Download Islamic Civilization

Islamic Civilization
Islam Today:
7 Billion people in the world today
2+ Billion Christian
1+ Billion Islamic (Muslim)
Pre-Islamic:
Mecca – sacred mosque
Kaba – Brick structure at Mecca. (It was rebuilt 10 times)
Sacred Black Stone – the cornerstone of the Kaba. People kiss it during he Hajj.
Muhammad: (570 AD – 632 AD) – prophet or messenger of God.

Was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his uncle, who was an improvised
merchant. He took Muhammad with him on his travels and this is where he starts
to dislike the polytheistic religions and respects Christianity and Judaism.
Khadija – a wealthy widower who is impressed with Muhammad’s honesty and
trustworthiness hires him to lead her caravan. He brings her more profit then she ever
had. She eventually asks him to marry her and she becomes his wife. He was 25 and
she was forty with children.
Pivotal Islamic Experience – (revelations of God’s message) 610 AD – while
meditating the angel Gabriel appears to Muhammad. He tells Muhammad he is the
messenger of Allah. At first Muhammad does not believe this but eventually accepts
it. These revelations last for 23 years.
613 AD – Muhammad starts to publicly preach about the revelations and gains a
following.
Islam: surrender to the will of God
Mecca, Jerusalem, Medina – holiest places of Islam (in order of importance).
Al-Aqsa – (Mosque in Jerusalem) is the place where Muhammad meets Abraham,
Mosses, and Jesus and prays with them.
Dome of the Rock – is at Al-Aqsa and is where Muhammad ascends into heaven.
True believers will see his footprints in the stone.
Muslims – are the people who practice Islam
Koran (Quran) – (the Islamic Bible) The eternal word of God. Is all of the
revelations that Allah gave to Muhammad. It corrects the scriptures of
the Hebrew and Christian churches. It is written in Arabic, thus it is the
official language of Islam (sacred language). It is broken into different
chapters called Suras (114).
Allah – Arabic word for God.
Traditions and Customs:
Monotheism – Allah, Arabic word for “God”
Quran – the world of God
“Five Pillars” of Faith:
1. Shahada – Islamic confession of faith. Allah (one God),
Muhammad – Prophet (messenger) of God.
The next 4 are the Obligations of Islam
2. Prayer – must pray 5 times a day facing Mecca.
3. “Poor Tax” (Alms) – giving to the poor – the material goods are
illusionary.
4. Fasting – during the month of Ramadan (9th month) from sunrise
to sunset
5. Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca – every able body should make this
hajj in their lifetime
SOME BELIVE THERE IS A 6TH ONE
6. Jihad – Holy war.
Prohibitions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
No more than 4 wives
Can not eat pork
Do not practice usury (loaning money for interest)
No alcohol
No gambling
No reproduction of human/animal form in regard to art.
Trinity: in Islam there is no conception of the Trinity. The transcendent God is
the only one. God has no son, daughter – NO TRINITY
Koranic Universe: consist of 3 realms
1. Heaven
2. Earth
3. Hell
All people are judged on a Judgment Day.
Each male will have 72 Houris (females with no defects).
No “Original Sin” – Adam is the one who was tempted by the devil.
Consequence of Sin is the responsibility of the sinner alone.
Spread of Islam – is considered the most rapid political/religious expansion in the world
(No political center)
632 AD – the first year of the Islamic Calendar- Muhammad gained some followers in
Mecca but the majority of the people did not like what he was doing and threatened to
kill him. He makes the Hegira (flight) from Mecca to Medina (city of the prophet).
Ten years later he leads a force back to Mecca and captures the city.
Caliph (ate): the successor of Muhammad is called Caliph and the land he controls is
called Caliphate.
1st 4 Caliphs (632 – 661) – the first one was Abu Bakar – Muhammad’s Father-in-law
Medina political center
661 Ali the Fourth Caliph was overthrown and the Umayyad Dynasty is created.
The Shia Sect is Created
Shiites (10% - 15%) more political – only the descendants of Ali
could be Caliph’s
Sunnis (85% - 90%) – Caliph’s were elected officials
Umayyad Dynasty (661 – 750)
 Damascus Political center
 661 AD general Muawiyah – governor of Syria became Caliph – known for
one outstanding virtue: he used force only when absolutely necessary. He
made the Caliph position hereditary in his own family.
 Spread Islam to North Africa, Southern Spain
 Set up Cordoba as the center of Islam in Spain.
 732 AD – Battle of Tours (France) – the Islamic expansion into Europe ends
with this defeat. – starts the political disintegration of the Islamic world.
Abbasid Dynasty (750 – 1258)
 Baghdad political center
 Major ruler: Harun Al-Rashid (786 – 809) counterpart was Charlemagne –
ruler of the Frankish Kingdom
 1071 AD – Battle of Manzikert – Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine Empire
 1258 AD – Moguls enter the picture – the Moguls leader puts the Abbasid
ruler in a sack and had him trampled to death.
3 Great Islamic Empires:
1. Ottoman
2. Safavid
3. Mogul (Mughal)
Islamic Culture:
The early Islamic civilizations was characterized by achievements in science and
the arts that transformed the Islamic world and contributed to world civilization
Cultural Contributions:
Architecture
Dome of the Rock
Mosque – (Minaret – Prayer tower)
Palaces - Alhambra
Mosaics
Arabic Alphabet
Universities
Translation of ancient texts into Arabic
Scientific Contributions:
Arabic numerals (adapted from India), including zero
Algebra
Medicine:
Al-Razi (Rhazes) – greatest Islamic physician
Avicenna – Canon of Medicine