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ISLAMIC CIVILISATIONS . EARLY DEVELOPMENTS . less 200 years from not existing to being the religious and political principal of one of the largest empires in the world. EARLY SITUATION. tribal Quraysh living in Mecca Arabian peninsula => polytheisme
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EARLY DEVELOPMENTS • less 200 years from not existing to being the religious and political principal of one of the largest empires in the world
EARLY SITUATION • tribal • Qurayshliving in Mecca • Arabian peninsula => polytheisme • kept cult statutes of gods in the Kaaba
KAABA • It has been reconstructed several times • It used to be open to everyone • Used to get flooded • There are two kaabas! • The Black Stone is broken • It's not supposed to be a cube shape
EARLY SITUATION • monotheisms like Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism • northern part of Arabia: sandwiched between Byzantine Empire and Persian SassanianEmpire • Islam = radical reforming religion • Muhammad = final prophet to bring people back to the one true religion • worship of, and submission to, a single and all-powerful God
Quran • acknowledges Abraham and Moses and Jesus as prophets • much less narrative • the written record of the revelations Muhammad received • the actual word of God • major themes: monotheism & taking care of those who are less fortunate than you
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM • 1 SHAHADAH or the profession of the faith: There is no god but god and Muhammad is God’s prophet
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM • 2: SALAT, or ritual prayer five times a day dawn noon afternoon sunset late evening
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM • 3 SAWM month-long fast during the month of Ramadan
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM • 4 ZAKAT non-poor Muslims are required to give a percentage of their income to the poor
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM • HAJJ pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must try to fulfill at least once in their lives, provided they are healthy and have enough money
SUPPLEMENTARY SACRED TEXTS • Judaism + Talmud • Christianity + lives of saints • Islam + HADITH =a collection of sayings and stories about the Prophet
SHARIA • a body of law • numerous interpretations
UMMAH • community of believers • trumped all other ties, including tribal ties
QURAYSH • controlled pilgrimage trade in Mecca => monotheism => economical disaster • 622 force Muhammad and followers out of Mecca => to Yithrab = Medina • Hijra => marks year 0 in the Islamic calendar
BEGINNING OF AN EMPIRE • Muhammad severed the religion’s ties to Judaism, turning the focus of prayer to Mecca • Islamic community => empire or church? • Muhammad: important prophet and a good general • 630 Islamic community took back Mecca • destroyed idols in kabaa • Islam was available to everyone from the moment of its founding => Islam: powerful political and religious force
AFTER MUMAMMAD • 632 Muhammad dies • Muhammad = final prophet, the revelation of the Quran would continue to guide the ummah • caliph = political leader • 1st caliph Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law • 4th caliph Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law • divide between the two of the major sects of Islam: Suuniand Shi’a
Abu Bakr & Ali ibn Abi Talib • Abu stabilized the community after Muhammad’s death • recording the Quran in writing • started military campaigns against the Byzantine (plague) and SassanianEmpires (weak) • finally Ali becomes leader • leads to a civil war • Uthman’s tribe becomes the ruling dynasty • followed by the Abbasids
IN SHORT • a small group of people • an area of the world with few natural resources => created one of the great empires of the world and also one of its great religions • Muslims were great conquerors • started an explosion of trade and learning • saved many of the classical texts that form the basis of the “Western Canon” • paved the way for the Renaissance • much of the world between Spain and the Indus River wasn’t Arabized, most of it was Islamized • 5 times a day millions of people turn toward Mecca