Shiite Islam 630 CE -1800 CE

1. Shiite Islam630 CE -1800 CE Stephanie Hoang Jasmine Klar Younji Lee

2. Pictures Imam Ali Mosque, where Ali is buried. Shah Ismail Safavi A drawing of Ali. ‘Shia’ written in Arabic. Muhammad receiving his first revelation from the angel Gabriel.

3. Pictures Map of Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan (spread of Shia Islam) 11th Century Qur’an in the British Museum A diagram showing the population of Shiites and Sunnis in various countries. The Great Mosque of Kairouan

4. Chronology: Pre-history • 570 CE: Muhammad the Prophet is born. • 598 CE: Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, is born. • 610 CE: This is the year the Muslims cite as the beginning of Muhammad’s mission. • 630 CE: The Muslims, led by Muhammad, conquer Mecca. • 632 CE: Muhammad dies. Abu Bakr became the first caliph. The conflict between the Shiites and Sunnis begins because the Shiites believe that Ali should have been the first caliph. • 634 CE: Umar becomes the second caliph. • 636 CE: The Muslims win Iraq from the Persians. • 644 CE: Uthman becomes the third caliph after Umar is murdered by a Christian slave. • 656 CE: Uthman is murdered. Ali becomes the fourth caliph. His followers are known as the Shiites. His army defeats Aisha, wife of the prophet and daughter of Abu Bakhr, and her forces at the Battle of the Camel.

5. Chronology • 661 CE: The Battle of Suffin occurs between Muawayi and Ali. Ali is assassinated by one of his own men. Muawiyah becomes caliph. He makes Damascus his capital and founds the Umayyad dynasty. • 680 CE: Muawiya dies.The Battle of Karbala occurs. Ali’s son Hussein fights against the army of the caliph at Karbala in Iraq. He is defeated, and his army is massacred. The division between the Shiites and Sunni is set. • 685 CE: Ali’s oldest son, Hasan, fails in an attempted revolt against the Umayyads. • 750 CE: Almost the entire Umayyad dynasty is destroyed after the Battle of Zab, a revolt in Egypt led by Abu Al Abbass al-Saffah. • 754 CE: Abbass dies. Abbas' son Al Mansur murders Jafar and becomes caliphate. He founds the Abbassid dynasty. • 873 CE: The 11th Shiite Imam dies. • 874 CE: The son of the 11th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, disappears, leaving his representatives to rule the Shiites. • 873-940 CE: This period is known as the Lesser Occultation. • 940 CE: The Greater Occultation of the 12th or Hidden Imam begins. There is still no Imam or representative to lead the Shiites. • 1258: The Abbassid Dynasty is destroyed by the Mongols, led by Hulagu.

6. Chronology Continued • 1501: The Safavid Dynasty is established by Ismail I in Persia, and Shiism is declared the state religion. • 1587 CE: Shah Abbas becomes ruler of the Safavid Dynasty. • 1598 CE: War against the Uzbeks. The Uzbeks retreat. • 1605 CE: War against the Ottomans. The Ottomans retreat. • 1624 CE: The Ottomans besiege Baghdad. • 1629 CE: Shah Abbas dies. • 1638 CE: The Ottomans retake Baghdad. • 1639 CE: A peace treaty with the Ottomans is established and the Iranian-Ottoman border is finalized. • 1642 CE: Shah Abbas II becomes ruler of Iran. • 1667 CE: Shah Abbas II dies. • 1732 CE: Shah Abbas III becomes ruler of Iran. • 1736 CE: End of the Safavid Dynasty

7. Iran

8. Iran Continued

9. Afghanistan

10. Iraq

11. Iraq Continued

12. Comparisons between Countries • In Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq, all of the Shia are somewhat associated with politics but in different ways. • In Afghanistan, Shia group was incorporated into their Constitution and government • In Iraq, Shia militia was incorporated into political parties • Iran and Iraq were influenced intellectually by the rise of Shia Islam as shown through their centers of learning and schools • In Iran, it is important for society to be of Shia religion because rights of citizenship are given to Shiites and three other minorities • The three countries' art and architecture revolves around the architecture of mosques • Economy was largely affected by Shia religion in Iran as shown through their extensive trade routes • In Iraq and Afghanistan, technological advances in constructions were made by Muslim engineers. In Iran, as a result of the spread of Shia religion, technological advances were made especially in the city structure

