Islamic Civilization

Content Goals and Objectives:

Goal 3 – The Islamic World The student will trace and evaluate the

impact of the Islamic movement on medieval Europe. 3.02 Trace the life and teachings of Mohammed. 3.03 Categorize the major tenets of Islam and

their impact on the Arabian Peninsula. 3.04 Map the expansion of Islam from the

Arabian Peninsula into Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The Teachings of Muhammad Followers of the Islamic religion make up around 20% of the world’s

population (1 billion). It is the world’s second largest religion.

It is interesting to note that the four nations with the largest number

Islam is Monotheistic, like Judaism and Christianity. Islam teaches a belief in an afterlife, those who hope to

achieve this afterlife must submit to the will of Allah. Muslims do not believe the Muhammad was divine, they

believe that he was a man. Islam is seen not just as a religion, but as a way of life.

Two Main Branches of

Islam There are two main branches of Islam today Sunni recognize the male heirs of the first 4

elected (according to Muhammad's instruction) caliphs (or spiritual heads) after Muhammad’s death

Shiite recognize the decedents of only the 4th caliphs—Ali (M’s son-in-law & cousin), the only true descendent of Muhammad

In all other ways Sunni and Shiite are very similar

The Rise of Islam

The Arabs

Arose in the Arabian Peninsula and influenced Western Asia and beyond.

They were a nomadic, Semitic-speaking people who lived in the arid climate of the Arabian Peninsula.

The environment was harsh, they were organized into tribes and were led by a sheikh who was chosen from a council of elders. The tribes were independent, but worked together

Early Religion

-Most Early Arabs were polytheistic, many recognized a chief, or supreme god who they called Allah which is Arabic for “God.”

-Allah was symbolized by a sacred stone, each tribe had their own stone, but there was one central stone called the Black stone which was placed in the shrine called the Kaaba.

-This shrine was located in the city of Makkah (Mecca) in what is now Saudi Arabia.

Trade

The Arabian Peninsula became an important center for trade. The city of Mecca became rich from the caravan trade traffic which passed through the area.

The domestication of the camel enabled traffic to cross the deserts and as empires grew up in the region trade increased greatly.

As the merchants became rich from the Caravan traffic the life of the poor people of the area suffered.

Understanding Muhammad:His Life and Times

The Life of Muhammad:The early years

Muhammad was born in Mecca around the year 570 (A city of western Saudi Arabia) to a merchant family. His parents died when he was young and he ended up living with his uncle who was a merchant and he became a caravan manager.

Mecca was a very important city in the ancient world as it was a frequent resting place and important stop for trading caravans. These tribes all worshiped many different gods (polytheistic)

Muhammad was known for his trustworthiness Muhammad married an older widow named Khadija. Over time, he found the richness and corruption of the

merchants and townspeople to be troubling. Muhammad and Khadija (wife) had 4 daughters and 2 sons

The Life of Muhammad: The Visions and the Message

Fifteen years after his marriage, he began to have visions and hear mysterious voices In the year 610 (Muhammad was 40), Muhammad received his first

revelation from the angel Gabriel. Muhammad could neither read nor write so he was instructed to memorize the words given to him by Gabriel. This revelation was soon followed by others about the one true God

Unlike Jesus (who Christians believe was God's son) Muhammad was a mortal, albeit with extraordinary qualities He preached a strong social justice message about equality and poverty The recitation which Muhammad received over a 23 year period,

ending in 632, the year of his death, is known as the Qur'an/Koran (the revealed word of God).

The Life of Muhammad:The Trouble

Muhammad preached a message of strict monotheism (against the wishes of the leaders in his own tribe), and began to build a significant following.

Those who followed him were persecuted and were forced to flee Mecca in the year 622 (went to Madinah). The Islamic calendar begins on July 16 of that year (the first day of the lunar year).

The ruling elite feared Muhammad and his followers and began to persecute them

Muhammad's prestige grew much larger after the war and the subsequent surrender of the Meccans

The Life of Muhammad:

In Yathrib, renamed Medina (which means the city of the prophet) Muhammad was accepted and gained followers.

