The Muslim World Chapter 10. Section 1-The Rise of Islam

The Muslim World

Chapter 10

Section 1-The Rise of Islam

Desert Towns and Trade Routes:

• Crossroads of Trade and Ideas-

• 600 B.C.- Trade routes connected Arabia to land and sea trade

• Byzantine and Sassanid Empires located in the north– Carried spices from Yemen and

other products from the west – Carried in info and ideas from

around the world

Desert Towns and Trade Routes:

• Mecca-• During holy months caravans

stopped at Mecca, a city in western Arabia.

• Ka’aba- An ancient shrine where religious pilgrims worshiped – First associated with Abraham – Contained over 360 idols brought

by different tribes• Monotheism- Belief in one God– Islam = Allah

The Prophet Muhammad:

• Muhammad-• Born to a powerful Meccan family– Orphaned at age 6– Raised by grandpa and uncle

• At 25 became a trader and business manager for Khadijah– They got married

• He took great interest in religion spent much time in prayer


• Muhammad-• His life changed at 40 when a voice

called to him while meditating– This was the angel Gabriel– Told Muhammad he was the messenger of

Allah the last of God’s prophets – Taught that Allah was the one and only God

all others should be abandoned• Islam- “Submission to the will of Allah”• Muslim- “One who has submitted”• 613 A.D. Muhammad begins to preach

publically


• The Hijrah- • Muhammad’s journey to

Yathrib 200 miles north of Mecca

• During this journey Muhammad gained many new followers

• Yathrib later renamed Medina


• Return to Mecca-• 630 Muhammad and 10,000

followers returned to Mecca• Mecca’s leaders surrendered• Destroyed the idols at Ka’aba and

made a call to prayer• Most Meccans = Loyal to

Muhammad and converted to Islam• Umma – Muslim religious

community• Muhammad died in 632 at the age

of 62– He was able to unify a majority

of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam

Beliefs and Practices of Islam

• The Five Pillars of Islam – Faith-

– When becoming a Muslim one has to repeat the following statement of faith, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”. This statement resonates throughout Islamic rituals and in Muslim daily life


• Prayer-– Five times a day, Muslims face towards Mecca and

pray. This can be done at home, a mosque, or any where.

• Alms-–Muhammad taught that all Muslims have a

responsibility to care for those less fortunate. Muslims meet this responsibility by giving alms or money to the poor, through a special religious tax (About 2.5%).


• Fasting-– During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sun up

to sun down. The purpose of Ramadan is to represent the fact that your spiritual needs are more important than your physical needs.

• Pilgrimage-– All Muslims who are physically and financially able to

perform the hajj to Mecca are required to do so at least once in their life. Pilgrims are supposed to wear similar garments so everyone stands as equals in front of Allah.

Beliefs and Practices of Islam• A Way of Life-– Carrying out the Five Pillars of

Islam ensures that Muslims live their religion and serve their community.

– Muslims are forbidden to eat pork or drink intoxicating beverages

– Fridays are for worship– Expected to worship Allah directly– Ulama’s- Scholars who help teach

and apply the teachings of Muhammad to daily life


• Qur’an-Islamic holy book containing the word of Allah as revealed to the prophet Muhammad– Written in Arabic

• Only the Qur’an written in Arabic is considered the true word of Allah

• Believed that Muhammad’s mission was to receive the Qur’an and demonstrate it’s application


• Sunna- The model for proper living

• Shari’a- A body of law assembled from the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunna– Regulated family life,

moral conduct, and business and community life

Section 2-Islam Expands

Muhammad’s Successors Spread Islam

• Muhammad had not named a successor

• Muslims wanted to carry on Islam

• Not sure how to choose a new leader


• “Rightly Guided” Caliphs-• Caliph-Successor or deputy• Abu-Bakr-Friend of Muhammad and

1st Caliph• “Rightly Guided” Caliphs – Next 3 Caliphs after Abu-Bakr used the

Qur’an for guidance and all knew Muhammad

– Umar, Uthman, and Ali• After the prophets death many

Muslims left Islam others rebelled


• “Rightly Guided” Caliphs- (continued)• Abu-Bakr evoked Jihad to justify and expand

Islam• Jihad- Striving (an inner struggle against evil)• Abu-Bakr

– Muslim state controlled all of Arabia• Umar-

– Conquered Syria and lower Egypt and parts of the Sassanid Empire

• Uthman and Ali-– Continued expansion and by 750 the Muslim empire

stretched 6,000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River


• Reasons for Success-• The our “Rightly Guided” Caliphs made great

progress in spreading Islam• Saw their victories as a sign of Allah’s support• Muslim armies well trained and commanded• By the time Muslim armies arrived the Byzantine

and Sassanid armies were exhausted• Oppressed people welcomed the Muslims as

“Liberators”• Islam was attractive and offered equality and hope• Also Muslims did not have to pay a poll tax


• Treatment of Conquered People-• Since the Qur’an forbade forced

conversion people were allowed to practice their own religion

• Revered Christians and Jews as People of the book

• Paid a poll tax instead of serving in the military

• They were not allowed to spread their religion but were allowed to serve as officials, scholars, and bureaucrats

Internal Conflict Creates a Crisis

• 656-Uthman was murdered and a civil war broke out among groups struggling for power

