The Rise of Islam

1. The Rise of Islam 600-1200 CE

2. Middle East, ca. 600 A.D.

3. Pre Islamic Arabia • Caravan Culture • Tribal organization • Pilgrimage to Mecca • Violent, warrior states based on vendetta culture • ghazu (raids) on caravans • Patriarchal: women veiled & segregated, no property, female infanticide, child marriage

4. Cultural influences on Islam • Persia • Administration and governance • literature • India • Mathematics, science, medicine • “Hindi” numbers • Greece • Philosophy, esp. Aristotle • Greek medicine • Rome and Byzantium • Architecture

5. Islamic Art and Architecture • Found all over the world • Influenced from other classical traditions • Expression of divine presence • Both secular and religious • Major practices: • Metalwork • Pottery • Painting • Calligraphy • rugs

6. Origins of Islam • Arabian Peninsula Before Muhammad • Beginning of His Ministry • Muhammad in Mecca • The Hijra • Umma: community of believers

7. The Quran • Record of revelations received during visions • Committed to writing c. 650 CE, compiled (Muhammad dies 632) • Under the third Caliph, UthmanibnAffan • Tradition of Muhammad’s life: hadith

8. Five Pillars • Confession of faith • Prayer 5 times a day • Charity to the needy • Fasting during the month-long Ramadan • Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during one’s lifetime

9. The Ka’aba in Mecca

10. Early Problems • Succession • Mohammed had no surviving male children • generated a permanent split in the Islamic community • Sunnis • Shi’as

11. Abu Bakr Muhammad's father-in law and close friend Ali Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law Who will be Mohammed’s successor? The Caliph debate Supported by Shi’a Muslims Supported by Sunni Muslims The “schism” or divide happened during the First Islamic Civil War 656–661 CE

12. Abu Bakr • not particularly popular with the Muslim community • Ruled 632-634 • allowed raid, then invasions of Byzantine and Persian territory • subjugated any dissident elements or tribes • disposed of any “new prophets”

13. Ali • Was cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet • Ruled 656-661 • Assassinated 661 • Umayyad leader Mu’awiyadeclates self caliph

14. Sunnis vs. Shia • considered themselves the “orthodox” followers of Mohammed • “Sunni” : from an Arabic word • “usage” or “custom” • implies: “precedent” • consider the Shi’as to be “dissenters” • went successively to followers -Abu Bakr, then Oman, then Uthman • Sunni: conservative, in favor of the “status quo” • consensus is the guiding principle • Disagreements over selection of caliphs • Ali passed over for Abu Bakr • Served as caliph 656-661 CE, then assassinated along with most of his followers • Remaining followers organize separate party called “Shia” • accepted Ali • Shi’as: defenders of the oppressed, critics of privilege and power • obedience is required only as long as it can be forced, and no longer

16. Umayyeds • successful in the war • Ali assassinated in 661 A.D. • by the Kharijites • beginning of the Umayyeddynasty • Atlantic Ocean to India • Syria: center of the Islamic World • eventually displaced by the Abbasids • an Arab family claiming decent from Mohammed

17. Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount Jerusalem

18. The Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus

19. Success = strain • success introduced luxury and change • From original caliphs to the Umayyad caliphs • new ideas and new ethnic groups • with their own customs and heritage, to try to assimilate • rise of a sort of “revivalist element” • Islam had strayed from its original path and purity • Muslims were being led back to paganism • caliphs were becoming idle, corrupt, tyrants Photo on right: Ummayad Mosque in Damascus

20. Policy toward Conquered Peoples • Favoritism of Arab military rulers causes discontent • Limited social mobility for non-Arab Muslims • Head tax (jizya) on non-Muslims • Umayyad luxurious living causes further decline in moral authority

21. The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258 CE) • Abu al-Abbas Sunni Arab, allied with Shia, non-Arab Muslims • Seizes control of Persia and Mesopotamia • Defeats Umayyad army in 750 • Invited Umayyads to banquet, then massacred them • Only Spain remains Umayyad • North Africa is disputed territory, ultimately Fatamid Mosque of Abu Abbasal-Mursi in Alexandria

22. Nature of the Abbasid Dynasty • Diverse nature of administration (i.e. not exclusively Arab) • Militarily competent, but not bent on imperial expansion • Dar al-Islam • Growth through military activity of autonomous Islamic forces

23. Victories • Syria: 635 A.D. • Palestine: 636 A.D. • Persia: captured in one battle • expansion into India • expansion to the borders of China • Egypt: help by local Christians • North Africa: the Berbers • Spain 711-720 A.D. • Battle of Tours: October 732 A.D. • Charles Martel • Siege of Constantinople: 717-718 A.D. • Leo III • Greek fire • beginnings of Christian re-conquest of former Roman/Christian territory

26. Abbasid Decline • Civil war between sons of Harun al-Rashid • Provincial governors assert regional independence • Dissenting sects, heretical movements • Abbasid caliphs become puppets of Persian nobility • Later, Saljuq Turks influence, Sultan real power behind the throne • Crusades

28. Imperial Breakdown • Problems with rural population • Declining position of women • Nomadic Incursion • Impact of Christian Crusades

29. Reasons for Islam’s success • exhaustion of Rome and Persia • End of a 400 year war • nationalist sentiments in Egypt and Syria • arguments among Christian factions • speed and size of Muslim armies • simplicity and uncomplicated nature of Islam • acceptance of the Old and New Testament • People of the Book

30. Consequences of Islamic Expansion • loss of the oldest and most central lands of Christendom • aided the ascendancy of the bishop of Rome • virtual collapse of Zoroastrianism as a major religion • radically altered the balance of power between the Roman Empire and the East • disruption of the Mediterranean economic community

31. Islamic Civilization • Law and Dogma • Shari’a: Codification of Islamic law • Based on Quran, hadith, logical schools of analysis • Extends beyond ritual law to all areas of human activity • This is the basis the idea of an “Islamic republic” for instance • Converts and Cities • Persian Literature • Scientific Achievements A depiction of a Medieval Islamic astronomer. Thought by some to represent Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi.

32. Islam, Women, and Slaves • Qu’ran improves status of women • Outlawed female infanticide • Brides, not husbands, claim dowries • Rights under Islamic law • Yet male dominance preserved • Patrilineal descent • Polygamy permitted, Polyandry forbidden • Veil adopted from ancient Mesopotamian practice • Slavery

33. Re-centering of Islam • No religious center • Madrasses • Sufi brotherhoods • Asceticism, mysticism • Some tension with orthodox Islamic theologians • Wide popularity

34. Nomadic Invasion • Mongols • Mameluk halt

35. Islam in India • Challenge to Hinduism • Political Divisions and first wave of Muslim invasions • Indian Influences on Islam • Second wave of Muslim invasions

36. Delhi Sultanate (1211-1526) Ushered in a period of cultural renaissance. • 1211 Muslim general who conquers India declares self separate Sultanate • 1236 control almost entire subcontinent • Power based on military organization • Public works and social welfare secondary

37. Islam in India • Patterns of Conversion • Patterns of Accommodation • Islamic Challenge and Hindu Revival • End of the Sultanate Mira Bai, one of the Hindu song writers of the bhaktic movement

38. Spread of Islam to SE Asia • Trading Contacts and Conversion • Sufi Mystics and the Nature of SE Asian Islam