After several years, Muhammad became both a spiritual and political leader, there was not an idea of the separation of church and state. He raised an army and conquered the city of Makkah.

Muhammad's life was cut short by his sudden death on June 8, 632 at about 60 years old

Koran (or the Qur'an)

The revelations to Muhammad were written down by scribes and became known as The Quran, which is the holy book of Islam.

contains ethical guidelines and laws by which Muslims (followers of Islam) should live their lives.

written in Arabic, which was the language of Muhammad.

considered to only be true when it is written in its original language. Translations are thought to lose the true meaning of the original words which are believed to be a direct revelation from God.

The Muslim observance of Ramadan is to commemorate the recording of the holy text.

The Five Pillars of Islam

• 1-Declaration of Faith– Muslims must state that there is not God but Allah

and Muhammad is his prophet.

• 2. Daily Prayer– Muslims must pray five times a day facing the

Kaaba in Mecca. • Pre Dawn• Noon• Afternoon• Sunset• Evening

Muslims feel that in order to achieve salvation that they must obey the will of Allah, or God. In order to do this they must follow the five major principles of Islam known as the Five Pillars of Islam.

Five Pillars Continued . . .

3. Charity Muslims are supposed to help others and donate part of

their income to charity.

4. Fasting-Ramadan Muslims must fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy

month of Ramadan which celebrates the recording of the Quran.

Hajj 5. Pilgrimage: Hajj

The fifth pillar of Islam is the Hajj. Once in a lifetime, if they are physically and financially able ,

Muslims are to journey to Mecca (Makkah) in Saudi Arabia and perform the rituals of the Hajj.

I went home radiant with hope and joy, for I have fulfilled the command to humankind to undertake the pilgrimage. Above all, I return praying that it might please Allah, to find my Hajj acceptable, and may what the Prophet (s.a.w.) said be true of my own journey: "There is no reward for a pious pilgrimage but Paradise."

Islamic Law

After the death of Muhammad there were further interpretations of his teachings. These are known as the Hadith -different versions for different branches of Islam.

These teachings were further interpreted in the Shari’ah. = set of laws which regulate many aspects of Muslim life. It does not separate between church and state and covers family life, business, government, and moral conduct.

Muslims are expected to practice honesty and justice in dealing with others and are forbidden to gamble, eat pork, drink alcohol, or engage in dishonest behavior.

Creation of An Arab Empire After the death of Muhammad, unity was difficult to

maintain. The friend and father-in-law of Muhammad, Abu

Bakr, was chosen to be the first Caliph, or successor to Muhammad – he helped to unify the Muslim world and expanded in Arabia and beyond.

Under the idea of jihad, or “struggle in the way of God” the early Muslims expanded their territory. The believed that defensive warfare was permitted by the Quran.

Arab Rule• The Arabs were now united and expanded their territory

instead of fighting each other.

• They defeated the Byzantine army in 636 taking the province of Syria. By 642 they took Egypt and by 650 they controlled the Persian Empire

After Abu Bakr died there was conflict over who would be the next Caliph.

The next two Caliphs were both assassinated.

After that Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali was appointed Caliph, but five years later he too was assassinated.

Tolerant

Muslims administrators were fairly tolerant of the people they defeated.

Initially, both Christians and Jews were allowed to practice their religions, with some restrictions, because they were “People of the Book” who had written scriptures revealed to them by God before the time of Muhammad. Those who chose not to convert had to be loyal to the Muslim state and pay a special tax.

The Umayyad Dynasty

• At the beginning of the eighth century Islam had expanded across northern Africa and had converted the Berbers (a pastoral people along the Mediterranean coast) to the faith.

• By 710 combined Berber and Arab forces crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into Spain and had taken most of the country by 725. In 732, however, the Muslim advance into Europe was halted at the Battle of Tours.

