‘ Abd al- Rahman I

2. ‘Abd al-Rahman I • Abbasid coalition over threw Umayyad dynasty 749 AD • Captured Cordoba • Lit streets • Running water • World’s finest universities (400,00 volumes) • The Mosque at Cordoba • Under Muslim rule the Iberian peninsula became key locus for transmission of ideas, technology and material culture between the Mid East, N. Africa and Europe

4. The Origins and Early Impact of Islam

5. So, what is the point? • Islam created a new civilization zone • Develop the Complexities of Islam • Show the Spread of Islam • Why was the Islamic Zone so successful? • Demonstrate Islamic diversity • The role of the state in Islam • Social implication

6. The Rise of Islam and the Arabs was one of the most important postclassical developments • Arabs from southern Arabia move to the middle east to create a new civilization zone • An Islamic religious Zone was created from Spain to Indonesia and south through Africa • Even non-converts were affected • China and Islam • Russian expansion • Western Europe-Spain, Sicily

7. Expansion during the Rashidun Caliphate, 632–661 Expansion during the UmayyadCaliphate, 661–750 Muhammad, 622–632

9. Islamic Complexities & Western Misunderstanding • Three problems: • Modern biases toward Islam—minority engaging in terrorism • Historical Christian conflict with Islam has led to exaggerated and outdated perceptions • Crusades • Islam covers vast territories and varies culturally and spiritually far beyond Shiite-Sunni split

10. Islam: Arab military and commercial surge after 600 AD, plus conversion • Rome Falls-creates a power vacuum, filled by Islam—led to far reaching conversion to Islam • Was the spread of Islam from conquest? No! It was an Arab interest in new opportunity • Islam spread wide and far • Islam in India was headed by missionaries and merchants, with occasional military intervention • In central Asia Islam often replaced Buddhism (Turkish people embraced a strict form of Islam) • In East Africa Arab-African communities developed Islam; In West Africa upper classes created Islam as a significant minority religion • Islam gradually spread to SE Asia (substantial hold)

11. The Rise of Islam after the Fall of Rome

12. Why was Islam so successful? • Outlined clear codes of conduct—reward in the after life • Arab and Muslim commercial, political and military success • Combination of tolerance and inducement • Though Jews and Christians were “people of the book”, they offered some fiscal and political reasons to convert from taxation policies • Few were forced to convert to Islam, but inequalities between Muslims and non-Muslims helped • Certain social groups were motivated to convert • Merchants • Poor people-spiritual equality and charity

13. What about spiritual conversion?

14. After Muhammad's death: Complexity • How to choose the caliph? Shiite=lineal ascension: Sunni=selection • Religious interpretation began early and continues to define the Muslim world • Sufism also created another tension between emotional and rational Islam • Rich artistic and Intellectual heritage and faith • No representations of animal and human figures (idolatry), Persians maintained artistic tradition • Attitudes towards music, complicated: Middle East developed vigorous culture of music • Faith and reason—philosophic efforts

16. The crucial role of the State • Clear model of an ideal leader, the caliphate, however, was rarely inspired primarily by religion • Koran urges Muslims to avoid political disputes • Islam emerged inside the state, Christianity did not • Christian’s and the state—3 centuries of Christian persecution from the Roman state • Muhammad was a political and religious leader, the caliphate also developed as a state tool—Islam was always a state tool • Islamic law and scholarship formed a coherent relationship with religion and the state

17. Islamic Social Issues • Slavery and Islam • Tolerated slavery, with specific rules about Muslim slaves • Belief and reality clashed and caused not real definitive answer • Muhammad and the freedom of Women • Highly reduced Infanticide • Women had clear legal rights-property rights, divorce rights, access to worship and travel • Not equality—veiling?

18. Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Deb • Islam is not Gender biased, Western Male interpretation of Islamic law and Koran created inequality • Men and Women are equal it the eyes of God, governed by a hierarchical gender relationship of women and men • As Islam spread other societies and cultures created a patriarchal Islamic society