ISLAM

1. ISLAM THE FIRST TRANS-REGIONAL CIVILIZATION

2. CURRENT MUSLIM WORLD

3. PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA • The Arabian peninsula • Largely deserts with mountains, oases • Fertile areas in the southern mountains around Yemen • Nomadic Bedouin • Lived in the desert-covered peninsula for millennia • Kept herds of sheep, goats, and camels • Organized in family and clan groups • Importance of kinship and loyalty to the clan • Many tribes seem to have been matrilineal with some rights for women • Post-classical Arabia • Romans (Byzantines) and Persians had client kingdoms in area • Active in long-distance over land trade • Trade from Damascus to Mecca/Medina to Yemen • Trade across desert to Persian Gulf and along coast • Part of Red Sea trade system; links between Yemen and Abyssinia • Trade includes gold, frankincense and myrrh • Religion was polytheist • Groups of Jews in Arabia; Monophysite Christians in cities

4. 6TH CENTURY ARABIA

5. PHYSICAL MAP OF ARABIA

6. MUHAMMAD’S EARLY LIFE • Muhammad ibn Abdullah • Born in a Mecca merchant family, 570 C.E. • Difficult early life: orphaned, lived with uncle • Married a wealthy widow, Khadija, in 595 • Became a merchant at age 30, exposed to various faiths • Muhammad's spiritual transformation • At age 40, he experienced visions • There was only one true god, Allah ("the god") • Allah would soon bring judgment on the world • The archangel Gabriel delivered these revelations to Muhammad • Did not intend to found a new religion, but his message became appealing • The Quran • Followers compiled Muhammad's actual revelations after his death • Quran ("recitation"), became the holy book of Islam • Suras are chapters; organized from longest to shortest • A work of magnificent poetry • The Hadith • Sayings attributed to Muhammad; not included in Quran • Three levels from most accurate/likely to highly suspect

7. THE HIJRA (FLIGHT) • Conflict at Mecca • His teachings offended others, especially ruling elite of Mecca • Attacks on greed offended wealthy merchants • Attacks on idolatry threatened shrines, especially the Kaa'ba • The hijra • Under persecution, Muhammad, followers fled to Medina, 622 C.E. • The move, known as hijra, was starting point of Islamic calendar • The umma • Organized a cohesive community called umma in Medina • Led commercial adventure • Sometimes launched raids against Mecca caravans • Helped the poor and needy • The "seal of the prophets" • Referred himself as "seal of the prophets," - final prophet of Allah • Held Hebrew scriptures and New Testament in high esteem • Referred to followers as “Peoples of the Book” • If they did not threaten umma, were to be protected • Determined to spread Allah's wish to all humankind

8. CONQUEST OF ARABIA • Muhammad's return to Mecca • Conquered Mecca, 630 • Imposed a theocratic government dedicated to Allah • Destroyed pagan shrines and built mosques • The Kaa'ba • The Kaa'ba shrine was not destroyed • In 632, Muhammad led the first Islamic pilgrimage to the Ka'ba • The Five Pillars of Islam • Obligations taught by Muhammad, known as the Five Pillars • The Five Pillars bound the umma into a cohesive community of faith • Profession of faith, prayer, tithing, pilgrimage, fasting at Ramadan • Islamic law: the sharia • Emerged during the centuries after Muhammad • Detailed guidance on proper behavior in almost every aspect of life • Drew laws, precepts from the Quran • Drew traditions from Arabic culture, Hadith • Through the sharia, Islam became a religion and a way of life

9. SYMBOLS OF ISLAM

10. EXPANSION OF ISLAM • The caliph • Upon Muhammad's death, Abu Bakr served as caliph ("deputy") • Became head of state, chief judge, religious leader, military commander • First four called Orthodox caliphs because they were original followers • The expansion of Islam • 633-637, seized Byzantine Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia • 640's, conquered Egypt and north Africa • 651, toppled Sassanid dynasty • 711, conquered the Hindu kingdom of Sind • 711-718, conquered northwest Africa, most of Iberia • Success due to weakness of enemies, vigor of Islam • Referred to Islamic world as Dar al Islam • The Shia and Sunnis • The Shia sect supported Ali (last caliph and son in law of Muhammad) • A refuge for non-Arab converts, poor; followers in Irag, Iran • Felt caliphs should be directly related to Muhammad • The Sunnis ("traditionalists") accepted legitimacy of early caliphs • Were Arab as opposed to Islamic • Did not feel caliphs had to be related to Muhammad • Two sects struggled over succession; produced a civil war, murder

