The Creation and Spread

*Islam

Created by Katie Jones ©2015

*Religion Vs. Followers

Islam=The Religion

Muslims=Followers

*Branches of Islam2 main branches

1. Sunni• Believe that those who live most like the Prophet Muhammad

should lead.2. Shi’a

• Believe only a blood relation of Muhammad can lead.

List of Caliphs Vs. Imams(Sunni leaders Vs. Shi’a leaders)

*Who is Muhammad?Muhammad is the founding figure in what would become the Islamic religion.

• Lived 570-632 CE• Author of the Quran (Koran)

• His account of the complete revelation of God given to him by the angel Gabriel.

*The Arabian Peninsula:

6th & 7th Centuries CE

• Divided along political lines (many tribes).• Region constantly at war over trade and

resources.• Local tribal wars worsened by wars between

Byzantine and Persian (Sassanid) Empires

*Life and Times of Muhammad• Born as a member of the Quryash clan in Mecca.

• Orphaned young and raised by his uncle.• Lived most of his life as a shepherd and merchant.• Sometimes engaged in spiritual pursuits.

• Received 1st revelation in 610 CE while meditating in a cave.• Angel Gabriel (Jibril) revealed principles of a life lived

in accordance with God.

*From Mecca to Medina• Powerful people in Mecca began to see Muhammad as

dangerous and crazy.• Monotheistic world clashed with polytheistic holy sites.

• Muhammad’s life threatened by leading clans because of lost money from holy sites.

• 622 CE, Muhammad fled Mecca with 70 families and traveled to Medina (aka Yathrib)

• This became known as the Hijra.• Marks start of Muslim calendar.

*Muhammad in Medina (Yathrib)• Muhammad built religious community.

• Message of social equality and Arab unity had widespread appeal.

• Admired for courage in battle.

• Took control of Mecca in 630.• Died in 632.

*Islam After Muhammad’s Death

• Muhammad became regarded as the “perfect human”.• Muhammad’s sayings are held as 2nd most important next to Quran

(Koran).• Muslims began to try to emulate the perfect life of the Prophet

(Muhammad).• Muhammad is believed to be God’s (Allah’s) final prophet.

• Islam would eventually spread from Europe to South East Asia and Africa to have around 1.3-1.6 billion followers worldwide.

*The Quran (Koran)

Quran is the written record of Muhammad’s revelation from God (Allah).

Quran is always read in Arabic;the sacred language of Islam

*The Quran (Koran) Cont.

• Is NOT the account of Muhammad’s life.• IS seen as God’s own speech and his direct message to the

world.

• Consists of 114 suras (“rows”, can also be seen as chapters).• Roughly organizes longest to shortest.• Shortest believe to be first revield.

• Contains many prophets from Judaism and Christianity.

*The Hadith (Traditions)• 2nd most sacred literature in Islam.

• A collection of short tales and/or anecdotes about Muhammad’s life and sayings.• Most written between 860-870s CE.• Several different versions.

• Can seem contradictory to uninitiated.• Sunni world has 6 recognized collections.• Shi’a has their own collections.

*5 Pillars of Islam

*Faith (Shahada)• Believers must profess faith to

others.• “There is no God but the

God and Muhammad is his Prophet.”

• Making a profession of faith in company of other believers is an acknowledgement of intent to live in accordance with God’s law.

*Pray 5 Times a Day• Muslims are required to pray 5 times daily.

• Must face Mecca while praying.• If a Mosque is available, best place.

• Can pray anywhere if needed.• Times vary depending on seasons.• Prayer includes specific set of postures.

*Charity (Zakat)• Those of material means contribute

some of their wealth to the needy.• Helps reduce wealth disparities

within society.• Those without means contribute labor

and goodwill.

*Fasting (Sawm)• Only during the lunar month of Ramadan.

• Lunar month of Ramadan moves 11-12 days every solar year.• No eating food, drinking liquids, smoking or engaging in sexual relations

• Only from sunrise to sunset.• Special prayers and other observances held throughout the month.

• Time to focus on God and spiritual and ethical quality of your life.• Fasting can be overlooked in cases of illness and other extenuating circumstances.

*Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)• Required to make at least 1 pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca.

• Requirement can be waved in exceptional circumstances.

• Pilgrimage is formal event• Pilgrims dress in special white robes• Must circle Kaaba 7 times.• Touch black stone of the Kaaba.• Symbolic stoning of Satan with small pebbles.

*Sharia Law• Strict set of laws to govern your life in accordance with God.• Seen as God’s law

• God has set the path, you just need to follow it.• Struggle to adhere to God’s law is the basic struggle behind

Jihad.• Jihad translates literally to struggle.

*The Spread of Islam: After

Muhammad

• Arabian unity achieved by Muhammad threatened by tribal tensions.• Muhammad’s followers came together to select a ruler (Caliph).

