Islam: History, Values and Culture

1. Islam: History, Values and Culture Shawqi Kassis, Ph.D.

2. Words to Know Arabian Peninsula Mecca Muslims Muhammad Abraham Caliph The Quran Sunni Shiite

4. 1. Which of the following is a true statement: A. All Arabs are Muslims B. All Muslims are Arabs C. Iran is an Arab country D. None of the above

5. 1. Which of the following is a true statement: A. All Arabs are Muslims B. All Muslims are Arabs C. Iran is an Arab country D. None of the above

6. 2. During prayer a Muslim should face: A. Mecca B. Islamabad C. Jerusalem D. Washington, DC

7. 2. During prayer a Muslim should face: A. Mecca B. Islamabad C. Jerusalem D. Washington, DC

8. Islam • Founder: Muhammad Ibn (son of) Adballah • Born: 571 AD in Mecca, Arabia • Descendant of Abraham • Nicknames: Almustapha (the chosen), Alamin (the faithful) • Titles: The prophet, the messenger • Tribe: Quraiysh • Holy Book: The Quran

9. Abraham Ismail Adnan Quraiysh Qussaiy Abdmanaf Abdshams Hashem (Amneh+) Abdallah Abutalib Hamzeh Alabbas Abulahab Alhareth Adbelmuttalib Muhammad Ali Ummayah Dynasty Abbbassides Dynasty (661-750) (750-1258)

10. Historical Overview

11. The Levant Mesopotamia The fertile Crescent H I j a z ARABIA EGYPT • Medinah •Mecca Dynasties of the South

12. Middle East, 7th Century • The Arabian Peninsula • The source of Arabs and the Semitic race • Mostly desert, few urbanized areas • Urban centers, Mecca • Mainly tribal society • First mention of ‘Arabs’, 854 B.C. • Arabs of the North and Arabs of the South • Dynasties in the south • Religions • Christianity, Judaism, polytheism • The Sassanid or Persian Empire • Ailing • The Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire • Christianity is the state religion, 3rd century • A foreign occupying power • Sectarian conflicts with the locals

13. Byzantine Empire * Persian Empire • An Arabian dynasty An Arabian dynasty *

14. Islam, 610-632 • 571 Muhammad born in Mecca. • 610 First revelation in the Harraa cave (27 Ramadan). • 622 “Hijra”or Escape. Muhammad and followers escape prosecution • and go to Almadinah (Yathrib). • Year 1 in the Islamic calendar • ‘Missionaries’ sent all over Arabia • building peaceful coalition • 629 Muhammad conquers Mecca peacefully (NO REVENGE) • destroys idols in Alqaaba. • single-handedly, brings peace to war-torn Arabia • 632 Muhammad dies in Almadinah. Unmarked grave (his will)

15. Islam by the death of Mohammed 632

16. 632-661: the Four Elected Successors (Caliphs) • Abu-Bakr - 632-634 • The first elected official. Wise leader, crisis manager • Omar Ibn Elkhattab - 634-644 • A first-rate statesman. Honest, modest and just. • Conquered the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, Persia • Damascus (9 / 635) and Jerusalem (5 / 638) surrender peacefully • Omar’s pledge to the Jerusalemites • A modern state: Treasury, communication, defense. Engraved currency. • Othman bin Affan - 644-656 • Collected and compiled the Quran • Emergence of power struggle • Ali Bin Abitalib - 656-661 • Power struggle escalated to armed conflict • Emergence of political parties • End of democracy. Ummayah Dynasty in Damascus, Muawyia (661-680)

17. Islam at 644, the year Omar died

18. The Ummayah Dynasty, 661-750 • Empire center and capital move to Damascus • Expansion: All N. Africa (Atlantic), W. Europe, much of C. Asia, the wall of China • 711: Conquer of Spain and Portugal. Tariq Bin Ziyad • Expansion into W. Europe blocked in France by Charles Martial, 732 • Power Struggle continues, but the Caliphs brutally liquidate all rivals • Karbalaa in S. Iraq (10 Nov, 680) and the emergence of the Shiha • Addelmalek builds Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (691) • Massive translation of Greek and Indian writings • Arabization of the empire • Bloom of architecture, arts, agriculture, and science

