The Rise of Islam

• What do you know about Islam?

• What have you heard about Islam?

• Tell me five things about Islam.

• Islam: Submission to will of Allah (god)

• Muslim: One who has submitted

The Rise of Islam

The Arabian Peninsula

The Rise of Islam1. Setting the Stage: The Arabian Peninsula

a. Connection to 3 Continentsi. Africa, Asia, and Europe

ii. Mostly desert with few oases for little agriculture

iii. Desert inhabited by nomadic Arab herders

The Rise of Islamb. Bedouins: Arab nomads organized into tribes and clans

i. Had ideals of courage & loyalty to the family

ii. Possessed warrior skills

iii. Would become part of Islamic way of life

The Rise of Islamc. Mecca: City in Western Arabia (Modern day Saudi Arabia)

i. Ka’aba: ancient shrine people came to worship at

1. Black stone- built by Abraham and son Ishmael

2. Contained 360 idols worshipped by many tribes

What is the black object at the center and what is happening?

The Ka’aba

The Ka’aba

• Men and Women are Equal

• Forced Marriages

• No Women’s Rights

• Women not allowed to show face

• The Koran teaches tolerance

• Terrorism is associated with Islam

The Rise of Islamii. Muhammad

1. Orphaned at age 6 and raised by grandfather and uncle

2. At age 25 Muhammad became a businessman and trader

3. Married Khadijah, a businesswoman

4. Life changes: While meditating in a cave, he is visited by angel Gabriel who proclaims to Muhammad to preach message that there is only one true god

5. Began to preach and spread Islam

6. Not seen as divine (having extra power)

The Islamic World is not at all a monolithic entity

Nationality Language Family

Arabs Semitic

Turks, Central Asians Altaic

Iranians, Pakistanis Indo-European

Indonesians Malayo-Polynesian

Sub-Saharan Africa Various

A Bit About Arabic

• Semitic Languages based on three-letter roots

• Example: s-l-m, connotes wisdom, harmony

– Salaam, peace

– Suleiman (Solomon)

– Islam (submission to divine will)

– Muslim (one who submits to divine will)

A Bit About Arabic• European languages modify words mostly through

suffixes• Arabic relies extensively on prefixes as well

– Hence there are no simple alphabetical dictionaries of Arabic

• Arabic has numerous sounds not found in English• Arabic omits most short vowels in print• Arabic does not distinguish o and u clearly, or e

and i.• There is no single way to transliterate Arabic and

English

– Written Arabic isn’t spoken– Spoken Arabic isn’t written– Arabic is the language of the Koran and all

Arabic speakers insist they speak Arabic– Linguists would (and some do) subdivide

Arabic into 5-6 distinct languages

Arabia in Mohammed's time

• Various tribal religions

• Jewish communities

• Christian communities, usually splinter sects

Mohammed• Born about 570 in Mecca About 610, claims to receive visions and

messages. These collected and written down about 650

as the Koran. Flees to Medina, 622 (hegira) Return to Mecca, 630 Unified Arabia by the time of his death in

632

The Pillars of Islam 1. Creed

2. Five daily prayers

3. Alms

4. Fasting during Ramadan

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)Haji denotes one who has made the Hajj

• Some authorities add a sixth pillar:6. Jihad or Holy War in defense of Islam.Means active opposition to evil and injustice, more than literal warfare.

Sources of Islamic Doctrine

• Koran (from root meaning read or study)

• Hadith (tradition): traditional sayings of Mohammed and other early followers

– Tradition of the Mahdi

• Sharia (way): Codified Islamic Law

The Koran• About as long as the New Testament• 114 suras, arranged from longest to shortest• Most suras are collections of Mohammed’s

teachings with no overall theme• Suras are labeled by distinctive or unusual

words found in each• No historical chapters• Considered the definitive form of Arabic• Strictly speaking, cannot be translated, only

paraphrased

The spread of Islam

Inherent appeal Simplicity

Equality

Rights for Women

High moral teachings

Jihad Military skill

Good government

Tolerance

Conversion Incentives Tax on "People of the

Book” - Originally Christians and Jews, later Hindus and certain other groups as well.

Forced conversion of pagans

Trade Indonesia and sub-

Saharan Africa

The spread of Islam

Schism about 700 A.D. Reasons:

Succession to Caliphate (Kalifa, successor; successor of Mohammed)

Incorporation of non-Koranic elements into Islam

Worldliness of Caliphs, discrimination against non-Arab Muslims

Shiites (shia: party or faction) about 10% (mostly Iran) Fundamentalist?

Sunnites (Sunna: beaten path) about 90%

Effects of Islam Preserve classical learning Innovations in astronomy and mathematics Link between East and West "Arabic" numbers from India Trigonometry also from India Sanctuary for Judaism

A Few Arabic Contributions

• Alcohol

• Alkali

• Alchemy

• Benzine

• Boron

• Zircon

• Jar

• Alfalfa

• Algorithm

• Algebra

• Almanac

• Azimuth

• Alidade

• Most Star Names

Star Names

The Spanish Connection

• Wadi-al-yahara (Valley of Flowing Water) Guadalajara

• Al-ghattas (type of sea bird) Alcatraz (pelican)

• Al-amir-al-bahr (lord of the sea) Almirante Admiral

• Jebel Tariq (Tariq’s mountain) Gibraltar• Much “Spanish” architecture is actually

Arabic