Europe 1000
Byzantine Empire
Under Muslim Rule – 1492 treaty Granada
European Christian Kingdom
What did Arabs believe before Muhammad?
Bedouins – nomadic, ancestor veneration, nature spirits, polytheistic
Small Arab Kingdoms – benefit from location near trade routes, Quraysh
Mecca in Saudi ArabiaSource
Source
Kaaba – houses 360 different deities
Mix – Christianity, Judaism Zoroastrianism Byzantine Persia
Symbol of Islam
• The crescent moon and star is an internationally-recognized symbol of the faith of Islam.
• The crescent moon and star symbol actually pre-dates Islam by several thousand years.
• most sources agree that these ancient celestial symbols were in use by the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia in their worship of sun, moon, and sky gods.
Birth of Islam
610 –Muhammad’s first revelation
570– Most Arabs believe Allah is the top god
630 – Mecca Surrenders
632 – Muhammad dies
Source
622 –Muhammad goes to MedinaYathribhijra
Life of Muhammad– 570-632
From: the root “s-l-m” “Peace” (Salam) and “Submission” (salaama)
“Submission to God”
• a trader of Mecca• became a religious, political, and military
leader. • Muslims view him not as the founder of a
new religion, but rather as the preacher of the original, uncorrupted monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others.
• In Muslim tradition, Muhammad is viewed as the last and the greatest in a series of prophets—as the man closest to perfection, the possessor of all virtues.
• In 610, at age 40, Muhammad started receiving revelations from God. The content of these revelations, known as the Qur'an, was memorized and recorded by his companions.
Holy Cities•Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem• Muhammad was born in Mecca and home of the Kaaba• Muhammad started Islam in Medina (and died there)• Muhammad “rose” to heaven from Jerusalem
•Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (the Mosque of the Prophet) in Medina, Saudi Arabia, is the site of Muhammad's tomb.
•The Kaaba, in Mecca Saudi Arabia, is the center of Islam. Muslims from all over the world gather there to pray in unity.
•The Al-Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem
the Qur’an?
• The Islamic Holy book.• Muslims believe it is the
direct word of Allah (God).
• The word of God was revealed to the prophet Mohammed through the angel Jibril (Gabriel).
What are the Basic Belief of Islam?
• Monotheism• Prophets• Angels• Revelation• Resurrection• Judgment• Predetermination• Five Pillars
What are the 5 Pillars of Islam?
• Read .pdf handout “ISLAM” in classworks for more info
• What did your book say about a SIXTH Pillar and what is it?– jihad
Pillars of Islam
Question
1. How are Islam, Judaism, and Christianity connected or related or similar? And, yet, how are they separate or different?
Consolidation
Religious appeal
Why was Islam so successful at its beginning?
Muhammad
Military skill of leader
Decrease in
conflict
Marriage alliances
Material wealth promisessupertribe
Centralized power to
Muhammad
Independence from Judaism
ummaTraders use of tents
Arabia and Surroundin
g Areas Before and During the
Time of Muhamma
d
Arab Expansion
Source
Reason for expansion seeking control of trade routes and arable land
Encourages continued unification
Source
Jihad
Role of conversion
Universal religion
Why were the Arabs so successful?
Battle of Talas River Source
Source
Byzantine and Persian weakness
Battle of Talas River stops Chinese western
expansion
Source
Reasons for Conversion
• Commonalities in religion• Success of Muslims challenges other gods• Avoiding jizya• Merchants drawn to it – Muhammad was a merchant• Social mobility
Conversion
750-900 - 80% in Persia convert but keep local language
Islam after Muhammad:1
Source
Who should be the political leader of umma?
656 civil war
Source1st caliph Abu Bakr
16th century C.E.
First 4 Caliphs632 -661 Sunni
Shia
Theological
conflict?
Ulama Muslim legal scholars
Imams religious leader… religious authority beyond caliph
Film and questions
Who are Shia and Sunni? What are the differences between them and the cause of the split?
Sunni Muslims: approximately 90%Someone Elected – most worthy
Shia Muslim: approximately 10%
Family line of Rulers
Islam after Muhammad: 2
Source Capital: Damascus
Source
Caliphs become absolute monarchs
Umayyad661-750
Leaders become
hereditary
Abd-ar-Rahman III Caliph of Cordoba prince of the Ummayad
Rise of aristocracy
Growing tensions
Islam after Muhammad: 3
Capital: Baghdad
Source
No longer under the authority of a single caliph
Abbasid750- 1258
By 900 weakening
allows regional
dynasties
Mongols come in 1258
“Golden Age”
Hadith collections
Sultanates
5. Which one of the many Arab advances described on p.325-327 stand out, surprise, or make an impression on you? Identify it, explain why you chose it or why it stood out to you, and how is it connected to another part of the world/continent (i.e. East Asia, Africa, or Europe)?
Sufi
•Mystic Islam: the Sufi sect of Islam. Pictured are the Whirling Dervishes.
What is Sikhism?
• Short video
Expansion of Islam 7th & 8th centuries
Complete the map activity in classworks
6. What distinguished the first centuries of Islamic history from the early history of Christianity and
Buddhism? What similarities and differences characterized their religious outlooks?