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Chapter 14

The Expansive Realm of Islam

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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

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Muhammad’s Spiritual Transformation Visions c. 610 CE Archangel Gabriel Monotheism Attracts followers to Mecca

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The Quran

Record of revelations received during visions Committed to writing c. 650 CE (Muhammad dies

632) Tradition of Muhammad’s life: hadith

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Conflict at Mecca

Muhammad’s monotheistic teachings offensive to polytheistic pagans

Economic threat to existing religious industry Denunciation of greed affront to local aristocracy

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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

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The “Seal of the Prophets”

Islam as culmination and correction of Judaism, Christianity

Inheritor of both Jewish and Christian texts

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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

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The Ka’aba

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The Five Pillars of Islam

No god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet Daily prayer Fasting during Ramadan Charity Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

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Muslims at Prayer

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Jihad

“struggle” Against vice Against ignorance of Islam

“holy war”

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Islamic Law: The Sharia

Codification of Islamic law Based on Quran, hadith, logical schools of

analysis Extends beyond ritual law to all areas of human

activity

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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

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The Expansion of Islam

Highly successful attacks on Byzantine, Sassanid territories

Difficulties governing rapidly expanding territory

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The expansion of Islam, 632-733 C.E.

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The Shia

Disagreements over selection of caliphs Ali passed over for Abu Bakr Served as caliph 656-661 CE, then assassinated along

with most of his followers Remaining followers organize separate party called

“Shia” Traditionalists: Sunni

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Shi’ite Pilgrims at Karbala

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The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 CE) From Meccan merchant class Capital: Damascus, Syria Associated with Arab military aristocracy

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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

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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

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Nature of the Abbasid Dynasty Diverse nature of administration (i.e. not

exclusively Arab) Militarily competent, but not bent on imperial

expansion Dar al-Islam Growth through military activity of autonomous

Islamic forces

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Abbasid Administration

Persian influence Court at Baghdad Influence of Islamic scholars (ulama, qadi)

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Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786-809 CE) High point of Abbasid dynasty Baghdad center of commerce Great cultural activity

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Abbasid Decline

Civil war between sons of Harun al-Rashid Provincial governers assert regional independence Dissenting sects, heretical movements Abbasid caliphs become puppets of Persian nobility Later, Saljuq Turks influence, Sultan real power behind

the throne

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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

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Formation of a Hemispheric Trading Zone Historical precedent of Arabic trade Dar al-Islam encompasses silk routes

ice exported from Syria to Egypt in summer, 10th century

Camel caravans Maritime trade

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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

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Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain)

Muslim Berber conquerors from North Africa take Spain, early 8th c.

Allied to Umayyads, refused to recognize Abbasid dynasty Formed own caliphate Tensions, but interrelationship

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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

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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

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Al-Ghazali (1058-1111)

Major Sufi thinker from Persia Impossibility of intellectual apprehension of

Allah, devotion, mystical ecstasy instead

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Cultural influences on Islam

Persia Adminstration and governance literature

India Mathematics, science, medicine

“Hindi” numbers

Greece Philosophy, esp. Aristotle Ibn Rushd/Averroes (1126-1198)