11. SPREAD OF ISLAM

12. UMAYYAD DYNASTY • The Umayyad dynasty (661-750 C.E.) • New caliph won civil war; murdered Ali; established dynasty • Established capital city at Damascus in Syria • Ruled for the interests of Arabian military aristocracy • Policy toward conquered peoples • Dhimmis were the conquered Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians • Levied jizya (head tax) on those who did not convert to Islam • Even the converts did not enjoy wealth, position of authority • Umayyad decline • Caliphs became alienated from Arabs by early 8th century • By the mid-century, faced strong resistance of the Shia faction • The discontent of conquered peoples also increased • Umayyad family slaughtered; only one son escaped to Spain • Formed breakaway Umayyad Dynasty in Spain

13. ABBASID DYNASTY • Abu al-Abbas • A descendant of Muhammad's uncle; allied with Shias and non-Arab Muslims • Seized control of Persia and Mesopotamia during 740's • Shattered Umayyad forces at a battle in 750; annihilated the Umayyad clan • The Abbasid dynasty (750-1258 C.E.) • Showed no special favor to Arab military aristocracy • Empire still growing, but not initiated by the central government • Abbasid administration • Relied heavily on Persians, Persian techniques of statecraft • Central authority ruled from the court at Baghdad, newly built city • Governors ruled provinces; Ulama, qadis (judges) ruled local areas • Harun al-Rashid (786-809 C.E.) • Represented the high point of the dynasty • Baghdad became metropolis, center for commerce, industry, and culture • Abbasid decline • Struggle for succession between Harun's sons led to civil war • Governors built their own power bases, regional dynasties • Local military commanders took title of Sultan • Popular uprisings and peasant rebellions weakened the dynasty • A Persian noble seized control of Baghdad in 945 • Later, the Seljuk Turks controlled the imperial family

14. AN URBAN CIVILIZATION • Arab Urban History • Pre-Islamic Arabs were both urban, bedouin • Mecca, Medina, Yemeni cities, cities of Palmyra, Arab Petropolis • Center of the city was a market place often shared with religious center • Cities designed with human-environment interaction in mind • Nomads came to city to trade, city often settled by whole tribes • Arabs had settled in cities in Syria, Iraq, Jordan • Arabic cities linked to wider world through merchants, trade • Arab cities exposed to Jews, Persians, Monophysites, Sabeans • Arabic Empire and Urban Growth • Islam as a culture requires mosque, merchant: very urban in outlook • Capital moved from Mecca to Damascus by Umayyads • Arabs founded military cities on edges of desert to rule empire • As empire grew, needed something more permanent • Abbasids moved capital from Damascus, Kufa to Baghdad • Other designed for purpose cities include Fez, Cairo, Tunis • Increasing agricultural production contributed to growth of cities • Cities: centers for administration, industry, trade, education, faith • Many different ethnic minorities settled in Muslim cities (quarters) • Mosque at center surrounded by suk, square, in decreasing social order

15. CHANGED ECONOMICS • Merchants, pilgrims, travelers exchanged foods across empire • The exchange and spread of food and industrial crops • Indian plants traveled to other lands of the empire • Staple crops: sugarcane, rice, new varieties of sorghum and wheat • Vegetables: spinach, artichokes, eggplants • Fruits: oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, coconuts, watermelons, mangoes • Industrial crops: cotton, indigo, henna • Effects of new crops • Increased varieties and quantities of food • Industrial crops became the basis for a thriving textile industry • Foodstuffs increased health, populations of cities • Agricultural experimentation • Numerous agricultural manuals • Agricultural methods and techniques improved • Improved irrigation

