The Rise of Islam

Arabia in Late Antiquity

Struggle between Sasanian Empire (Persian, Zoroastrian) and Byzantium (Christian)

Kingdom of Axum is a client state of Byzantium

Pre-existing struggles between Christians and polytheists in Arabia before the birth of Muhammad

Muhammad

Spiritual awakening in 610 CE

Member of Quraysh tribe in Mecca

Journey to Medina in 622 CE

Religious community (umma)

Conquest of Mecca in 630 CE

Dies in 632

Kaaba

The early Caliphate

First four rightly guided Caliphs (rashidun) (to 661 CE)

Abu Bakr; ‘Umar; ‘Uthman; ‘Ali (all related to Muhammad)

Ridda wars

Expansion of Islam to c. 650

Umayyad caliphate (661 – 750)

Period of spectacular military success. Islam stretched from Punjab to Spain.

Caliphs cannot claim direct ties of blood to the Prophet.

Conflict between ‘Ali and Mu’awiya. Ali successful in 656 but struggles to assert himself.

Kharijites (seceders).

Fitna (strife)

Expansion of Islam to c. 750

Legitimacy of rulers

Kharijites - piety and standards of behaviour

Alids, later Shi’ites -- legitimacy comes from descent from the prophet.

Umayyads - legitimacy comes from consensus of community of Believers (jamaa)

Religious scholars (‘ulama)

Taxation of mawali (clients of Arab tribes)

Golden dome of Karbala

Dome of the Rock

Abbasid caliphate

In 750 Umayyads were overthrown by a Shi’ite revolt from Khurasan in north-eastern Iran.

Capital moved from Syria to Baghdad in 762 CE.

The Abbasids have a bad press from early Islamic historians

More inclusive than Umayyads

Development of bureaucracy

Iqta (right to collect taxes instead of taking a salary).

Mamluks

From 9th C. the Abbasids replace the army that brought them to power with Turkish slave soldiers (mamluks or ghulams) brought from central Asia

Esp. under caliph al-Mu‘tasim (r. 833–42)

Abbasids and ‘ulama

Al-Ma’mun (r. 813 – 33) tries to subject ‘ulama to an inquisition (mihna)

Mihna abandoned under al-Mutawakkil in 848

End of Abbasid rule

By mid 10th century Abbasids are controlled by Shiite Buyids in Iraq. Buyids are invaders from northern Iran.

This period sees split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims which lasts until the present.

Building of libraries and law schools (madrasas)

Sunnis assemble collection of hadiths

Development of four schools of Islamic legal thought (madhabs)