• By 750 the Muslim advance came to an end. The southern and eastern Mediterranean and parts of the old Roman Empire were now Muslim territory.

• The Umayyad Dynasty was centered in Damascus, in modern-day Syria and was wealthy. This was also a very diverse empire as many different peoples had been conquered in new territory.

• The diversity helped lead to a split within the Islamic faith

A Split in Islam Many non-Arab Muslims

resent the favoritism which the Umayyad Empire showed toward Arabs.

The large empire was difficult to rule efficiently and there were financial problems as well.

The Revolt of Hussein

The grandson of Muhammad, Hussein, led a revolt against the Umayyad Empire in 680.

His soldiers defected and he was killed by an overwhelming Umayyad force.

This struggle led to a split within the faith of Islam between Sunni and Shi’a (Shiite) Muslims.

Sunni vs. Shi’a (Shiite) Sunni

Muslims supported the Umayyad Dynasty. They believe the Caliph does not need to be a direct

descendant of Muhammad.

Shi’a

Muslims supported Hussein believe that the Caliph should be a direct descendant of

Muhammad through his son-in-law Ali and his grandson.

Umayyad Architecture

The Abbasid Dynasty

Amidst growing resentment toward the Umayyad Dynasty, Abu al-Abbas, a descendent of Muhammad’s uncle, overthrew the Umayyad Dynasty in 750 and established the Abbasid Dynasty.

The Dynasty lasted until 1258 A.D.

Abbasid Rule The Abbasids moved the capital of their

empire to Baghdad.

This move increased Persian influence and changed Abbasid culture.

Under this dynasty the new heroes were judges, merchants, and government officials.

This dynasty did not favor Arab rule and the empire became more culturally diverse.

Harun al-Rashid

The greatest of the caliphs of the dynasty. This is called the golden age of the Abbasid Dynasty (Caliphate)

He was known for his charity and was a great supporter of culture and the arts.

His son continued the tradition and supported the study of astronomy and began to translate classical Greek works into Arabic.

Government Administration

The government of the Abbasids became more like a monarchy.

The bureaucracy which assisted the Caliph became more complicated.

In order to assist him the Caliph appointed a Vizier who was like a prime minister.

This man was the chief advisor to the Caliph and would help him run the government.

Decline and Division

There was great difficulty in the Abbasid Dynasty with imperial succession.

There was also financial corruption. Caliphs began to recruit from non-Arab groups

for government administration such as the Turks and the Persians. These groups came to dominate the

political situation.

Seljuk Turks and the Crusades

As the Fatimid Dynasty in Egypt became more powerful they became the new center of the Muslim world.

One group which came to power in this region were the Seljuk Turks.

The Turks played a large role in the military and many rose through the ranks to gain a lot of political power.

The Turks were originally a nomadic people who converted to Islam and were great soldiers in the Abbasid caliphate.

As the Abbasids weakened, the Turks became stronger moving into the areas of Iran and Armenia. They eventually took over many Abbasid territories.

The Sultan The Turks were ruled by a Sultan, meaning “holder

of power.”

While the Abbasids were still a religious authority when the Turks captured Baghdad they were the military and political leaders of the state.

The Turks in the second half of the 11th century kept putting pressure on the Byzantine Empire. In 1071 they defeated the Byzantine army and gained control of Asia Minor (Anatolian Peninsula) In desperation, the Byzantine Empire turned to the

West for help. This led to a series of wars known as The Crusades.

The CrusadesThe Crusades

• At first the Crusaders were successful and took the city of Jerusalem.

• In 1187 the Muslim leader Saladin retook the city, leaving the Christians with only a small collection of land holdings in the Middle East.

• The Crusades had a lasting impact-breeding centuries of mistrust between the Muslim world and the Christian World.

Prosperity in the Islamic World

• The Muslim empires carried on extensive trade with China, the Byzantine Empire, India, and SE Asia.

• Trade was done by ship and by camel caravans which traveled from Morocco in to West to the countries beyond the Caspian Sea in Central Asia.

