Transcript The Expansive Realm of Islam
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
Muhammad’s Spiritual Transformation • Visions c. 610 CE • Archangel Gabriel • Monotheism – Allah • Attracts followers to Mecca
Islam
An Abrahamic Religion
Muslims are strict monotheists.
They believe in the Judeo Christian God, which they call
Allah
.
Muslims believe that the Torah and the Bible, like the
Qur’an
, is the word of God.
Peoples of the Book
Abraham’s Genealogy
HAGAR Ishmael ABRAHAM Isaac SARAH 12 Arabian Tribes Jacob Esau 12 Tribes of Israel
The Prophetic Tradition (25 In All)
Adam Noah Abraham Moses Jesus Muhammad
The Quran
• Record of revelations received during visions • Committed to writing c. 650 CE (Muhammad dies 632) • Tradition of Muhammad ’ s life:
hadith
The
Qur’an
Muslims believe it contains the word of God.
114
suras
(chapters).
In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.
Written in Arabic.
Conflict at Mecca
• Muhammad ’ s monotheistic teachings offensive to polytheistic pagans • Economic threat to existing religious industry • Denunciation of greed affront to local aristocracy
The Hijra
• Muhammad flees to Yathrib (Medina) 622 CE – Year 0 in Muslim calendar • Organizes followers into communal society (the
umma)
• Legal, spiritual code • Commerce, raids on Meccan caravans for sake of
umma
Muhammad’s Return to Mecca • Attack on Mecca, 630 • 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 – Covered in kiswah (“robe”) annually
The Ka’aba
1. The
Shahada
The testimony.
The declaration of faith:
There is no god worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is His Messenger [or Prophet].
1
2. The
Salat
The mandatory prayers performed 5 times a day: * dawn * * noon late afternoon * sunset * before going to bed
Wash before praying.
Face Mecca and use a prayer rug.
2
2. The
Salat
The call to prayer by the
muezzin
in the
minaret
.
Pray in the mosque on Friday.
2
3. The
Zakat
Alms giving (charitable donations).
Muslims believe that all things belong to God.
Zakat means both “purification” and “growth.”
About 2.5% of your income.
3
4. The
Sawm
Fasting during the holy month of
Ramadan
.
Considered a method of self purification.
No eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset during
Ramadan.
4
5. The
Hajj
The pilgrimage to Mecca.
Must be done at least once in a Muslim’s lifetime.
2-3 million Muslims make the pilgrimage every year.
5
5. The
Hajj
Those who complete the pilgrimage can add the title
hajji
to their name.
5
Jihad
• “ struggle ” – Against vice – Against ignorance of Islam • “ holy war ” – Against unbelievers who threaten Islam
The Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem
Mount Moriah Rock where Muhammad ascended into heaven.
Islamic Law: The
Sharia
• Codification of Islamic law • Based on Quran • Extends beyond ritual law to all areas of human activity
Other Islamic Religious Practices
Up to four wives allowed at once.
No alcohol or pork.
No gambling.
Three holiest cities in Islam: * Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem.
The Caliph
• No clear to successor to Muhammad identified • Abu Bakr chosen to lead as Caliph • Led war against villagers who abandoned Islam after death of Muhammad
The Spread of Islam
Easy to learn and practice.
No priesthood.
Teaches equality.
Non-Muslims, who were “Peoples of the Book,” were allowed religious freedom, but paid additional taxes.
Easily “portable”
routes.
nomads & trade
Jihad
(“Holy War”) against pagans and other non-believers (“infidels”).
The Spread of Islam
• Great warriors with a strong cavalry. • Byzantines and Persians weak from
fighting each other.
• Unity in Islam, strengthened by the
Sharia, coupled with fair treatment of conquered people, was inviting to many in defeated empires who desired more freedom and cohesiveness.
• Difficulties governing rapidly
expanding territory
The Expansion of Islam, 632 – 733 CE
Muslims in the World Today
Countries with the Largest Muslim Population
1. Indonesia 2. Pakistan 3. India 4. Bangladesh 5. Turkey 183,000,000 134,000,000 121,000,000 114,000,000 66,000,000 6. Iran 7. Egypt 8. Nigeria 9. Algeria 10. Morocco 62,000,000 59,000,000 53,000,000 31,000,000 29,000,000 * Arabs make up only 20% of the total Muslim population of the world.
Successors To The Prophet
• • • •
After the death of Muhammad, the caliph, or successor to the prophet was chosen. Abu Bakr was nominated as the first caliph. Abu Bakr would lead the first caliphate, known as the Rashidun or Patriarchal Caliphate. The choice of Abu Bakr caused significant dispute as many believed that Muhammad had chosen Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad to succeed him.
