The Islamic World After Muhammad

Unit 2 Chapter 6 Section 2

Unit 2 Chapter 6 Section 4

Unit 2 Chapter 8 Section 4

What to do when Muhammad dies

• Caliph – Successor to Muhammad

• Abu Bakr – First Caliph

Unification of Arab People

• Abu Bakr unites Arab tribes and begins fighting others to expand Arab Empire– Syria (Byzantine controlled): 640 CE– Egypt/Northern Africa: 642 CE– Former Eastern Persian Empire (up to India): 650 CE

• Empire stretches from west of India to Spain– Empire is stopped before it enters France and

Constantinople

Governing the Conquered

• Christians and Jews were allowed to continue practicing– Considered “People of the Book”– Only had to be loyal to rule and pay taxes

Leadership

• Mu’awiyah makes Caliphate hereditary– Caliphs come from the same family– Forms the Umayyad dynasty

Sunni vs. Shi’a

• Hussein – Leader of Arab uprising within Umayyad Dynasty– Hussein and his men are all killed in battle

• Split derives from leadership– Shi’a – Believes only descendents from

Muhammad should be leaders of Islam– Sunni – Accepts leaders not directly related to

Muhammad

Abbasid Dynasty (750 CE)

• Intended to be less corrupt than Umayyad• Capital moved from Damascus to Baghdad (762 CE)

– Baghdad becomes economic center of Asia (river and land route)• Arab and Non-Arab Muslim division broken down• Conquered cultures being absorbed into Islamic society• Trade continued throughout the empire, including west and south Africa

which provided…– Slaves

Fatimid Dynasty

• 973 CE – Become the center of Islamic civilization

• Located on Nile– Gives access to the Mediterranean and the

Red Sea

Islam in Africa

• 641 – Arabs take Egypt• Early 700’s – Arabs rule

northern and western Africa

• Occupied along Red Sea• Spreads along northern

Sahara likely from trade routes

• In east, Islam combined with elements of African spiritualism

Islamic Art & Literature

• A blending of Arab, Turkish and Persian styles

• Unique examples include Mosques, castles and various works

• The Quran, the Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam and the Arabian Nights are the most well known works

Islamic Math and Science

• Gave us zero and algebra

• Scientifically proved the earth was round

• Gave us an astrolabe that allowed sailors to track their position

• Ibn Sina – Writes a medical journal used for centuries after– Discoveries included disease could spread

through contaminated water

Instruction for Quotes Activity

• 1. Read each of the eight quotes.• 2. Select one of them that is the most interesting to you.• 3. On a separate sheet of paper, write the quote

down.• 4. In one paragraph, explain what it means to

someone who might not understand it.• 5. In a second paragraph, explain what it means to

you personally.• Your paper should have one quote and two paragraphs. Turn it in before trivia tomorrow!