13. Comparisons between Shiite and Sunni Islam • Sunni Islam makes up 90% of Muslim population • Majority of Shiites live in Iraq and Iran • Both religions have some similar beliefs. Both believe that Allah is the only god, and Mohammad was the last prophet. • The Quran is the holy book for both Shiites and Sunnis • Sunnis and Shiites both live according to the five pillars of Islam (the five duties of every Muslim) • Mosques are places of worship for both Shiites and Sunnis • Both practice religious days such as Eid al=Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and Ramadan • Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs were the legitimate religious leaders • In contrast, Shiites believe that only heirs of Ali are legitimate successors of Mohammed • Shiites have different methods of prayer. They place their head on hard clay and sometimes condense their daily prayers into three prayers • Shiites permit temporary marriages while they are banned by the Sunnis • Shiite incorporate the holy day of Ashura into their religion as an important religious holiday

14. Change Over Time • The followers of Islam split into two distinct groups, Sunni and Shiite in 680 CE. Over time, their religious practices, customs, and beliefs have slowly diverted. • In 765 CE, the division between Shiites separated into various branches, including the Twelvers, based on their support of various imams. • In Iran, the Safavid empire made Iran convert from Sunni Islam to a population consisting mainly those of the Shiite Islam faith, significantly changing the demographics. • Overall, the distinctions between Sunni and Shiite have increased over time and the conflict between both groups has remained unresolved.

15. Uses in the World Today • Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is a part of Al-Qaeda, a Sunni Muslim group. It was founded in 2003 under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. This organization may have been involved in the plot to bomb the Millennium celebrations in 1999 in the United States. One of its main goals is to withdraw the U.S. forces from Iraq and to defeat Shiite militias. • The construction of a mosque in New York City near Ground Zero is currently a highly debated issue. Many are hesitant to build an Islamic center near the location where the 9/11 terrorist attacks, executed by 19 Muslim men, occurred. • In Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, religious days such as Ashura have become national holidays and countries still participate in it in the present • Ashura is a public holiday in which Shiites mourn the death of Hussein and engage in chest beating rituals and inflict pain on themselves to enact the suffering of Hussein • A variety of holy mosques/sites still play significant roles in the world today. For example, the significance of the Masjid al-Haram holy site is shown through how all Muslims turn in the direction of the site in their daily prayers • The Shia Family Law is an Afghanistan law that affects the Shia population; Afghanistan Shia women are currently protesting the law because it has taken away much of their marital rights and caused controversial issues such as the legalization of rape between a married couple

16. Bibliography • "History of Iran: Safavid Empire 1502 - 1736." Iran Chamber Society. Web. 08 Oct. 2010. <http://www.iranchamber.com/history/safavids/safavids.php>. • "Islam Divided: The Shiites and Sunnis." Constitutional Rights Foundation. Web. 07 Oct. 2010. <http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-20-4-b.html>. • "Islam, The Spread Of Islam." World History International: World History Essays From Prehistory To The Present. Web. 07 Oct. 2010. <http://history-world.org/islam4.htm>. • "The Origins of the Sunni/Shia Split in Islam." Islam For Today. Web. 07 Oct. 2010. <http://www.islamfortoday.com/shia.htm>. • "The Origins of the Sunni-Shi'Ite Split - The Flow of History." The Flow of History. Web. 07 Oct. 2010. <http://www.flowofhistory.com/[menupathalias]/fc46a>.

17. Individual Work • PIRATES (Iran): Jasmine Klar • PIRATES (Iraq): Stephanie Hoang • PIRATES (Afghanistan): Younji Lee • Chronology: Stephanie Hoang • Change Over Time: Jasmine Klar • Comparisons: Younji Lee • Maps/Pictures/Charts: Jasmine Klar • Uses in the World Today: Stephanie Hoang, Younji Lee