Chapter 13

1. The Expansive Realm of Islam Chapter 13

2. Who are the Muslims, and how did they emerge?

3. Who are the Muslims, and how did they emerge?

4. Who are the Muslims, and how did they emerge?

5. Where did Islam first develop?

6. What is important to Christians worldwide?

7. What is important to Jews worldwide?

8. What is important to Jews worldwide?

9. What is important to Jews worldwide?

10. Muhammad and His Message • Born 570 to merchant family in Mecca • Orphaned as a child • Marries wealthy widow c. 595, works as merchant • Familiarity with paganism, Christianity and Judaism as practiced in Arabian peninsula

11. Muhammad’s Spiritual Transformation • Visions c. 610 CE • Archangel Gabriel • Monotheism • Attracts followers to Mecca • The “last prophet of God” according to the Quran

12. The Quran • Record of revelations received during Muhammad’s visions • Committed to writing c. 650 CE (Muhammad dies 632) • Tradition of Muhammad’s life: hadith

13. Conflict at Mecca • Muhammad’s monotheistic teachings offensive to polytheistic pagans (Roman tradition) • Economic threat to existing religious industry • Denunciation of greed affront to local aristocracy

14. The Hijra (Hegira) • 622 CE: Muhammad flees to Yathrib (Medina) to escape persecution in native Mecca • Considered Year o (Zero) in Muslim calendar • Gains and organizes followers into communal society (the umma) • Legal, spiritual code • Commerce, raids on Meccan caravans for sake of umma

15. The “Seal of the Prophets” • MUHAMMAD: Seen as the final prophet • Islam viewed as culmination and correction of Judaism, Christianity  the ultimate word of God • Inheritor of both Jewish and Christian texts

16. Muhammad’s Return to Mecca • 630: Attack on Mecca • Conversion of Mecca to Islam • Destruction of pagan sites, replaced with mosques • Ka’aba preserved in honor of importance of Mecca • Approved as pilgrimage site

17. The Five Pillars of Islam • No god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet • Daily prayer • Fasting during Ramadan  holiest period of year for Muslims • Islamic holy month • 9th month in Islamic calendar • Charity • Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

18. Jihad • JIHAD: Represents “struggle” to avoid greed and desire • Against vice • Against ignorance of Islam • GOAL: Launch a “holy war” in a quest to retain the holy land of Muslims and protect their religion

19. Islamic Law: The Shari’a • SHARI’A (“Law of Islam”): Codification of Islamic law  said to “come from Allah” • Moral code • Religious law • Developed after Muhammad dies • Based on Quran, hadith, logical schools of analysis • Extends beyond ritual law to all areas of human activity  extends to secular law and personal matters

20. The Caliph • CALIPH: A “deputy” or disciple of Muhammad • No clear to successor to Muhammad identified • 632 CE: Abu Bakr chosen to lead as Caliph  not a direct descendant of Muhammad • Led war against villagers who abandoned Islam after death of Muhammad  sought to expand the “House of Islam” (dar al-Islam)

21. The Expansion of Islam • DAR AL-ISLAM (“House of Islam”): Quest to expand the empire begun with Abu Bakr • Highly successful attacks on Byzantine, Sasanid territories • Spread Islamic influence into North Africa • Difficulties governing rapidly expanding territory

22. The expansion of Islam, 632-733 C.E.

23. The Shia • Disagreements over selection of caliphs after Muhammad’s death leads to emergence of two sects  Sunni and Shia • 632:Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law) passed over for Abu Bakr (advisor) as caliph (Khalifa)

24. The Shia • ALI: Temporarily served as caliph 656-661 CE, then assassinated along with most of his followers by Abu Bakr’s supporters

25. The Shia • Remaining followers of Ali organize separate party called “Shia” (Shiites) • Traditionalists:Sunni (majority sect)  caliph should be one who deserves it most • Reformers: Shia (minority sect)  caliph should be descendant of Ali

26. Shi’ite Pilgrims at Karbala (Iraq)

27. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 CE) • Emerged rom Meccan merchant class • Capital: Damascus, Syria  moved from Mecca • Associated with Arab military aristocracy • Calmed down the succession crisis

28. Policy toward Conquered Peoples • Favoritismof Arab military rulers causes discontent • Limited social mobility for non-Arab Muslims • Head tax (jizya) on non-Muslims • Luxurious living by Umayyads causes further decline in moral authority

29. The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258 CE) • Abu al-Abbas Sunni Arab, allied with Shia, non-Arab Muslims • Seizes control of Persia and Mesopotamia • 750: Defeats Umayyad army • Invited Umayyads to banquet, then massacred them

30. 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

31. Abbasid Administration • Persian influence • Court at Baghdad (Iraq) • Influence of Islamic scholars(ulama, qadi)

32. Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786-809 CE) • High point of Abbasid dynasty • Baghdad (Iraq): Became center of commerce • Great cultural activity

33. 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 (Seljuk) Turks influence, Sultan real power behind the throne

34. Economy of the Early Islamic World • Spread of food and industrial crops • Trade routes from India to Spain • Western diet adapts to wide variety • New crops adapted to different growing seasons • Agricultural sciences develop • Cotton, paper industries develop • Major cities emerge

35. Formation of a Hemispheric Trading Zone • Historical precedent of Arabic trade • Dar al-Islam encompasses silk routes • Ice exported from Syria to Egypt in summer, 10th century • Camel caravans • Maritime trade

36. Banking and Trade • Scale of trade causes banks to develop • Sakk (“check”) • Uniformity of Islamic law throughout dar al-Islam promotes trade • Joint ventures common

37. Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) • Early 8th century: Muslim Berber conquerors from North Africa (Moors) take Spain • Capital established in Cordoba • Allied to Umayyads, refused to recognize Abbasid dynasty • Formed own caliphate • Tensions, but interrelationship • Products from region known for great quality

38. Changing Status of Women • Quran improves status of women • Outlawed female infanticide • Brides, not husbands, claim dowries • Yet male dominance preserved • Patrilineal descent • Polygamy (multiple wives for men) permitted • Polyandry(multiple husbands for women) forbidden • Veiladopted from ancient Mesopotamian practice

39. Formation of an Islamic Cultural Tradition • Islamic values • Uniformity of Islamic law in dar al-Islam • Establishment of madrasas (Islamic schools) • Importance of the Hajj • Sufi missionaries • SUFIS:Adherents to the mystical, ascetic essence of Islam • Developed into new sect of Islam • Some tension with orthodox Islamic theologians • Wide popularity and most effective missionaries of Islam

40. Al-Ghazali (1058-1111) • Major Sufi thinker from Persia • Believed human reason was too frail and confusing • Impossible to intellectually understand Allah personal devotion, mystical ecstasy instead

41. Cultural influences on Islam • Persia • Techniques in government administration and governance borrowed from Sasanids • Literary works most impressive • India • Mathematics (algebra and trigonometry), science, medicine • “Hindi” numerals (called Arabic numerals by Europeans)

42. Cultural influences on Islam • Greece • Muslim philosophers liked works of Plato and Aristotle • Ibn Rushd (aka Averroes) (1126-1198) turned to teachings of Aristotle