16. A VAST TRADE ZONE • Camels and caravans • Overland desert trade traveled mostly by camel caravan • Caravanserais (motel, corrals) in Islamic cities • Trading goods usually luxury in nature • Maritime trade based on technological borrowing • Arab, Persian mariners borrowed • Compass from the Chinese • Lateen sail from southeast Asian, Indian mariners • Astrolabe from the Hellenistic mariners • Organization and dominance of trade • In North Africa across Sahara, down Nile, SW Asia, to India • Eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabia Gulf down coasts • Many cities grew rich from trade • Entrepreneurs often pooled their resources in group investments • Different kinds of joint endeavors • Banks • Operated on large scale and provided extensive services • Letters of credit, or sakk, functioned as bank checks • Exchange of Ideas included Islam, technology, culture

17. ISLAMIC TRADE

18. OTHER ISLAMIC REGIONS • Al-Andalus • Islamic Spain, conquered by Muslim Berbers • Claimed independence from the Abbasid dynasty • Participated in commercial life of the larger Islamic world • Products of al-Andalus enjoyed a reputation for excellence • Cordoba was a center of learning, commerce, architecture • After death of Abd al Rahman III broke up into petty kingdoms • A unique blended culture • Arab, Latin, German, Islamic, Christian, Jewish • Very tolerant and integrated society • Warred for 700 years with Christian kingdoms in north • North Africa • Strong followers of Shia, broke with Abbassids • Berbers followed many puritanical Shia like movements • Eventually Fatimids conquered Egypt, formed rival caliphate • Central Asia • Largely Turkish, Persian and Islamic but not Arabic • Tended to be distant from Baghdad and more tolerant • Integrated into trans-Eurasian trade network

19. MUSLIM SPAIN

20. MUSLIM CENTRAL ASIA

21. WOMEN’S CHANGING STATUS • Pre-Islamic Arab Women • Arabs as nomads allowed women many rights • Women often poets, tribe leaders • Some evidence of matrilineal tribes • The Quran and women • Quran enhanced rights, security of women • Forced husbands to honor contracts, love women • Allowed women to own property, protected from exploitation • What produced the change • Foreign Contacts changed the perspective • Adopted veiling from Mesopotamia, Persia • Isolation from India through purdah, harem • Muslim rights for women • Often weaken through Hadith, traditions • Often reduced, ignored • Patriarch beliefs reinforced by conquest • Yet Quran, sharia also reinforced male domination • Role of Hadith, Arab traditions reinforced male domination

22. IMAGE OF WOMEN

23. ISLAMIC CULTURAL TRADITION • Quran, sharia were main sources to formulate moral guidelines • Constant struggle between what is Arabic and what is Islamic • Use of Arabic script as only language of Islam strengthened trend • Persians, Turks, Indians, and Africans struggled for acceptance • Promotion of Islamic values • Ulama, qadis, and missionaries were main agents • Education also promoted Islamic values • Sufis • Islamic mystics, effective missionaries • Encouraged devotion by singing, dancing • Led ascetic, holy lives, won respect • Encouraged followers to revere Allah in own ways • Tolerated those who associated Allah with other beliefs • The hajj • The Kaa'ba became the symbol of Islamic cultural unity • Pilgrims helped to spread Islamic beliefs and values

24. ISLAM & OTHER CONTACTS • Persian influence on Islam • After Arabs most prominent of Muslims, resisted Arabization • Cultural traditions often borrowed heavily by Islam • Became early followers of Shia • Government and regionalism • Many advisors (vizer is Persian word) to Caliphs were Persian • Cultured, diplomatic language of Abbassid court became Persian • Literary achievements • Omar Khayyam was greatest of Medieval Muslim poets • The Arabian Nights largely in a Persian style • Turkish influences • Central Asian nomads converted to Islam, developed literary culture • Invaded SW Asia and made caliphate dependent on Turkish nomads • Formed military might, leadership of late Abbassid state • Indian Influences • Purdah and harem borrowed from Hindus • "Hindi numerals," which Europeans called "Arabic numerals" • Greek Influences • Muslims philosophers especially liked Plato and Aristotle; Greek math • Effort of harmonizing two traditions met resistance from Sufis