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ARABIA. Muhammed was born in Mecca. ARABIA BEFORE MUHAMMAD. Mecca one of many busy commercial cities along Red Sea coast Mecca contained the Kaaba (square temple containing a sacred black rock that Arabs believed Allah threw down to earth. Kaaba also contained idols to other gods.
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ARABIA Muhammed was born in Mecca
ARABIA BEFORE MUHAMMAD • Mecca one of many busy commercial cities along Red Sea coast • Mecca contained the Kaaba (square temple containing a sacred black rock that Arabs believed Allah threw down to earth. Kaaba also contained idols to other gods. • Great Arabian Desert • Bedouins– desert Arabs who herded flocks, fought among each other, and robbed caravans. Disliked city people
MUHAMMAD • Born in Mecca, 570 AD • Orphan • Married wealthy widow • Traveled to Syria and may have heard Christian monks • Familiar with Judaism • Had first vision in 610 • Ordered by angel Gabriel to be a messenger for God
ISLAM • Koran. Poetic account of Muhammad’s visions • Moslems—”true believers” • Muhammad’s vision constitute God’s final message to mankind and the Muhammad was God’s last and greatest prophet
ISLAMIC DOCTRINE • Emphasizes absolute power of Allah • Duty of human beings is to worship Allah • Islamic prayers are prayers of praise, not petition • Prayer five times a day • Paradise for true believers, hellfire for the wicked • Fasting from dusk until dawn during Ramadan • Pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca • Recognizes Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as earlier prophets but argues that Muhammad was Allah’s final prophet with his ultimate message for mankind
HEGIRA • MUHAMMAD’S MESSAGE NOT WELL RECEIVED IN MECCA • FORCED TO FLEE TO MEDINA (HEGIRA) • WELL RECEIVED AT MEDINA • CONVERTS ENTIRE CITY • ORGANIZES CONVERTS INTO UMMA (A COMMUNITY OF TRUE BELIEVERS THAT TRANSCENDED OLD BONDS OF TRIBE, CLAN, OR CITY) • A SUPERTRIBE OPEN TO ALL PEOPLE WHO ACCEPTED MUHAMMAD’S MESSAGE • EVENTUALLY TAKES CONTROL OF MECCA THROUGH MILITARY CONQUEST (629) • DURING NEXT THREE YEARS, ALL OF ARABIA CONVERTS TO ISLAM
SUCCESS OF ISLAM • SIMPLE, STRAIGHT FORWARD, EASY TO UNDERSTAND • PROMISED AFTERLIFE OF SENSUOUS DELIGHTS TO THE FAITHFUL AND ETERNAL TORMENT TO UNBELIEBERS • MUHAMMAD PREACHED THAT HIS MESSAGE BE SPREAD BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY—EVEN WAR • LED TO JIHADS (HOLY WARS) • SPOILS OF JIHADS SPLIT AMONG THOSE WHO CONDUCTED THEM AND ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP IN MECCA • CHRISTIANS AND JEWS ALLOWED TO RETAIN THEIR RELIGIONS—BUT THEY HAD TO PAY SPECIAL TAX • REVENUE FROM TAX SPLIT AMONG ALL MEMBERS OF UMMA • THE DESIRE TO CONTINUE THE OLD BEDOUIN CUSTOM OF WARFARE AND THE CHANCE TO ENRICH ONESELF THROUGH THE SPREAD OF ISLAM PLAYED A ROLE IN THE GROWING POPULARITY OF ISLAM IN ARABIA
CREATION OF THE ARAB EMPIRE • Abu Bakr named as Muhammad’s successor or caliph • Bedouin tribes believe Muhammad’s death freed them from all obligations and leave the Umma • Abu Bakr launches war of reconversion • Loyal Moslem forces attack and defeat all tribes that defected from the Umma • Long term survival depended on continual military expansion • Arabs led on new military expeditions against non-Moslems • Leads to creation of empire
ARAB EMPIRE Under Umar: Arab armies conquer Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Egypt Arab armies even attacked Constantinople but were unable to take the city Reduced once huge Byzantine Empire to a small state
CALIPHS • Abu Bakr—first caliph • Umar—second caliph • Ali (Muhammad’s nephew)—fourth caliph • Ali murdered by Ummayad family • Tradition later developed that leadership of Islamic world could only be held by descendant of Ali • Shi’ites Murder of Ali
ARAB DYNASTIES I • UMMAYAD DYNASTY (661-750 AD) • Took over after murder of Ali • Capital at Damascus • Conquest of North Africa, Spain, and parts of India • Overthrown in 750 AD
ARAB DYNASTIES II • ABBASID DYNASTY • (750-1258 AD) • Descended from Muhammad’s uncle, Abbas • Overthrew Ummayads • Capital at Baghdad • Lost chunks of empire after 1000 • Egypt and Spain broke away • Syria, North Africa, and Iran conquered by Seljuk Turks and Berbers • Last caliph killed by Mongols during their conquest of Baghdad in 1258
ARAB LEGACY • Collected and translated ancient Persian and Greek scientific and philosophical works • Works of Hippocrates • Introduced “Arabic numerals” to west and perfected the use of decimal fractions and algebra • Concentrated on decorative arts (ceramics, tapestries, mosiacs) • Literature— Arabian Nights and the Koran itself