History; Empire

1. History; Empire • emerges in Arabia, early 7th century, the product of the revelations given to Muhammad, and his tireless work (570 – 632, born in Mecca, about 50 miles inland from the Red Sea coast, roughly in the middle of the Arabian peninsula; Dies 632, buried in Medina • When Muhammad enters the scene, the Arabs had not really made on mark on world historical events. After his death, rapid advances – politically, militarily, culturally, artistically • The spread of Islam and the Caliphates • Great cultural and political centers were in Spain and Persia – Baghdad becomes a truly cosmopolitan city – architecture, learning, etc. – later, power centre shifts to Istanbul/Turkey

2. Qur’an • is not a Trinity; but one – uncompromising monotheism • Islam based, like Judaism and Christianity, on a book, said to be given to Muhammad in a series of revelations – Quar’an (+ Hadith • Islam rooted in majesty and authority of one God, Allah, one prophet, Muhammad, and one book, the Koran

3. Monotheism Islam belongs to the family of monotheistic faiths, the children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jews and Christians trace their genealogy to Abraham through Sara and her son Isaac; Muslims represent the other branch of the family, which descends from Abraham’s son Ismail and Sarah’s handmaid, his mother, Hagar

4. God’s Unity Say: He is Allah, The One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, Nor is He begotton; And there is none Like unto Him. S‹urat al-Ikhl‹aß, 1-4

5. God: Light, Radiance God is the Light of the heavens and the earth; the likeness of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp (the lamp in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star) kindled from a Blessed Tree, an olive that is neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil well nigh would shine, even if no fire touched it; Light upon Light. (24.35)

6. True Piety True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of one’s substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveller, beggars, and to ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms. (S‹urat al-Baqara, 177)

7. “People of the Book” • Jews and Christians in Arabia • Expanse of new territory - major portions of the Roman and Persian empires of Late Antiquity • included many indigenous Christian communities, in several denominations. • They all came under Muslim rule, but demographically they made up the religious majority in many places until well into the eleventh century. • Arabic speaking Christians were among the initial readers of the Qur’an. • In conquered territories (Syriac, Greek, Latin), Arabic becomes everyday language.

8. Qur’an • Presumes readers are familiar with Jewish and Christian traditions, lore, and faith • Presumes priority of Jewish scriptures and New Testaments • Qur’an: “a corroborating scripture in the Arabic language to warn wrong doers and to announce good news to those who do well” (Qur’an 46.12). • In the Qur’an, God advises the Muslims, “If you are in doubt about what we have sent down to you, ask those who were reading scripture before you” (Qur’an 10.94)

9. Also warns, criticizes Christians • “[do not] follow the fancies of a people who went astray in the past and led others astray and themselves strayed from the right path” (Qur’an 5.77). • “O People of the Book, do not exaggerate in your religion, and do not say about God anything but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, Mary’s son, is only God’s messenger, and his word he imparted to Mary, and a spirit from him. Believe in God and in his messengers, and do not say, “Three.” Stop it! It is better for you. God is but a single God; he is too exalted for anything to become a son to him, anything in the heavens or anything on the earth. God suffices as a guardian.” (Qur’an 4.171) • People of the Gospel; People of the Book; Nazarenes; Scripture People

10. Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem skyline