Islam

1. Islam Introduction ‘There is no God but God’

3. Key Terms and Persons • Islam- submission, surrender to God • Muhammad – the final Prophet to whom God gave His final revelation • Shahadah – Muslim profession of faith that there is no God but God • Zakat – giving alms to the poor. One of the five pillars of Islam • Hajj- pilgrimage to Mecca- one of five pillars of Islam • Salat = formal/ritual prayer • Imam- prayer leader for Sunnis; for Shi’ites has divine authority, successor to the Prophet • Qur’an (Koran)- Sacred, final revelation or word of God, eternal, revealed to the Prophet. • Ummah – Muslim community • Shari’a- Islamic law

4. Key terms • Jihad (striving/struggle) • Greater • Lesser • Itjihad – individual thought in legal reasoning • Tawhid- God’s oneness or unity. Also when one acts to affirm the divine unity • Shirk – associating anything with God or putting something alongside God in importance. Greatest sin. • Sufi – a mystic within Islam; typically belonging to one of the various tariqua or orders • Kalam – rational theology

5. Introduction • Over 1 billion adherents (estimate 1.3) • Some diversity influenced by: • Language • Country • Ethnicity • Sectarian identity • Contrast with non-Muslim neighbors • But similar, especially in: • Rituals • Almost universal use of Arabic in prayer • Koran as the literal word of God

6. Introduction • Curious case of U.S. and Canada • Tendency to bring together diverse elements • Confusion between culture and religion • Among Islam’s contributions have been: • The number zero • The algebraic system • Elliptical orbits in astronomy • Preservation and reintroduction of Hellenistic philosophy and literature

7. Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? • Abrahamic Religion • Ishmael not Isaac

8. Islam: History

9. History: pre-islamic religion • The Times of Ignorance • Tribal Religion • Little thought of afterlife – not well defined • Fate • “They say, ‘There is nothing but our present life; we die, and we live, and nothing but Time destroys us.’ Of that they have no knowledge; they merely conjecture. And when Our signs are recited to them, clear signs, their only argumetn is thatthey say, ‘Bring us our fathers, if you speak truly.’ (Sura 45.24-25)

10. Pre-islamic religion • Mecca • The Ka’ba • Later to be the most holy place of worship and pilgrimage • Allah as the high God • The place and role Quraysh at Mecca

11. Muhammad • b. around 570 A.D. • Youth • Signs: the monk Bahira • Marriage to Khadija • Turning point: Mystical experience at cave • Encounter with the angel Gabriel: “one terrible in power, very strong; he stood poised, being on the higher horizon, then drew near and suspended hung, two bows’-length away, or nearer, then revealed to his servant that he revealed. (Sura 53.5-10)

12. Mohammad • First followers • Khadija • Ali • Growth of the umma • Flight from Mecca to Yathrib/Medina • Tribal warfare • Victory over Mecca

13. Muhammad • Vehicle for God’s message (later compiled as Koran) • Focus for Islam is God’s revelations to Muhammad, not Muhammad himself • Muhammad’s miracle is reception of Qu’ran (although later miracles are attributed to him) • Considered perfect example for humanity • Sunnah (way Muhammad lived- to be exemplified) • Muhammad will later work from generalizations in the Koran and apply them to specific situations

14. Rise of Islam • After Muhammad’s death • Lifetime successor is to be appointed • Dissension • Sunni-Shi’ite split • Support of Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s companion Sunnis (currently majority- around 80%). First caliph (=successor to the Prophet) • Support of Ali, cousin of Muhammad, husband of favorite daughter, Fatima- Shi’ites • Caliph • Leader but not prophet • Umayyad

15. Rightly Guided caliphs: First four successors • Abu Bakr (632-634 A.D.) – prophet’s companion and father-in-law (Aisha) • Election • in part, on fear of Quraysh to blend religious authority of Prophet with secular authority of Caliph (as might happen if Ali was chosen) • By group of elders (Ali absent) • Assumes popular consensus (consensus of umma) • Abu Bakr • Khalifat Rasul Allah – ‘the Successor to the Messenger of God’ • reinforces loyalty to umma • unlike traditional tribal understanding of oath • Enforces tithe tax