19. 732, 100 Yrs after Mohammed

20. The Abbassides Dynasty, 750-1258 • The center of the Empire moves to Iraq and Iran • Baghdad, built 762 AD by Almansur (2nd Caliph). • With over 2 M, Baghdad becomes the glamorous center of the world • Science, art, architecture, learning, and wealth • Lighted streets, public baths, public libraries and hospitals everywhere • Other dynasties in Egypt, Spain, and parts of the Levant. • Cairo, built 968 AD

21. Interactive Notebook Question (Left Side) 1’s answer: What was the title of the leaders of the Muslim Empire after Muhammad’s death? 2’s answer: Name two Muslim Empires after Muhammad’s death.

22. Islam as Monotheistic Religion

23. Islam: • ”Surrender”, related to ‘salaam’, or peace. • Abraham, father of all prophets, is the first Muslim • Islam is also a code for social conduct • Quran plus the authentic statements of Muhammad (Hadith) = Shareeha (constitution), as Interpreted by Islamic scholars • Muhammad is the last prophet (33: 40). • Gabriel highest ranking angel • The Quran: • Islam’s holy book, an inspired scripture. God’s word inspired to his messenger, • 114 Chapters (chapter = Surah), 4 to >200 verses/chapter (verse = Aiyah) • Confirms most narratives and prophets of the Jewish and Christian faiths • Special place for Virgin Mary, the only female (the Chapter of Mary) • Allah is the word for God used by Christian and Muslim Arabs • God = Allah (Arabic) • One and only one God, no trinity • Arabic as the language of the Quran

24. The 'Five Pillars' of Islam • The framework for Muslim life. Essential practices • 1. The declaration of faith: • "There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God" • 2. Prayer: • Five obligatory prayers each day. • A direct link between the worshiper and God. • No hierarchical authority or priesthood • 3. Zakat: • Obligatory charitable giving. • Wealth belong to God and it is held in trust by humans. • Zakat, or, "purification" by setting aside a portion (2.5%) for the needy • 4. Fasting: • From sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan • 5. Pilgrimage: • A pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, Arabia. Only those who can

25. Jihad and the Conduct of War • Islam is not addicted to war, and jihad is not one of its "pillars” • Jihad in Arabic does not mean "holy war”. It means "struggle” or “strive”. • It is the difficult effort needed to put God's will into practice at every level

26. Jihad and the Conduct of War • God does not allow harm of civilian, and requests the protection of women, • children and the elderly during war (4:96; 9: 91; 48: 16,17) • “If any one slew a person--unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land--it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”(5:32) • You shall feed and protect prisoners of war, and you shall not expect a • reward (4: 25,36; 5:24) • Thus, the only permissible war in the Quran is one of self-defense, you • cannot kill unarmed (civilian), and you have to protect prisoners of war • ‘Martyrdom’: Those killed during fighting or while doing civic duties (martyrs) are promised a place in heaven (several passages, e.g., 2:154; 3:169-172) • However, suicide is not allowed; it is forbidden and condemned (e.g., 6:151, 17:33, 25:68)

27. Relation with other Faiths • Like the Torah, the Quran permits retaliation eye for eye, tooth for tooth. • But, like the Gospels, it says “it is meritorious to forgo revenge in a spirit of charity (5: 45) • Acknowledges Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, • David, Solomon, Zacharia, Jesus, John the paptist, and others as the “the good prophets of God” • A special place for Jesus and Mary (e.g., 3:45,46; 4:156-158; 19:1-98) • Accepts that Mary’s conception is from God’s soul. • Rejects the divinity of Jesus (no trinity). • Jesus was not killed (e.g., 4:155-159; 5:17-19)

