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The Birth of IslamThe Birth of Islam
Arab rise to Power
Arab Culture• Arabian Peninsula (Desert)Arabian Peninsula (Desert)• Bedouin existence (nomadic)Bedouin existence (nomadic)• Loyalty & identification with tribes & clansLoyalty & identification with tribes & clans
– Necessary for protection and survivalNecessary for protection and survival
• Oasis towns, Animal Husbandry, TradeOasis towns, Animal Husbandry, Trade– Trade with Persia, Byzantines, IndiaTrade with Persia, Byzantines, India– Camel indigenousCamel indigenous
Scarce resourcesScarce resources conflictconflict– Rivalry over available waterRivalry over available water– Differing degrees of wealth Differing degrees of wealth
• Polytheistic deities (Ka'abaPolytheistic deities (Ka'aba at Mecca) at Mecca)• Oral Traditions – Poetry – source of unity & Oral Traditions – Poetry – source of unity &
identityidentity
Ka’aba
Muhammad’s Life & ImpactMuhammad’s Life & Impact• Merchant of the Merchant of the QurayshQuraysh clan clan• KhadijahKhadijah (wife of Muhammad) (wife of Muhammad)• Respected, worked as intermediary between rival Respected, worked as intermediary between rival
clansclans
• Vision of Angel Gabriel, one God, AllahVision of Angel Gabriel, one God, Allah– Followers small in number at first, grew overtimeFollowers small in number at first, grew overtime– Viewed as a threat by Viewed as a threat by UmayyadUmayyad clan as his influence clan as his influence
grewgrew– Forced to flee Mecca for Medina (Forced to flee Mecca for Medina (hejirahejira) in 622) in 622
• By 632, most of Peninsula, included the Umayyad By 632, most of Peninsula, included the Umayyad were won over to the new faithwere won over to the new faith
The Spread of Islam During Muhammad's Lifetime
Tenants of the Faith: the Five Pillars
• One God – Allah, Muhammad is the One God – Allah, Muhammad is the prophetprophet
• Prayer towards Mecca 5x a day (Prayer towards Mecca 5x a day (salatsalat))
• Tax for Charity (Tax for Charity (zakatzakat))
• Fasting during the Holy Month of Fasting during the Holy Month of RamadanRamadan
• Pilgrimage to Mecca (Pilgrimage to Mecca (HajjHajj))
Spread of IslamSpread of Islam
Spread of IslamSpread of IslamAbu Bakr succeeded Muhammad established CaliphCaliph-completed the unification of the Arabs
of the peninsula.
•Under the first four Caliphs Islam spread into the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia and Egypt
•At the death of the Fourth Caliph, Ali, conflict emerged as to the rightful successor.
Sunni & Shi’ite (Shia) SplitSunni & Shi’ite (Shia) Split• Dispute as to the rightful successor
• Civil War • Umayyad (Sunni Muslim) -military prowess
brought combative followers under their control
Umayyad Caliphate
Sunni Shia
Chosen by followers (Caliph)
Majority
Descendants of Muhammad (Imam) Minority
661-750661-750
Abbasid CaliphateAbbasid Caliphate
Reached Peak of golden Age under Harun al-Rashid (786-809)
Islamic CaliphatesIslamic CaliphatesUmayyad Caliphate
• Hereditary succession @ Damascus
• Conquered -parts of Byzantine, collapsed Sassanid Persians, Hindu Kingdom (Sind)
Est. Dar al-Islam • Tolerated non-muslims
required tax (jizya) – many conversions
• Arab military aristocracy favored– Luxurious lifestyle, relaxed
attitude re: Morality
Rebellion in 750 brought its end
Abbasid Caliphate
• Founders - More cosmopolitan – Persians, Egyptians,
Mesopotamians held high positions in government
• Capital at Baghdad – walled city– 100,000’s people
• Persian statecraft techniques – Governors, bureaucratic
ministries – vizier, emir– Diplomacy with the West
(Charlemagne)
• Didn’t work to conquer new territories– Local divisions led to rebellion –
smaller Caliphate
What factors enabled the rapid spread of Islam in the years after Muhammad's
death?
Interpretation of the jihad“Struggle”
Internal conflict (spiritual and/or moral) missionary work, physical conflict
Unifying the Umma & creating the Dar Al-Islam
How?•Quran: recitations of Muhammad's visions (Arabic only)
•Hadith: Muhammad's sayings
•Sharia interpretations of the Quran to establish laws regarding: Marriage, Business, Inheritance, Slavery, Crime
Who?•No organized priestly class
– Ulama (Muslim theologians)– Qadis (Muslim jurists)– Sufis (Mystics) – missionary work (Persia, India)
Abbasid after 1050Abbasid after 1050
• Seljuk (Saljuq) Invaders
• Abbasid united with Seljuks to resist internal rebellion and resistance from provincial governors
• Caliphs retained nominal sovereign status
• Seljuk Sultan became true political ruler
• Mongol invasions 1258 ended Abbasid Caliphate
Islamic Culture & Society
The Awakening
• Role of hajj (movement & diffusion)
• Muhammad’s example- merchant
• Geographical position of Muslim World
• Introduction of Paper – Books
• No seeming contradiction between faith and Knowledge
• Arabic language – unifying force
• Renaissance beginnings!
Scientific AchievementsSought out scientific understanding• Hindu Numerals
– Algebra, Trigonometry
• Greek Philosophers (Aristotle, Plato)• Spirit of Inquiry
– Scientific process
• Medicine– Hospitals, concept of Germs, Anatomy, cataract
surgery (modern camera)
Urban Nature of Islamic Society
Artistic and Architectural evidence
Key Cities• Baghdad
– Rival of Athens or Rome– Jewel of the World– House of Wisdom, Academies, Libraries– Christians, Muslims, Jews
• Cordoba, Spain– Rivaled Baghdad– Street lights, paved roads, hospitals, libraries,
palaces, running water– Mosque at Cordoba– Only Christian World Contact
Mosque at Cordoba 8th Century
Origins of Patriarchy?
•Gerda Lerner•Disputes biological determinism•Urbanization breeds patriarchy
–Elise Boulding–Hunter gather societies were more egalitarian
What was life like for Women in Pre-Islamic Arab Society?
The Role of Women
According to the Quran …According to the Quran …• Rights & obligations for both
in marriage • Equal access to salvation• Dowries (free gift)• Child bearing crucial• Wives share property• Obedience to husband• Punishments for indecency• Provisions for wife in case of
divorce or death of husband• Polygamy (sake of
protection)
In Practice…In Practice…• Foundations of Patriarchal
society• Sharia reinforced male
dominance & inheritance• Required legitimacy of
heritance- guardians, chaperones
• Influence of Persia & Byzantine culture– Veiling to ensure modesty– Upper class women’s
movement restricted
Conclusions:
• “… It is also relevant to emphasize that although Islamic laws marked a distinct decline, a Greek, a Roman, and a Christian period had already brought about major losses in women’s rights and status. In effect, Islam merely continued a restrictive trend already established by the successive conquerors of Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean…” –Leila Ahmed,
Women and Gender in Islam
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