• Ali- Muhammad’s cousin and son-in law was the natural choice

• His right to rule was challenged by Muawiya the governor of Syria

• 661-Ali assassinated and the elective system of choosing a Caliph died with him

• The Umayyads- Family came to power and moved the Muslim capital of Damascus

• Move made controlling territories easier• Soon differences within the community lead to a split

Internal Conflict Creates a Crisis

• Sunni-Shi’s Split-• In an attempt at peace many Muslims accepted the

rule of the Umayyad (oo-MY-adz)• Others thought that the Caliph should be a descendent

of the prophet• Shi’a- Party of Ali• Sunni- Followers of Muhammad’s example• Sufi- Rejected the luxury of the Umayyad’s life style,

pursued poverty and spirituality• Abbasids (uh-Bas-ihdz)- Most powerful group and

overthrew the Umayyads

Control Extends Over Three Continents

• Abbasids murdered the remaining members of the Umayyad family

• 762-They moved the capital to Bagdad, Iraq• Location was a key part of the trade route

and gave the Caliph’s access to gold, material goods, and information

• They developed a huge bureaucracy and a treasury to keep track of money

• Sent diplomats to Europe, Africa, and Asia to conduct business

• To support this they taxed land, imports, exports, and non-Muslim wealth


• Rival Groups Divide Muslim Lands-• Abbasids ruled form 750 to 1258• Fatimid (FAT-uh-MIHD) caliphate was

created by Shi’a Muslims who claimed decent from Muhammad’s daughter Fatima

• The caliphate spread from Northern Africa to Western Arabia and Syria

• However, they were still connected to the Abbasid caliphate through religion, language, trade and their economy


• Muslim Trade-• Two major sea-trading networks existed

– Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean

• It connected the Silk Roads of China and India with Europe and Africa

• Arabic was the spoken language and the Abbasid dinar was the currency

• To encourage trade Muslim traders set up banks through the empire

• Banks offered letters of credit called “sakks” pronounced check in Europe

• Period of immense growth in science, and art

Section 3-Muslim Culture

Muslim Society

• The Rise of Muslim Cities-• Bagdad-Abbasid Capital• Damascus- Now center for Islamic

learning• Bagdad-– Located on the Tigris River– Distinct circular design – Protected by three circular walls– Caliph’s palace made of marble and

stone neighbor to the masque– One million people living there at its

peak

Muslim Society

• Four Social Classes-

• Upper Class- Muslims from birth

• Second Class- Muslim converts

• Third Class- The “Protected People” (Jews and Christians)

• Lower Class- Slaves (all non-Muslim)

Muslim Society

• Role of Women-• The Quran says “Men are the

managers of the affairs of women” and “Righteous Women are Obedient”

• Men and women as believers are equal

• Shari’a granted rights– Marriage– Property– Family

Muslim Society

• Role of Women- (continued)• Women still expected to submit• For men to divorce had to say three

times “I dismiss thee” and its was final in three months

• Women worked and raised children• During the beginning of Islam

women were encouraged to be part of society and gain education, however overtime women led more restricted lived and were expected to be veiled

Muslim Scholarship Extends Knowledge

• Reasons for supporting science and knowledge–Wanted skilled

physicians to treat their ills

– Used math and astronomy to calculate times of prayer

– Even Muhammad revered the power of learning


• House of Wisdom-– Built in the early 800’s

by Caliph al-Ma’mun

– Combined library, academy and translation center

– Translated Greek, Indian and Persian texts into Arabic


• Art and Science Flourish-

• Muslim Literature-– The Qur’an is the standard for all

Arabic literature and poetry

– New work was about love, nature and the pleasures of life

– “Thousand and One Nights”- A collection of fairy tales, parables, and legends


• Muslim Art and Architecture- – Took new traditions and adapted

them to Islamic beliefs– Muslims believed that only Allah

could create living beings so they perfected calligraphy (hand drawings)

– Also used woodwork, glass, and ceramics

– Great Mosque of Damascus- A blend of Byzantine architecture and Muslim ideas


• Medical Advances-– al-Razi- Greatest

physician in the Muslim world• Wrote the

“Comprehensive Book”- Medical Book

• Believed patients could recover quicker if they breathed clean air


• Math and Science Stretch Horizons-– Math-

• Use scientific observation and experimentation to solve problems

• The basis for all knowledge

• Al-Khwarizmi- created al-jabr (Algebra)

– Science- Used Greek texts but did not follow the Greek method• Experimented in labs

• Ibn al-Haythman- Book called Optics was used as the basis for telescopes and microscopes

Philosophy and Religion Blend Views

• Ibn Rushd- tried blending Plato and Aristotle’s work with Islam– Argued they had the same

goal: To find the truth• The Ideal Man-– East Persian, Arabic in faith,

of Iraqi education, Hebrew in astuteness, Christ like in conduct, looks at Greek science and Indian influence for mysteries, and Sufi in spirituality

Philosophy and Religion Blend Views

• The Muslim state eventually broke apart but the culture thrived

• The next three big empires emerges for the Muslim world– Ottomans– Safavid– Mughal– During the 14th century European

scholars during the Renaissance would draw upon the work of Muslim scholars

Documents

The Muslim World Chapter 10. Section 1-The Rise of Islam