The Rise & Spread of The Rise & Spread of IslamIslam

Chapter SixChapter Six

66thth Century Arabia Century Arabia Bedouin lifeBedouin life

MuhammadMuhammad

Camel dependent nomads dominated Arabia.– Polytheistic– Women had important role

Alliances/warfare among tribes/clans Pressures for change came from the

Byzantine and Sassanid empires and from the presence of Judaism and Christianity.

Muhammad - member of the Banu Hasim clan of the Quraysh, was born about 570. – Orphan– became a merchant– resided in Mecca– married a wealthy widow, Khadijah– Encountered monotheistic ideas– dissatisfied w/material gain and went to

meditate in the hills– In 610 - received revelations transmitted

from God via the angel Gabriel– collected in the Qur’an - basis of Islam

Arabia – time of Muhammad

MuhammaMuhammadd

Explain Explain the 5 the 5 pillars of pillars of IslamIslam

Persecution, Flight, and VictoryPersecution, Flight, and Victory– Umayyads felt threatened - Ka’ba godUmayyads felt threatened - Ka’ba god– Invited to Medina - 622Invited to Medina - 622– Return to Mecca - 629Return to Mecca - 629

Arabs and IslamArabs and Islam Umma –Umma – community of the faithful community of the faithful Universal Elements in Islam - 5 PillarsUniversal Elements in Islam - 5 Pillars

1. Faith--acceptance of Islam1. Faith--acceptance of Islam2. Prayer towards Mecca 5 times daily2. Prayer towards Mecca 5 times daily3. Fasting during Ramadan3. Fasting during Ramadan4. Payment of 4. Payment of zakat zakat (charity tax)(charity tax)5. 5. Hajj—pilgrimage Hajj—pilgrimage

Strict moral code - temperance, humility, justice, Strict moral code - temperance, humility, justice, generosity, tolerance, obedience, and courage; a generosity, tolerance, obedience, and courage; a ban on alcohol and pork; polygamy - permitted, ban on alcohol and pork; polygamy - permitted, with four wife limitwith four wife limit

Slavery was practiced, but Muhammad Slavery was practiced, but Muhammad encouraged the freeing slavesencouraged the freeing slaves

Day of JudgmentDay of Judgment Sacred books: the Koran; the Hadith - sayings of Sacred books: the Koran; the Hadith - sayings of

the Prophet; and the Shari’a - Islamic lawthe Prophet; and the Shari’a - Islamic law

Islam’s Islam’s AppealAppeal

What What accounts accounts for the for the popularity popularity of Islam?of Islam?

MonotheismMonotheism Legal code - Religion & politics mixed Legal code - Religion & politics mixed

= holy war – or Jihad= holy war – or Jihad EgalitarianismEgalitarianism CommunalCommunal Built upon Judaism & Christianity – Built upon Judaism & Christianity –

did not claim that J & C were incorrect did not claim that J & C were incorrect – just that Islam was a refinement of – just that Islam was a refinement of those earlier religionsthose earlier religions

No institutionalized church or clergy or No institutionalized church or clergy or elaborate ritualelaborate ritual

Mosque - place of worship & teaching Mosque - place of worship & teaching by scholars by scholars

no statues or religious imagesno statues or religious images No need to accumulate great wealth No need to accumulate great wealth

like Catholic Churchlike Catholic Church

Consolidation & Division in the Islamic Consolidation & Division in the Islamic CommunityCommunity

Was the caliph a political or religious leader?

No No procedure for selecting a new leader Abu Bakr – early convert; friend of Abu Bakr – early convert; friend of

Muhammad; divorced 1Muhammad; divorced 1stst wife b/c she would wife b/c she would not convert to Islamnot convert to Islam

Chosen as caliph - leader of the Islamic community

Ridda Wars – rival tribes & prophets Ridda Wars – rival tribes & prophets defeated restored Islamic unity

Motives for Arab ConquestMotives for Arab ConquestIslamic Islamic Conversions & BootyConversions & Booty

Sassanian (Persian) Empire - easily defeatedSassanian (Persian) Empire - easily defeated

Byzantium - Byzantium - Arabs quickly seized western Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.

By the 640s - Arabs - naval supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean; extend into north Africa and southern Europe

Expansion of the Islamic Empire - 7th and 8th Centuries

The The Problem Problem of of SuccessioSuccessionn

What What caused caused the the SunniSunni

- Shi’a - Shi’a split?split?