Served as caliph 656-661 CE, then assassinated along with most of his followers
Successors To The Prophet
caliphs, the last of which was Alī ibn that a division in Islam became more defined.
• Sunni Muslims believe that Ali was the
fourth caliph, a position chosen based believe that Ali is the first Imam, and that only blood descendants of people.
Major Muslim Empires
• Rashidun Caliphate (622-661) • Umayyad Caliphate (661-750) - – Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba in
Islamic Spain (929-1031)
• Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258) - • Fatimid Caliphate (910-1171) • Mamluk Caliphate (1250-1517) • The Ottoman Caliphate (1517-
1924)
Shi’ite Pilgrims at Karbala
The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 CE)
• From Meccan merchant class • Brought stability to the Islamic community • Capital: Damascus, Syria • Associated with Arab military aristocracy
Policy toward Conquered Peoples
• Favoritism of Arab military rulers causes discontent • Limited social mobility for non-Arab Muslims • Head tax (jizya) on non-Muslims • Umayyad luxurious living causes further decline in moral authority
The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258 CE)
• Abu al-Abbas Sunni Arab, allied with Shia, non-Arab Muslims • Seizes control of Persia and Mesopotamia • Defeats Umayyad army in 750 – Invited Umayyads to banquet, then massacred them
Nature of the Abbasid Dynasty • Diverse nature of administration (i.e. not exclusively Arab) • Militarily competent, but not bent on imperial expansion • Content to administer the empire inherited •
Dar al-Islam
• Growth through military activity of autonomous Islamic forces
Abbasid Administration
• Persian influence • Court at Baghdad • Influence of Islamic scholars • Ulama and qadis sought to develop policy based on the Quran and sharia
Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786-809 CE)
• High point of Abbasid dynasty • Baghdad center of commerce • Great cultural activity
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 Turks influence, Sultan real power behind the throne
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
Formation of a Hemispheric Trading Zone • • Historical precedent of Arabic trade
Dar al-Islam
routes encompasses silk – ice exported from Syria to Egypt in summer, 10 th century • Camel caravans • Maritime trade
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
Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain)
• Muslim Berber conquerors from North Africa take Spain, early 8 th c.
• Allied to Umayyads, refused to recognize Abbasid dynasty – Formed own caliphate – Tensions, but interrelationship
Changing Status of Women
• Quran improves status of women – Outlawed female infanticide – Brides, not husbands, claim dowries • Yet male dominance preserved – Patrilineal descent – Polygamy permitted, Polyandry forbidden – Veil adopted from ancient Mesopotamian practice
Formation of an Islamic Cultural Tradition • Islamic values – Uniformity of Islamic law in
dar al-Islam
– Establishment of
madrasas
– Importance of the
Hajj
• Sufi missionaries – Asceticism, mysticism – Some tension with orthodox Islamic theologians – Wide popularity
Al-Ghazali (1058-1111)
• Major Sufi thinker from Persia • Impossibility of intellectual apprehension of Allah, devotion, mystical ecstasy instead
Cultural influences on Islam
• Persia – Administration and governance – literature • India – Mathematics, science, medicine • “ Hindi ” numbers • Greece – Philosophy, esp. Aristotle – Ibn Rushd/Averroes (1126-1198)
Muslims in America
Muslim Culture in NYC
The Islamic Center, New York City
Islam’s Golden Age
• Islam’s golden age peaked under
the Abbasids, during which Muslims absorbed the customs and traditions of the many diverse people they ruled.
• The emphasis on learning, which
was taught by Muhammad, was reinforced by a flourishing economy based on trade.
Art & Architecture
• Mosques & Palaces – Byzantine domes and arches – Abstract & geometric patterns • Calligraphy – Often verses from the Quran • Drawings & Paintings
Literature & Philosophy
• Poetry – Much based upon themes of the
Quran
• Preservation of Greco-Roman
scholars
• Tales – Most famous is The Thousand and
One Nights
• Philosophy
Mathematics & Science
• Algebra – Based upon Indian & Greek
advancements, the Muslims pioneered algebra
• Astronomy – Observed the Earth’s rotation – Calculated the circumference of the
earth within a few thousand feet
• Medicine – Doctors had to pass rigorous tests – Hospitals set up – Studied diseases and wrote medical
encyclopedias that became standard texts in Europe
Economics
• Agriculture • Trade – Cultural diffusion – Partnerships, credit, banks • Manufacturing – Guilds regulated prices, weights &
measurements
– Specialized in steel, leather &
carpets