28. Interactive Notebook Question (Left Side) 1’s and 2’s take turns naming the Five Pillars of Islam

29. Other Values • Thehijab or head scarf • Modest dress apply to women and men equally (Quran and Hadith). • Women are required to cover their bodies so that their figure is not revealed. • Women are not required to cover their faces. • The forbidden or ‘taboo’ (muharramat) include pork, blood, improperly butchered • animals, gambling, and charging interest • Alcohol drinking was gradually disallowed

30. Science and Civilization

31. Medicine and Pharmacy • Institutionalized and regulated the practice of Medicine and Pharmacy • The modern concept of clinics • Board exams and license to practice. Regulatory boards (FDA's!!!) • Classification of plants and Algae for their medical use, and outlined possible side effects (PDR’s!!) • Hospitals: • Tens, including specialized, in each of Baghdad, Qurtoba, and Damascus. • Mobile hospitals for emergency. • Departments and University Hospitals. • Patients records and vital signs, urine tests, family history. • Surgery: • Threads from animals intestine. • Opium and Hashish for Anesthesia. • Alcohol as disinfectant. • Treatment of cataract, and removal of kidney and gallbladder stones • Autopsy !!! • Students training (Anatomy) • Cause of death

32. Known Physicians • Abu-bakr Elrazzy; 9th Century • Father of Physicians, great clinician and experimentalist • Many books including “Smallpox and Measles” • Ibn-Elhaytham: 10th Century • Multidisciplinary scientist. Ophthalmologist • Mechanism of sight. Function of the eye • Over 100 books in Med. and Math. • Ibn-Seena (Avisai): 10th Century • The “Qannun”, the medical text book in Europe till 19th Cen. • Described the medical use of over 2700 plants • Light has a finite speed, which is much faster than the speed of sound • Ibn-Rushd (Aviros): 13th Century • Philosopher and Physician. Many books • Ibn-Elnafees: • Blood circulation and the role of lungs • Abulkassim Alzahrawi (Abulcasis or Albucasis): 11th Century • One of the greatest surgeons. A good dentist and GP. • Removal of breast cancer. • Hemophilia and its hereditary transmission (female to male)

33. Mathematics • Arabic numeral and the decimal system of numbers. • Arithmetic. Roots and powers • Algorithm = Alkhawarismi • The mathematical ZERO • Algebra (combining fractions). • The Use of (x, y, z) to solve complex arithmetic/geometric problems • Trigonometry (Albairuni and Albuzjani), differential and Integral. • p= 3.141596535898732. • Arabic terms and methods of preparation for Alkali, Alcohol, Tartarate • Discovered and prepared in pure form 28 elements (Ibn Elhaytham) • The processes of crystallization, fermentation, distillation, sublimation, • Preparation of acids (H2SO4, HCl, HNO3) and bases (NaOH) • Light travels in straight lines. Laws of refraction, reflection and illusion of light. • Eluded to the Magnetic properties of some objects Chemistry and Physics

34. Astronomy • Astrology (myth)  Astronomy (science) • Movement, path, and location of planets and stars • The Asturlab • Earth is spherical and rotates along its axis and around the sun. • Calculated earth circumference (Albairuni) • Calculated the time needed for one rotation around the sun (solar year), with • an error of 2’ 22” only (Albattani) • Calculated the equinoxes • Current names of most constellations, and many stars are from Arabic • Some known astronomists: • Alkindy (9th Century) • Albattani (9th Century) • Ibn-elhaytham (11th Century) • Thabit Ibn Qarra • Almajreeti

35. Sunni and Shiha(Shiite) Split • Sunni • 90% of Muslims • Follow the Quran • Shiha (Shiite) • Came to be as a sect after 680 A.D. • Believe in the Quran, like Sunni • However, they place Ali very high as a holy figure, and think ‘main stream’ • Islam discriminated against him • Today Shiah (Shiite) is mainly in Iran (90%), Iraq (55%) and Lebanon (~40%)

36. Interactive Notebook Question (left side) What is similar between Christianity and Islam splitting into sects?

37. The Koran is the sacred text for both. They believe Muhammad was the prophet and that there will be a resurrection followed by a final judgment when the world ends. While there are superficial differences between the sects – differences in prayer and carrying out rituals, for instance – the arena of conflict between the two has long been political.

