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Lecture Notes: Islam
I.
II.
Arabia before Islam
A.
Nomads ruled the area – they were a minority but played an important role in caravan trade
1.
Life was very hard
a. egalitarian poverty led to social and political equality
b. status of women was higher than many civilizations since they worked hard
(ran businesses, owned property) – think Hunters and Gatherers
2.
leadership based on kinship (what is this? How does it tie people together?)
3.
cooperation within tribes, competition between tribes – NO UNITY!
B.
War between the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire changes situation
1.
Nomads began supplying resources (trade) to these fighting empires
2.
This brought wealth and economic inequality between tribes – leads to more
inequality
3.
Mecca becomes an important trading town.
a. North to Byzantium
b. Northeast to Sasanid Empire
Prophet Muhammad
A.
Muhammad (570 – 632)
1. Parents die when he is young
2. Lives with his uncle and is caravan driver in Arabian peninsula
3. Marries wealthy widow who operates trading caravan
4. Sees inequality and immorality leading him to meditate in caves near Mecca
B.
Begins receiving revelations from the Angel Gabriel (610)
1. Occurs while meditating in caves
 only one God
 don’t lie
 don’t cheat
 don’t steal
 take care of the poor
 social justice and reform
2. Creates Umma – community of believers
 erased tribal boundaries creating UNITY – remember great competition
between tribes
C.
The Kaba is a building of worship and religious center where caravan travelers stop to
Worship along their trade routes.
1.
Muhammad speaks out against worship of pagan idols
2.
This infuriates leaders of Mecca because they fear it will cost them much $$$ caravans will no longer make the journey to Mecca for people to worship meaning
less taxes
3.
Leaders of Mecca begin persecuting Muhammad
D.
III.
IV.
Hijra (622) leaves for Medina with his small group of followers – this emigration (Hijra)
marks the beginning of the birth of Islam (beginning of the Islamic calendar)
1.
Muhammad was asked to come to Medina and given assurances he could preach
freely there
2.
Quickly becomes theocracy (Muhammad is political and religious leader)
3.
He erased tribes and tribal boundaries and enforced the Umma (all for one – all
tribes together)
4.
Wars between Mecca and Medina to get rid of Muhammad
5.
Muslims in a jihad (war in defense of Islam) defends themselves and takes over the
Arabian Peninsula
6.
Muhammad enters Kaba and destroys idols
7.
Muhammad becomes lawgiver and is very popular
8.
Mecca becomes spiritual center of Islam while Medina becomes economic and
political center.
Islamic laws
A.
Dar al-Islam refers to the areas that share a common Muslim culture as a basis for society
B.
5 pillars of Islam – The only thing that makes a person a Muslim is to engage in these
rites. They are built around a nomadic lifestyle (easy to do anywhere)
and created to unify the community
1.
Pray 5 times daily (shows unity)
2.
Hadjj – pilgrimage to Mecca made once in a lifetime
3.
fasting at Ramadan – month long fasting
4.
Alms to the poor
5.
Proclamation of faith (there is only one God, and he is Allah. Muhammad was a
prophet)
C.
Islam and women
1.
Men and women are spiritually equal so that women could help create a moral
society with women subject to the same religious laws. This is a step forward
(progressive) – first monotheistic religion to see women as spiritual equals. At that
time in Judaism women cannot even worship.
2.
Prior to Muhammad, evidence of women being treated very poorly… men have
multiple wives, infanticide, no rights – Muhammad is seen as a savior to women
a.
limits number of women a man can marry and gives rights in divorce (keep
dowry and property)
b.
ends infanticide of female children
3.
Women are socially unequal ***contrast between religious and social lives
a.
politically
b.
public role
After Muhammad (***see p. 65-66 in Instructor’s Manual for more details)
A.
Rashidun Caliphate – first four successors of Muhammad (632-661)
1.
They expanded the empire out of the Arabian Peninsula to almost the entire Middle
East (Egypt, Syria, Iraq) using horseback tactics
2.
Laissez Faire religious policies but collected taxes from Jews and Christians –
allowed them to worship old religions as long as they paid a tax (mention idea of
Jews as part of the Abrahamic religions). Conquered peoples were willing to pay b/c
it was less than Byzantines or Sasanids had previously taken in taxes AND Christian
heretics and Jews were no longer persecuted as they had been before. There was NO
real change for the everyday person.
3. Sunni / Shi’ite split
-Shi’ites believe caliph should be closest blood tie to Muhammad (Ali)
-Sunnis accept first four caliphs and believe the selection should be based on the
most pious member of the Quraysh tribe (Muhammad’s tribe), but that blood ties are
not relevant.
V.
B.
Umayyads (661-750) – second wave of expansion (to Spain)
1. Sunni followers supported the Umayyad (see p. 65-66)
2. Arabs were given special status and privilege; leading to resentment by non-Arab
Muslims
3. Were overthrown by the Abbasids (a rival Arab clan) who used the resentment of nonArab Muslims to lead a revolt against them.
C.
Abbasids (750-1258) – Golden Age of Islam (Pax Islamica) – Baghdad was center
1.
Consolidation of the Islamic empire
2.
Standardization of Islam (evolution of different sects of Islam)
3.
Shifted from an agricultural based economy to trade based economy
4.
Eventually overcome by the Mongols
D.
Turkish Rule over the Islamic empire (1055 – 1920s)
1.
Fragmentation - Abbasids taken over from within by Mamluks
2.
Mamluks were children of conquered peoples who were taken as slaves and
converted to Islam. They were educated and trained to be soldiers and rulers to
administer other areas. (Mamluk means slave soldiers).
3.
Mamluks were brought in as slaves by the Abbasids and given positions in the
military and government (Seljuks are example). Seljuks eventually took over from
declining Abbasids.
4.
Ottomans (1299-1920s) – Took over from the Seljuks; seized Constantinople (1453)
Conclusion – The Arabs are the only nomadic tribe who invented a new civilization. All the other
nomad conquerors (Mongols, Mughals, Turks) were assimilated into the cultures
they conquered.