UthmanUthman 3rd caliph - murdered3rd caliph - murdered

AliAli Rejected by Umayyads Rejected by Umayyads lost the support of his most radical adherents,

the Umayyads won the renewed hostilities The Umayyad leader, Mu’awiya, was

proclaimed caliph in 660. Ali was assassinated in 661 His son, Husayn, was killed at Karbala in 680. The dispute left a permanent division within

Islam. The Shi’a, eventually dividing into many

sects, continued to uphold the rights of Ali’s descendants to be caliphs

Sunni – UmayyadsSunni – UmayyadsShi’a – Ali’s descendantsShi’a – Ali’s descendants

ConvertsConverts People of People of

the Bookthe Book

Fall of Fall of UmayyadUmayyad

The Umayyad Empire’s push westThe Umayyad Empire’s push west– Stopped by Franks at Poitiers, 732Stopped by Franks at Poitiers, 732– Retain IberiaRetain Iberia

MawaliMawali, non-Arab converts, non-Arab converts DhimmiDhimmi, people of the book, people of the book

– Jews, ChristiansJews, Christians– Zoroastrians and HindusZoroastrians and Hindus

Umayyad Decline and FallUmayyad Decline and FallRevoltsRevolts

Abassid revoltAbassid revolt

750, Umayyads defeated by Abassids750, Umayyads defeated by Abassids

The First Encounter of Muslims & Indian culture -The First Encounter of Muslims & Indian culture -BuddhismBuddhism

Commercial relations between India and Mesopotamia began as Commercial relations between India and Mesopotamia began as early as 3000 BCE and between India and Egypt, through early as 3000 BCE and between India and Egypt, through intermediary ports of Yemenintermediary ports of Yemen

In 255 BCE, the Indian Mauryan emperor, In 255 BCE, the Indian Mauryan emperor, Ashoka (r. 273 - 232 Ashoka (r. 273 - 232 BCE), sent Buddhist monks as ambassadors to establish BCE), sent Buddhist monks as ambassadors to establish relations with Syria, Egypt & Macedonia. relations with Syria, Egypt & Macedonia.

Communities of Indian traders, both Hindu and Buddhist, settled Communities of Indian traders, both Hindu and Buddhist, settled in some of the major sea and river ports of Asia Minor, the in some of the major sea and river ports of Asia Minor, the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. Arabian Peninsula and Egypt.

Indians of other occupations soon followed. Indians of other occupations soon followed. The Syrian writer, Zenob, wrote of an Indian community, The Syrian writer, Zenob, wrote of an Indian community,

complete with its own religious temples, in modern-day Turkey, complete with its own religious temples, in modern-day Turkey, and a Greek, Dion Chrysostemos (40 – 112 CE), wrote of a and a Greek, Dion Chrysostemos (40 – 112 CE), wrote of a similar community in Alexandria, Egypt. similar community in Alexandria, Egypt.

With the decline of Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations With the decline of Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations much of the trade between India and the West came much of the trade between India and the West came through Mecca, birthplace of Muhammadthrough Mecca, birthplace of Muhammad (570  - 632 CE) (570  - 632 CE)

Indian communities established themselves in the Arab world – Indian communities established themselves in the Arab world – Jats (of modern-day Basrah, Iraq) The Prophet’s wife, Aisha, was Jats (of modern-day Basrah, Iraq) The Prophet’s wife, Aisha, was once treated by a Jat physician. once treated by a Jat physician.

Muhammad was undeniably familiar with Indian culture.Muhammad was undeniably familiar with Indian culture.

The Early Abassid EraThe Early Abassid Era Sunni rule – less tolerant; rulers more authoritarian Sunni rule – less tolerant; rulers more authoritarian

– repressed Shi’a repressed Shi’a – New capital - BaghdadNew capital - Baghdad

Islamic conversion increased (WHY?) & Mawali acceptedIslamic conversion increased (WHY?) & Mawali accepted Urban expansion - Urban expansion - growth in wealth and status of

merchant and landlord classes– Muslim merchants moved goods from W. Mediterranean

to the South China Sea– increased artisan handicraft production – skilled artisans formed guild-like organizations to

negotiate wages and working conditions Ayan Ayan – – rural, landowning elite Peasants – tenants farmers - had to give most crop to

landowner Slaves - unskilled laborers & servants to caliphs & high

officials **Few slaves held powerful positions & gained freedom** Most unskilled slaves, many of them Africans, worked under

terrible conditions.

Growth of Islamic LearningGrowth of Islamic Learning

Islamic Islamic learninglearning

11stst global global civilizaticivilizationon

Under the Abbasids - mosques & palaces built

Religious, legal codes, philosophy, sciences and mathematics records written

Arab scholars recovered & preserved the works of Greeks & passed them to the Christian world (during Crusades)

Introduced Indian (“Arabic”) numbers to Mediterranean world

The Turkish people converted to Islam

Arabs had created the first global civilization, incorporating many linguistic and ethnic groups into one culture through Islam - one of the great universal religions.

In both religion and politics, Muslims adopted much from earlier & contemporary civilizations

ChartChart

Compare women in the Islamic world with women in India, China, and the Byzantine Empire. – Legal rights– Marriage Family Life– Education/Economic role