Muslims account for 1/5 of the worlds inhabitants (more than 1
Billion people) The conflict between Muslims and Jews in modern
times over land in southwest Asia is rooted in this period The
heritage of religious toleration, scholarly achievement, and
economic prosperity of these years provides a model that many
Muslims wish to follow today
Slide 3
Middle East Known as Middle because it sits right between three
continents Europe, Africa, and Asia Mostly desert which makes it
very difficult to live there
Slide 4
There is only a tiny strip of fertile land in south Arabia and
Oman that can support agriculture The rest is desert Bedouins Arab
nomads that roam the desert Organized into tribes and groups called
clans Provide security and support for a life Courageous, loyal to
family and great warrior skills
Slide 5
Bedouins would fight each other for many reasons Stealing water
Grazing territory Livestock Food
Slide 6
Areas with fertile soil had enough water to support farming
communities Trade routes connected Arabia to the major oceans and
land trade routes Merchants would move up and down the trade routes
selling their goods Spices and incense were traded from Yemen Ideas
and information was also introduced to the world outside
Arabia
Slide 7
Slide 8
Followers are called Muslims Their God is called Allah Their
main prophet is Muhammad Sacred book is the Quran There are five
pillars of faith They believe in one God
Slide 9
Located in western Arabia People come to worship at an ancient
shrine in the city called Kaaba The shrine is associated with
Abraham A Hebrew prophet and a believer in one God Muslims have to
come here at least once in their live Brings travelers from around
the world
Slide 10
Born into the clan of a powerful Meccan family Received little
schooling and began working in the caravan trade at a young age At
25 he became a trader and business manager
Slide 11
Revelations Muhammad took an interest in religion Would spend a
lot of time along in prayer and meditation Had a life changing
experience where a voice called to him while he meditated in a cave
outside Mecca According to Muslim belief, the voice was of the
angel Gabriel, a messenger from Allah Muhammad was convinced that
he was one of the last prophets
Slide 12
A pilgrimage to Mecca, performed as a duty by Muslims This was
first done to avoid conflict Left Mecca for Medina Eight years
later, Muhammad returned to Mecca, facing sure defeat, to reclaim
Mecca Meccas leaders surrendered Muhammad destroyed the idols in
the Kaaba and establishes this as a central house of worship for
Islam
Slide 13
Faith Belief in one God Prayer 5 times a day to Allah, always
facing toward the city of Mecca Charity Giving to those in need
Fasting Self-denial through not eating from sun up to sun down
Pilgrimage At least one time in a lifetime to Mecca
Slide 14
The guidance of the Quran and Sunna assembled in a body of law
(Islamic Law) This system of law regulates the family life, moral
conduct, and business and community life of Muslims No separation
of personal life from religious life
Slide 15
Offenses with specific punishments in the Quran Crimes include:
Unlawful sexual intercourse, false accusation of unlawful sexual
intercourse, wine drinking, theft, and highway robbery Punishment
for those crimes: Flogging, stoning, amputation, exile or
execution
Slide 16
When Muhammad died in 632, the Muslim community faced a crisis
Muhammad did not name a successor Muslims believed they had a duty
to carry his word to the world, but lacked a clear way of doing
that
Slide 17
Supreme political and religious leader in a Muslim government
Abu-Bakr became the first caliph after Muhammads death Promised the
Muslim community he would uphold what Muhammad stood for Invoked
jihad to stop tribes from abandoning Islam Jihad: Striving, the
inner struggle against evil Abu-Bakr applied jihad in justifying
the expansion of Islam
Slide 18
Before his death, Muhammad wanted to expand the Muslim religion
to the people in the North After Muhammads death, some Muslim
tribes refused to pay taxes and abandoned Islam Troops drew energy
and inspiration from their faith Muslim armies were well
disciplined and commanded
Slide 19
See how the religion was able to spread throughout the middle
east from the time of Muhammads death in 632 until after the
conquest of the Umayyad caliphs in 750
Slide 20
They were able to do this because of the weakness of the
Byzantine and Persian empires Both empires were in conflict The
persecution of people who did not follow the Christian faith
Slide 21
Because the Quran forbade forced conversion, Muslims allowed
conquered peoples to follow their own religion Some accepted Islam
Taxes for different religions Christians and Jews were considered
people of the book so they only had to pay a poll tax each year in
exchange for exemption from military duties
