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The Spread of Islam

The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

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Page 1: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

•The Spread of Islam

Page 2: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Arabia Before Muhammad• Pastoral nomads (Bedouins)• Tribal society• Caravan trade important (incense),

– Mediterranean– Middle East– East Africa– India

• Mecca major economic center• Arab tribes under political influence of

Byzantine (Christian) and Sasanid empire (Zoroastrian)

Page 3: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Byzantine and Sassanid Empire around 600 CE

Page 4: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Muhammad´s Life and Teachings• Muhammad former merchant, began to have revelations by

archangel Gabriel• Main features:

– Arab decent traced to Ishmael, Abraham´s son– strictly monotheistic– promise of heaven after death– five pillars

• Fasting• prayer 5 times a day• Almsgiving• confession of faith• pilgrimage to Mecca

– universal religion, egalitariansim• Elite in Mecca forces Mohammed to flee to Medina (622 CE,

HIJRA, beginning of Muslim calendar)

Page 5: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Muslim Expansion

• Mohammad unites Arab tribes, – conquers Mecca in 630, dies 632

• First four succesors (caliphs) expand territory – Middle East– North Africa– Persia

• Caliphs are leaders of all Muslims, political and religious (theocracy)

Page 6: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

• Success possible because of exhausting war between Persia (Sassanids) and Byzantium, motivated soldiers, ingenious military leadership, indifferent population

• Quarrels over succession lead to split into Sunni and Shia (Ali´s followers)– Shia: mostly in Persia, southern Iraq– Sunni: majority of Muslims

Page 7: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Muslim Expansion 632-750

Page 8: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Umayyad Dynasty (652-750)

• Capital in Damascus• Wars against Byzantium• Conquest of Spain, further advances stopped by

Franks in 732• Arabic official language of government• Conversions encouraged• Non-Muslims pay a special head tax, but not

forced to convert• Judaism and Christianity tolerated

Page 9: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Great Mosque in Damascus

Page 10: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258)

• Supported by Shiites, although Sunni• New capital Baghdad• First 100 years golden age of Muslim culture• Argument between ulama and caliph about who should

have the final say in religious matters• Caliph renounces his final authority in religious matters• Counter caliph in Cordoba, Spain• Regional loyalties, problems with Shiites,rise of new

dynasties, and difficulty to control a large empire lead to gradual decline

Page 11: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Government• Rulers legitimate power by upholding shari’a law• Caliph is Muhammad’s successor• Arab military camps control conquered areas• Non-Muslims pay head tax• After conquest of Persia, Abbasids rely on

Persian bureaucrats• Taxation of agricultural production• Adopt pomp and ceremonies of Persian court

Page 12: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Political Fragmentation• In 10th century third caliph in Cairo, Egypt• North Africa: Berbers (11th cent.)• Turkey, Iraq, Syria:

- Abbasids rely increasingly on mamluks (slaves used as warriors)

- Turkic slave soldiers gain political power- Seljuk Turks (11th century) create empire, are

“protectors“ of the caliphs, but hold de-facto political power

• Turkey, Holy Land, Syria: Crusading states(1099-1250), (Do not survive permanently)

• Middle East: Mongols (1258 sack of Baghdad, end of Caliphate)

Page 13: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East
Page 14: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Islamic Law• Sunna: tradition of the prophet• Hadith: collection of Muhammad’s words

and deeds, several different strands• Quran and Hadith basis for Shari’a• Muslim ruler required to live by and

enforce shari’a• Unifying effect on Muslim world• Countries under Muslim law: Dar al Islam

Page 15: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Cities• New cities and former military camps

(Baghdad, Basra, Kufa, Fustat, Qayrawan)

• Grow because of conversions and economic growth

• Centers of Islam: mosques, schools, universities

• Centers of production: Cloth, metal goods, ceramics, glass

Page 16: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Economy

• International trade dominated by Muslim merchants

• Banking system, checks, credit, crucial for long distance trade

• Big cities provide markets for trade• Business partnerships (often with

Jewish and Christian merchants)• Common currency (dinar)

Page 17: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Agriculture• Independent landowners, large

estates with slaves, tenant farmers• Production for market, cash crops

(sugar, citrus fruits, cotton, rice – from India and China)

• Use of fertilizers, water pumps, mills, improved irrigation

• Slaves used for sugar cane production

Page 18: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East
Page 19: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Science and Medicine• House of wisdom in Baghdad (Greek, Indian,

Persian, Mesopotamian texts translated into Arabic)

• Ibn al Haytham: Scientific Method, Book of Optics

• Al-Khwarizmi: Algorithm, Algebra

• Ibn Sina: Medical encyclopedia, contagious nature of diseases

• Surgeons disinfect wounds, use surgical instruments, trained in hospitals

Page 20: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Technology

• Transfer between east and west:

• Paper, astrolabe, compass, lateen sail, decimal system

• Production of steel (swords from Damascus)

Page 21: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Ibn Battuta´s Travels

Page 22: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Women and Slaves• Women veiled and confined to the house, in

Byzantine and Sassanid times – not new• Legal protection of women under Quran, a woman´s

soul was considered equal before Allah, but not equality to men (limited divorce rights, keep dowry if divorced by their husband, woman´s testimony in court weighs only half of a man´s, men can have up to four wives)

• Slavery allowed, slaves from central Asia, Europe, Africa

• Slaves used in households, as soldiers, in agriculture

• Forbidden to enslave Muslims

Page 23: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Sufism

• In 12th and 13th century• Mystic brotherhoods looking for union

with God through rituals, emotional sense of religion, personal relationship with Allah

• Sufi saints worshipped in countryside• Important in spreading Islam to other

countries and making it more popular

Page 24: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Mosque in Samarra

Page 25: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

• Alhambra in Cordoba

Page 26: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Arches

Page 27: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

• Arabesques

Page 28: The Spread of Islam. Arabia Before Muhammad Pastoral nomads (Bedouins) Tribal society Caravan trade important (incense), –Mediterranean –Middle East –East

Calligraphy