16. Rightly guided Caliphs (cont.) • Umar (634-644 A.D.) – prophet’s companion • ‘Commander of the Faithful’ • Defeats Byzantine army in southern Syria; then Sassain forces • Damascus, Jerusalem, Egypt and Libya fall to Umar’s army • Uthman (644-656 A.D.) – prophet’s companion –assassinated • Umayyad clan; Quraysh (election preserving the Quraysh elite) • Problems • Takes title of Kahlifat Allah = ‘Successor to God” instead of deputy of Messenger now representative of God on earth • Nepotistic – replaces amirs with his immediate family • Collection and canonization of Qur’an

17. Rightly guided caliphs (cont.) • Ali (656-661 A.D.) – prophet’s cousin, son-in-law – assassinated • Refused title of Caliph (not least because of its tainted use by Uthman) • ‘Commander of the Faithful’ • First civil war led against Ali by Aisha (daughter of Abu Bakr). Defeat of Aisha at Battle of the Camel • Battle against Mu’wayia; arbitration • Assassinated by Kharijites

18. Sunnis • Follow elected caliphs • Role of caliphs • Administrates Shari’ah • Shari’ah = sacred law of Islam • Teachings and practices • Based primarily on Koran and Sunnah of Muhammad • Leads worship • Role of ummah • selects caliph • Koran, Hatdith and Sunnah are continuously interpreted by consensus of opinion and wisdom of jurists. • E.g. test-tube fertilization

19. Shi’ites • Believe Ali, Prophet’s cousin, to have been the rightful original successor of the Prophet

20. Shi’ites: Karbala • Martyrdom of Ali’s son, Husayn, at Karbalah • It is here we have a decisive break between the Shi’ites and the Sunnis • Gives impetus to Shi’ite movement • Gathering of pilgrims • Penitents

21. Shi’ites: imams • Imams, not caliphs • Imam = religious leader; legitimate successors of Muhammad • Esoteric knowledge passed down • Without sin (as Muhammad was kept sinless) • Political leaders as well as divine guidance • Shari’ah interpreted by Imam (not scholarly consensus) for each successive generation

22. Shi’ites: Imams • ‘Twelvers’ • Majority of Shi’ites • Total of 12 Imams • 12th Imam continues to guide religious scholars while in a hidden state and will publicly return on the Day of Resurrection. • Others hold to different numbers of imams • Idea is (re)interpreted by the Ayatollah Khomeini

23. Expansion of Islam • 661-750 Umayyad Dynasty • Mu’awiyya – Sunni, Umayyad • Disputes Ali’s appointment • Succeeds Ali • Establishes Umayyad Caliphate appointing son, Yazid • Rapid expansion

24. Dome of the rock (691 A.D.) From http://www.fotosearch.com/DGV078/200213679-001

26. Expansion (cont.) • 750 – Emergence of Abbasid dynasty • New cultural phase; the ‘golden age’ of Islam • Influence of: • Greek learning/philosophy • Sufi mysticism; contemplative practices • Interpretations of the shari’a

27. Expansion (cont.) • Abassid Dynasty (cont.) • Capital moved to Baghdad • Ended, more or less, with Mongol invasion in 1258 • Though Mongol’s were eventually converted to Islam • Concurrent with Abassid Dynasty • Spain - Umayyad • Egypt – Shi’ites

28. Medieval Islam • IbnRushd/Averroes(1126-98) • Integrated Greek philosophy w/Islamic tradition • 1258 Mongol Incursion • Sacking of Baghdad • 1492 Islam driven out of Spain • Establishment of: • Safavid Empire- Iran (1502-1736) • Mughal Empire – India (1526-1858) • Ottoman Turkish Empire (Asia, N. Africa. E. Europe) (1299-1922)

29. Modern period • Wahhabi Reforms • Khilafat movement (1818-1924) • Turkey • Muslim Brotherhood • Palestine and Israel • Radical Muslims • More on struggles with the West in final lecture on Islam

30. Current Muslim Distribution