• Goods– Sub Saharan Africa: Gold and Slaves– China: Silk and Porcelain– E. Africa: Gold and Ivory– SE Asia and India: Sandalwood and Spices.– Egypt: Grain– Iraq: Linen, Dates, and Precious Stones– W. India: Textiles

• The development of banking helped to facilitate trade and eventually influenced European banking systems during the European Renaissance.

The Role of Cities

• Flourishing trade led to wealthy and successful cities.

• Baghdad-was known as the city of peace and was highly successful under the Abbasids

• Cairo: Was part of the Fatimid Dynasty• Cordoba: Capital of Umayyad Spain

• Cities had Palaces for the Caliphs and mosques for worship.– There were also public buildings with fountains,

courtyards, public baths, and a bazaar.

The Bazaar

• The covered market was a central part of each Muslim city.

• There were high standards for business and sanitation.

• It was a place where people could acquire both goods and services.

Islamic Society

• Islam is considered more than just a religion, it is seen as a way of life that encompasses politics, economics, and social life.

• According to the Quran, all people were equal in the eyes of Allah, but in reality, the Muslim Empires did not follow this ideal. There was a well developed upper and lower class.

• Non-Muslims were not considered equal to Muslims and slavery was widespread (as in the rest of the ancient world). Slaves were usually non-Muslims because Islamic law made it illegal for one Muslim to enslave another.– Slaves served in the military or served as domestic

servants.– Slaves could sometimes purchase their freedom and it was

considered a good act to free ones slaves.

The Role of Women

• Originally, the Quran granted women spiritual and social equality with men. Both men and women were to be friends and protectors of one another.

• Women could earn a living and own and inherit property. They played a prominent role in the rise of Islam.

• Men and Women had assigned social duties, but most societies in which Islam arose were male dominated

Women in these societies had to have a male guardian and parents arranged marriages for their children.

Men could have up to four wives, but they had to pay a dowry (gift of money or property) to their wives’ families.

Women did have the right to divorce and adultery was forbidden for both men and women.

After the spread of Islam local traditions began to assert themselves and many of the rights that were initially given to women in Islam were replaced by older traditions which denied women equal rights. A similar thing happened to the rights of early Christian women once Christianity became merged with Roman influence.

The Veil The veil worn by Muslim women is traditionally

called the Hijab. The ideal of women wearing veils was common in

many Middle Eastern cultures before the advent of Islam. In Ancient Mesopotamia a veil was a symbol of status,

purity, and moral character. There is some controversy over this use of these

veils today. There are different interpretations of this tradition in different parts of the Muslim world. In general, women and men are supposed to dress modestly, the degree of that modesty varies from region to region according to local custom and tradition.

• In the Quran the Hijab has different meanings it can mean a curtain or partition dividing rooms--in other

verses it is a sacred divide between the earth and holy, god and human, light and dark, and men and women.

The Hijab covers the head and Neck The Chador covers the full body with a head scarf underneath.

The Burka (Burqa) is a veil that completely covers the face and body.

The covering that women wear varies from country to country.

Math and Science

Muslim scholars adopted and passed on the numerical system of India, and the use of zero. These numbers came to be known in the west as Arabic numbers.

A ninth-century Arab mathematician also developed algebra.

Astrolabe

• Muslims also studied astronomy which led to the development of the Astrolabe.

• This instrument was used for naval navigation by observing the positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies.

• This invention made it possible for European sailors to sail to the Americas.

Literature• Many Muslims consider the Quran to be

the greatest work of Muslim literature, but there was a strong oral tradition prior to the Quran which continued to have influence.

• The poet Omar Khayyam. He was a twelfth century Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer. – The wrote about many different themes

and his poems were recorded by his friends after his death.

Art and Architecture

• Islamic art is a blend of Arab, Turkish, and Persian traditions.

• Islamic art and architecture is guided by the Quran which forbids of representation of living beings. So mosques and palaces are decorated with floral motifs and geometric patterns (known as arabesque) and Arabic script.