Slide 22
Came into power after previous leaders were assassinated Their
goal was to keep Muslim states unified Believed in hereditary
succession Passed through family Wanted to move the capital to a
more central location This would make it easier in controlling
conquered territories
Slide 23
Sunni Supported the Umayyads Felt the caliphs just needed to
live the life according to Muhammads example Claim that the Shia
have distorted the meaning of various passages in the Quran 83% of
the Muslims today
Slide 24
Shia Resisted the Umayyads Felt the caliphs should be relatives
of Muhammad Believe that Ali, the Prophets son-in-law, should have
succeeded Muhammad Claim that the Sunni have distorted the meaning
of various passages in the Quran Members are called Shiites 16% of
the world today
Slide 25
Sufi Resisted the Umayyads because of wealth Felt Muslims
should be devoted to their spiritual ideas and should live in
poverty Similar to Christian and Buddhist monks
Slide 26
Took control of the empire in 750 Overthrew the members of the
Umayyad family Ruthlessly murdered the family Only one prince, Abd
al-Rahman escaped and fled to Spain Established the Umayyads in
Spain Established a new city called Baghdad in Iraq The Caliph gave
access of the trade routes to trade goods and gold
Slide 27
The Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean were two major
sea-trading networks Allowed the Muslim world to trade with the
rest of the world The land network connected the Silk Roads of
China and India with Europe and Africa Muslim merchants only needed
to speak a single language (Arabic) and a single currency (Abbadis
dinar)
Slide 28
Muslim bankers established checks to make this trading easier
This was set up to encourage the flow of trade A merchant with a
check (sakk) from a bank in Baghdad could exchange it for cash at a
bank in any other major city
Slide 29
Cordoba: Spain Umayyads Baghdad: Iraq Abbasids Cities
symbolized wealth and power of an empire
Slide 30
Made up into four different classes 1 Upper Cass Muslim by
birth 2 Second Class Converts to Islam 3 Third Class Protected
People (Jews and Christians) 4 Lower Class Slaves All non-Muslim
Mostly prisoners of war
Slide 31
According to the Quran, Men are the managers of the affairs of
women, and Righteous women are therefore obedient. The Sharia gives
Muslim women legal rights with marriage, family, and property
Muslim women had more economic and property rights than European,
Indian, and Chinese women of the same time period
Slide 32
Islamic support science, math, and philosophy attracted people
to Muslim city centers Islamic scholars preserved existing
knowledge and expanded learning through their own developments
Muhammad himself strongly believed in the power of learning
Slide 33
The national library, academy and translation center in Baghdad
Scholars from different cultures and beliefs worked side by side
translating texts from Greece, India, Persia, and elsewhere into
Arabic
Slide 34
al-Razi Persian scholar Great physician of the Muslim world
Wrote an encyclopedia called the Comprehensive Book Had ideas from
Greek, Syrian, Arabic, and Italian as well as his own
experiences
Slide 35
Muslim scholars believed that mathematics was the bases of all
knowledge Al-Khwarzmi Invented algebra Optics Ibn al-Haytham
Revolutionized the study of vision Showed that people see objects
because rays pass from the objects to the eyes, not from the eyes
to the objects as was commonly believed Helped develop lenses for a
telescope and microscope
Slide 36
Translated work from Greek philosophers like Aristotle and
Plato into Arabic Ibn Rushd Said that Greek and Islamic philosophy
both had the same goal: To find the truth Criticized for trying to
blend Aristotle's and Platos views with those of Islam
Slide 37
Literature had been a strong tradition in Arabia even before
Islam Quran is considered the standard for Muslim literature
Slide 38
Islam forbids the depiction of living beings Muslim leaders
feared that people might worship the images rather than Allah
Picturing living beings is considered idolatry Calligraphy Art of
beautiful handwriting Pictures are formed using the letters of the
alphabet
Slide 39
Mostly nomads Herded sheep and goats, lived in tents, and used
camels to carry their goods Began converting to Islam and migrating
to the Abbasid Empire
Slide 40
Turkish military slaves Prized for their military skill and
loyalty Abbasids began buying Turkish children to raise as
slaves
Slide 41
Turkish Islamic converts who migrated into the Addasids Empire
around 1000 Sunni Muslims
Slide 42
Take over of Persian subjects Captured Baghdad from the
Persians in 1055 Persian subjects are treated with equality Adopted
Persian language and culture
Slide 43
Prime Minister in a Muslim Kingdom Typically a Persian official
who worked for the Turkish shah (King)