38. The split between the two main branches of Islam is nearly 1,400 years old, and started with a fight over who should lead the faithful after the prophet Muhammad's death in 632. One side believed that direct descendants of the prophet should take up the mantle of the caliph – the leader of the world's faithful. They were known as the Shiat-Ali, or "partisans of Ali," after the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali, whom they favored to become caliph. In time, they came simply to be known as Shiites.

39. The other side, the Sunnis, thought that any worthy man could lead the faithful, regardless of lineage, and favored Abu Bakr, an early convert to Islam who had married into Muhammad's family. "Sunni" is derived from the Arab word for "followers" and is shorthand for "followers of the prophet." The Shiites were the eventual losers in a violent struggle for mastery that lasted decades, a fact now reflected in their minority status within global Islam. Another difference between Sunnis and Shiites has to do with the Mahdi, “the rightly-guided one” whose role is to bring a just global caliphate into being. As historian Timothy Furnish has written, "The major difference is that for Shiites he has already been here, and will return from hiding; for Sunnis he has yet to emerge into history: a comeback v. a coming out, if you will."

40. Abraham Muhammad Mecca Arabian Peninsula Islam The Quran Caliph Sunni/Shiite Split

41. Islam Today • 1.3 Billion worldwide, three continents • 0.3 Billion Arabs • Indonesia (200 M) > India (180 M) > Pakistan (160 M) > Bangladesh (120 M) > • China (80 M) > Egypt (70 M) • There are about 20 M Christian Arabs • Egypt > Syria > Lebanon > Palestine > Iraq • About 7 M Muslims in the USA, 3-4 M are Arabs • Roughly half of the Arab Americans are Christians • Though a majority in Iran and Iraq, Shiites make up just 15 percent of the world's Muslims.

42. Arab Americans • Casey Kasem and Don Bustany (Lebanon) creators of radio's American • Top 40 • Mustapha Elaqqad (Syria), Hollywood movie director • (director of the ‘Halloween’ series) • Tom Shadyac (Lebanon), Hollywood movie director • Salma Hayic (Lebanon), a Hollywood star • Yasser Seirawan (Syria), US Chess Champion • Jacques Nasser, president and CEO of Ford Motor Co • Ray Irani CEO of Occidental Petroleum (Exxon Mobil) Co • The Hyatt, Hagar, and Farah enterprises • Christina McAuliffe, an astronaut who died aboard the space shuttle • Challenger • Candy Lightner, founder of MADD

43. Suggested Reading • “History of the Arabs”, Philip Hitti • “The Arab People”, Albert Hourany • “Islam, An Empire of Faith”, PBS Video, 2001 • “Islam: A Short History”, Karen Armstrong, 2000 • “Muhammad”, Karen Armstrong, 1998 • “Jihad: A Commitment to Universal Peace”, Marcel A. Boisard, American Trust • Publications, 1988 • “The Oxford History of Islam”, John L Esposito, ed. 1999 • “Islam: The Straight Path”, John L Esposito, ed. 1998 • “The Meaning of the Holy Quran”, Abdullah Yusif, Ali, 1997 • “Lives of the Prophets”, Leila Azzam, 1995 • “From Difference to Equas”, George Kindy, and Philip Saliba, eds., NYAS, 1994 • Science in Medieval Islam, Howard R Turner, 1997 • Arab American Encyclopedia, Anan Ameri, and Dawn Ramey, eds., 2000

44. The Ka'aba (literally "the cube" in Arabic) is an ancient stone structure that was built and re-built by prophets as a house of monotheistic worship. It is located inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'aba is considered the center of the Muslim world, and is a unifying focal point for Islamic worship.

45. Bibliography Islam's Sunni-Shiite split. Dan Murphy | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0117/p25s01-wome.html