• Area ruled by Muslims knows as the Caliphates.• This selection process was the basis for divide between Sunni and Shi’a.• Caliph (kalifa) translated loosely means God’s deputy.

• Title of Caliph became a hereditary position.• Arab military forces practiced highly organized and mobile for of warfare.

• Forces united by faith and heritage.• Byzantine and Sassanid empires exhausted

• Result of long wars with each other in the 7th century CE.• Populations of both dissatisfied with heavy taxes and harsh leaders.

• Muslim armies and leaders didn’t forcibly convert others to their faith.

*Spread of Islam After

Muhammad’s Death

*The Caliphs: 1st Four• 1st four caliphs were political and religious leaders.

• 632-661 CE.• Commonly known to Sunni world as the Rightly

Guided Caliphs.• Chosen by predecessors or elected by council.• Chosen for prestige in community and

relationship with Muhammad (the Prophet).• 1st caliph was Abu Bakr (632-634)• 2nd caliph was Umar (634-644)• 3rd caliph was Uthman (644-656)• 4th caliph was Ali (reigned 656-661)

• Is the first caliph that both Sunni and Shi’a agree on.

• Was cousin of Muhammad.

*The Caliphs Cont.• Muawiyah took control 661 CE.

• Cousin of caliph Uthman.• Took control after defeating Ali.• Moved capital to Damascus, Syria.• Began Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE).

• Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 CE)• 1st caliph of Abbasid was Abu al-Abbas.

• Was a descendant of Muhammad’s uncle.• Lead rebellion against Umayyad Caliphate.

• Killed all members of Umayyad clan except 1.• Moved capital to Baghdad in 762.• Began the golden age of Islam

• Era in which arts, sciences and general culture flourished.

*Ruling Vs. Religious Leader• Caliphs

• Were secular rulers.• Were supposed to provide socio-political environment for proper

religious life.• Some caliphs tried to impose religious doctrine, but failed.

• The scholarly class (the ulama)• An intellectual elite.• Authority derived from community consensus.• Interpreters of religious law and theology.• Tensions with caliphs concerned with worldly matters (wealth and

power).• Emerged after Abbasid caliph al-Mamun tried to impose a unified

doctrine of the Quran on social and governmental leaders (800s CE).

*Muslim Religious Scholars

• More concerned with God’s law rather than the nature of God.• God revealed law, not his nature in the Quran.

• Concerned with how much society should enforce God’s law.• If God judges perfectly after death, should the state interfere at all?

• Some say no role for government in religion.• Some say the government should enforce an atmosphere of virtue

and piety.• Places that use government to enforce religious law are said to

be under Sharia Law.• Can cause major human rights issues if not kept in check (Iran,

Syria)

*Sunni and Shi’a• Shi’a (means partisans of Ali)

• Believe Muhammad designated Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, to succeed leadership of religion.

• Emerged as distinct variety of Islam after 12th Imam• Around 900 CE.

• Focus on authority vested to individuals by God.• Leaders called Shi’a Imams (supreme spiritual leaders).

• Shrines and graves of Imams became holy sites.• More emotional and passionate than Sunni.

• Sunni• Place importance on key religious texts and scholarly consensus of text

meanings.• No need for intermediaries between God and believers.• Caliphs only political leaders of community.• Emphasize order within communities.

• An orderly community that promotes Islam will help people find salvation.

• Main job of politicians to defend and advance Islam• Politicians don’t have to be personally saintly or virtuous.

• Believe that humans can find salvation through Islamic practices.

*Remember this list of Caliphs and Imams?

*Science and Intellectual Culture• From around 9th through 15th centuries, the House of Islam was center of

intellectual advancements.• Advances in science, mathematics, geography and technology.

• Scholarly class expanded to other areas from their original specializations.• Arab conquests encompassed areas of Greek and/or Persian traditions of

learning.• Many works translated to Arabic from pagan Greece.

• Astronomy and geometry of pressing importance.• Needed to make sure mosques were in proper direction for

prayer.• Needed to calculate:

• Times of prayer• Month of Ramadan• Other aspects of religious calendar.

• Developed algebra (al-jabr) under Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (780-850)• Al-Kwarizmi’s book translated into Latin in 1145 CE.• Al-Kwarizmi also credited with the creation of Arabic numerals.

• Scholars translated and built on Greek medical books.• 14th century, Muslim physicians figured out some epidemic

diseases were contagious.• Idea clashed with religious beliefs and was only mentioned in

passing.• Poetry and literature also flourished during this time.

*References• All images accessed via Google Images.

"Google Images." Google Images. Accessed November 5, 2015. http://images.google.com/.

• Content adapted from World Civilizations: The Global Experience.Stearns, Peter N., Michael Adas, Stuart B. Schwartz, and Marc

Jason Gilbert. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. 6th ed. Vol. Combined. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Longman, 2011. 244-311.

Created by Katie Jones ©2015