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Chapter 7 Islam Note: This chapter deals with one of the world’s religions. Unless one is an alim, one is probably not well versed. I am neither an alim nor a muslim – therefore, do not expect a full and complete explanation that will satisfy your faith if you happen to be Muslim. This chapter and material is intended for people who only know of Islam through film, or news events and will explain in a simplified manner for everyone. In simplifying some things, we omit others and omission is the unfortunate by-product. Pronunciation, spelling – varies. I may use one spelling and change. I do not have, nor do I believe it matters significantly at this level, a preference.
6th Century: Later Roman Empire (Byzantine) Sassanian Empire – Kingdom of Himyar – Kingdom of Axum – Arabia
Arabia – Sacred sites Mecca – Kaaba Adam, white Abraham and Ishmael Agriculture and Trade Cities – trade (Mecca)
The Rise of Islam • Bedouins • Sheikh - • Majlis – • Conflicts between Byzantine and Sassanian • Muhammad (570-632)
570 CE Born in what we now call Saudi Arabia, in the city of Makkah (Mecca) on April 20 or 22. Amina, his mother and his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib cared for him. Mohammad’s uncle (Abu-Talib), 40 years. 582 CE Monk, Bahira - Messenger of Allah. shepherder.
595 CE By the age of 25 Mohammad worked as a manager for a caravan, Khadijah Ibn Ishaq Marries Khadijah – 15 years senior 610 CE Retreats, 40 years old, when he was first visited. One night toward end of Ramadan Angel Chosen "Night of Power". Mount Hira for six months.
Mohammad's family - wife, Khadijah and their children: four daughters: Ruquaiyh, Umm, Zainab and Fatimah; and 3 sons: Al Qasim, Abdullah, and Tahir. All his children died during his lifetime except for Fatimah. Ali, his nephew. Zaid, free slave? who belonged to Mohammad, adopted as a son?
613 CE M begins preaching. ~ 619-620 CE M wife and uncle die. Ascension – Spread – Chased from Mecca 622 Flight to Madina (Medina). M is invited to Medina. hijrah (hegira) 623~ Ramadan – fasting is ordained by M. Rivalry between Mecca and Medina.
Between late 623 - 630 Battles of Badr, Uhud, Trench, Khaybar, Tabuk - between 623 - 629 ~626 CE M marries Zainab ~627 CE M marries ? Mariah (a gift from the Egyptian ruler) ~629 CE M marries Safiyah. ~630 – conquers Mecca
Death June 8, 632 at age 63. • By the time of his death - control of western Arabia and had contacts with eastern Arabia, Hijaz, Nejd, Oman, and Yemen. • His death in Medina is another interesting bit of history and religious belief … how did he died and what happened to him.
Teachings of Muhammad • Koran (recitation) – Surah (114) & Ayahs (6000+) • Hadith(collection of sayings from the Prophet) • Five Pillars of Faith • Following Five Pillars is not guarantee into heaven • Ulama (Muslim scholars. Singular – Alim.) • Shari’ah (law code) – devised after Muhammad died
Belief in Islam means: belief in One God belief in all of God's messengers belief in all the books sent down to prophets of God. These books include Torah and Gospel. Only the Holy Quran exists in its original form, however. belief in the existence of angels belief in the Divine Decree or Predestination, its good and its bad. belief in the Day of Judgment, Life after Death, Heaven and Hell. … or put another way …
Components of Faith • God and His attributes – 99 beautiful names • Prophets • Sacred Books • Angels • Revelations • Last Day • Predestination
JIHAD • Strive in the way of the Lord • Personal • One who strives – mujtahid • Missing Imam • Mohammad spoke on need to defend the belief against infidels and if war was necessary, so be it.
The Arab Empire and Its Successors • RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS • Abu Bakr
1.Abu Bakr – 632 – 634 2. Umar ibn al-Khattab – 634 – 644 (a) 3. Uthman – 644 – 656 (a) 4. Muhammad Ali – 656 – 661 (a) Umayyids (Damascus) 661 – 750 Mu’awiyah – 661 Tariq, 710 Abbasids (Baghdad) 750 – 1258 – Golden Age of Islam ****** MONGOLS 1258 Age of Decline – 1259 – 1798 Fatimids (Cairo, Shi’a)
The Umayyads (661-750) • Mu’awiyah became caliph (successor), 661 • Damascus • Diplomacy • Trade • 670 - Muslim conquest of NW Africa • 680 – 692: 2nd Muslim civil war: • 691 – Dome of the Rock completed in Jerusalem. • Tariq, 710-711, crossed into Spain • Battle of Tours, 732 • Constantinople attacked and Muslim fleet defeated, 717 • Serious internal strife – warfare over control
Schism – Sunni – Shi’i (Shite) • Shi’ites (“partisans of Ali”) – accepted only descendants of Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, as true rulers • Sunnites – claimed that the descendants of the Umayyads were the true caliphs
The Abbasids (750-1258) • Capital – Baghdad (762) (later Samarra – 836) • Caliph - Harun al-Rashid (786-809) • ‘Renaissance’ – art, learning, literature, philosophy • Patron of learning • Translation of Greek texts • Trade, industry, agriculture • 12th Imam goes into occultation (hiding or temporarily the celestial body vanishes), end of direct rule of Shiite Imams – 874.
Seljuk Turks • Nomadic people from central Asia • Capture Baghdad, 1055 • Battle of Manzikert, 1071, Turks took over most of Anatolia • The Crusades • In 1071, Byzantine forces routed and Constantinople in question – called upon Europe for help. • 1095 – Council of Clermont – Pope Urban II promised remission of all sins for those who joined the crusades
The Mongols • Elites converted to Islam • New center of Islam the Fatimids in Cairo • Emergence of the Ottoman Turks • Mehmet II seizes Constantinople, 1453 • Islamic Civilization • The Wealth of Araby: Trade and Cities in the Middle East
Islamic Society • All equal in the eyes of Allah • Upper class • Farmland eventually in the hands of the wealthy • Slavery • Women
Culture of Islam • Philosophy and science • Ibn Rushd (Averroës) • Galen (c. 180-200) • Ibn Sina, (Avecinna), 980-1037 • Adopted numerical system from India • Astronomical studies • Knowledge of nature and diseases • Algebra (al-jebr) (9th century) • Islamic Literature • Rabe’a of Qozdar • Omar Khayyam, Rubaiyat • The Tales from 1001 Nights (first was oral) • Sadi (1210-1292), Rose Garden (Persian Shakespeare) • Rumi in the 13th century adopted beliefs of Sufism to his poetry • al-Mus’udi (b. 896)
Islamic Art and Architecture • Dome of the Rock, built 691 Jerusalem • Mosques • Great Mosque of Samarra is the largest mosque • Mosque of Córdoba • All mosques contained a kibla that faced Mecca and symbolized God - mihrab • Palaces • Alhambra in Spain • Woolen rugs • No representation of the Prophet • Influence of East Asia • Non-religious art
Reasonable to express • Arab empire was: • Unusually tolerant of Christians and Jews • Had positive and negative results in regions conquered • Brought legal code and language to people who previously didn’t have • Improved the lives of many by rejuvenating world trade