arabic”
system.
 Set up observatory in Baghdad & named
many stars.
 Iranian mathematician created algebra.
 Improved the astrolabe.
 Developed medicine as a field of scientific
study.
 Ibn Sina wrote a medical encyclopedia. He
stressed the contagious diseases.
 Ibn-Khaldun wrote Muqaddimah (Introduction
to History). Believed that civilizations go
through regular cycles of birth, growth, and
decay.
Literature
 Quran was the greatest work of literature.
 Rubaiyat and 1001 Nights (The Arabian
Nights) were both told orally and written
down later. Both are a collection of folktales,
fables, and romances, including Aladdin.
Architecture
 Islamic art was a blend of Arab, Turkish, and
Persian traditions.
 Muslim Mosques were the greatest
examples.
 Minaret, was the tower that the muezzin or
crier calls the faithful to prayer 5 times a day.
 Most decorations consisted of Arabic letters,
abstract figures, and floral designs repeating
over & over in geometric patterns called
arabesques.