ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

1. ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

2. A NEW FAITH • Arab life consisted of the Bedouin, nomads who herded sheep, camels, & goats. They lived in tents & ate a variety of simple foods. They were led by a sheikh who was appointed by the heads of families. They engaged in warfare – mostly for protection of herds, pasture grounds, & watering holes. • Tribes would eventually settle in a fertile area & begin engaging in farming & trade. Most important town formed is Makkah. Everyone traveled there to engage in trade of animal products for weapons, dates, grain, spices, jewels, ivory, silk, & perfume. Makkah would become the religious center of Islam.

3. A NEW FAITH • Muhammad is the founder of the Islamic faith. He experienced a revelation that gave him insight to warn people about judgment day. Persecution would arise causing him to flee to Yathrib (renamed Madinah). People of Yathrib accepted him as the messenger of god. Yathrib would become the political capital of Islam.

4. A NEW FAITH • Divine law would be recorded in the Quran. The Quran is believed to contain god’s message as revealed to Muhammad that is expressed through stories, legends, teachings, & exhortations. Basic moral values listed in the Quran & hadith(sayings of Muhammad) are compiled in the shari’ah.

5. A NEW FAITH Five Pillars of Islam – 5 essential duties that are required Allah is supposed to be the same god that Jews & Christians worship.

6. SPREAD OF ISLAM • After Muhammad’s death in 632 A.D., prominent Muslims selected a caliph (successor) to take his place. Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, was the first caliph. The first four caliphs were called the “Rightly Guided Caliphs” as they closely followed Muhammad’s example. These caliphs protected & spread Islam & gained wealth through their conquests of the Byzantine & Persian empires. • The struggle to introduce Islam to other lands would be known as the jihad. Quran forbids the forcing of others to convert to Islam. Jews & Christians were protected under the Quran as long as they accepted Islamic political authority.

7. SPREAD OF ISLAM • War among Muslims for the right of caliph would begin, when the fourth caliph, Ali, was selected. Mu’awiyah, founder of the Umayyad dynasty, would begin this war for revenge for his uncle’s murder. There would be a split among Muslims over this war: Shiite – would follow Muslim leaders who aimed to destroy the existing caliph & who believed that the caliph should be a direct descendent of Muhammad; Sunni – followed the teachings of Muhammad & the Rightly Guided Caliphs chosen afterwards.

8. SPREAD OF ISLAM • The Umayyad dynasty made Damascus, Syria their capital instead of Madinah. Umayyads engaged in numerous conquests that would spread Islam to India & China in the east & North Africa & Spain in the west. They controlled most of Spain until they were defeated in the Battle of Tours. This dynasty built a strong political government & placed religious virtues second. • The good things they did was unite the lands they ruled, made Arabic the official language, had one currency, built roads, and established postal routes. Jews & Christians as well as from those in other lands for the harsh rule & lack of obeying the Quran & the Abbasids would defeat the Umayyad dynasty.

9. SPREAD OF ISLAM • The Abbasids moved the capital to Baghdad, along the banks of the Tigris River. They were unable to maintain control of the lands from the Umayyad conquests and new countries were formed. Great Minar

10. DAILY LIFE AND CULTURE • Men were the heads of family life & were responsible for women. Men would gather at publicities which were baths or meeting placed to talk, play chess, or practice gymnastics. • Women were to be treated equally when their husband had more than one wife. Women were allowed to keep property that they brought into a marriage & were allowed to inherit property from their father & remarry. Some women learned to read and write. A women’s job was to manage the day to day affairs of the entire household.

11. DAILY LIFE AND CULTURE • Young girls were taught household duties & how to manage a household as they would marry at a young age. Boys went to mosque schools at the age of seven to learn to read, write, & speak Arabic fluently. Those who could afford to extend their education went to madrasas, or theological schools. • Homes & city life were separated. Homes featured courtyards with fountains & few windows with lots of shade to help keep the home cool & shaded from the scorching sun.

12. DAILY LIFE AND CULTURE • Cities would provide the same shade from the sun by providing coverings over the major areas of the cities connected to each of the buildings on each side of the street. Bazaars, where merchants traded their goods, were the heaviest shaded areas. • Agriculture took place in rural areas that had fertile lands, most of which was owned by the government. The food grown would be used to feed the people in the cities or traded for other goods.

13. DAILY LIFE AND CULTURE • The House of Wisdom was built to assist with the translation of Greece, Persian, and Indian scientific texts into the Arabic language. In mathematics they gave us the Arabic numerals & the concept of zero. • They gave the basis for trigonometry which is used to calculate the distance to a star. They improved the models used to describe the universe & the placement of the stars. They made accurate descriptions of solar eclipses & proved the moon affects the oceans.

14. DAILY LIFE AND CULTURE • Equipment that is still used today in chemistry was founded during this time. Knowledge about how the eye functions was made. • Calligraphy would be used to cover numerous paintings & books. A Thousand and One Nights (also known as the Arabian Nights) was a major book of tall tales & stories about Arabic life.