ISLAMIC CIVILISATIONS

EARLY DEVELOPMENTS

less 200 years from not existing to being the religious and political principal of one of the largest empires in the world

EARLY SITUATIONtribalQuraysh living

in Mecca Arabian

peninsula => polytheisme

kept cult statutes of gods in the Kaaba

KAABAIt has been

reconstructed several times

It used to be open to everyone

Used to get floodedThere are two

kaabas!The Black Stone is

brokenIt's not supposed to

be a cube shape

monotheisms like Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism

northern part of Arabia: sandwiched between Byzantine Empire and Persian Sassanian Empire

Islam = radical reforming religionMuhammad = final prophet to bring people

back to the one true religionworship of, and submission to, a single and

all-powerful God

EARLY SITUATION

Quran acknowledges Abraham and Moses and Jesus

as prophetsmuch less narrative• the written record

of the revelations Muhammad received

• the actual word of God

• major themes: monotheism & taking care of those who are less fortunate than you

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

1SHAHADAH or the profession of the faith:There is no god but god and Muhammad is God’s prophet

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

2:SALAT, or ritual prayer five times a day

dawnnoon afternoon sunsetlate evening

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

3SAWMmonth-long fast during the month of Ramadan

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

4ZAKATnon-poor Muslims are required to give a percentage of their income to the poor

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

HAJJpilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must try to fulfill at least once in their lives, provided they are healthy and have enough money

SUPPLEMENTARY SACRED TEXTS

Judaism + TalmudChristianity + lives of saints

Islam + HADITH = a collection of sayings and stories about the Prophet

SHARIAa body of lawnumerous interpretations

UMMAH

community of believers

trumped all other ties, including tribal ties

QURAYSHcontrolled

pilgrimage trade in Mecca => monotheism => economical disaster

622 force Muhammad and followers out of Mecca => to Yithrab = Medina

Hijra => marks year 0 in the Islamic calendar

BEGINNING OF AN EMPIRE

Muhammad severed the religion’s ties to Judaism, turning the focus of prayer to Mecca

Islamic community => empire or church?Muhammad: important prophet and a good

general630 Islamic community took back Meccadestroyed idols in kabaaIslam was available to everyone from the

moment of its founding=> Islam: powerful political and religious force

AFTER MUMAMMAD

632 Muhammad dies Muhammad = final prophet, the revelation of

the Quran would continue to guide the ummah

caliph = political leader1st caliph Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-

law 4th caliph Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-lawdivide between the two of the major sects of

Islam: Suuni and Shi’a

SUNNI vs SHIA (some differences...)

Sunni 

Shia

followers Sunnis Shiites, Shi'i

meaning of name "well-trodden path" or "tradition" "party" or "partisans" of Ali

current adherents 940 million 120 million

percentage of total Muslims 90% 10%

primary locations most Muslim countries Iran, Iraq, Yemen

did Muhammad designate a successor? no yes

true successor of the Prophet Abu Bakr, father of the Prophet's favoured wife, 'A'ishah (elected by people of Medina)

'Ali ibn Abi Talib, husband of the Prophet's daughter Fatimah (designated by the Prophet)

qualifications for ruler of Islam tribe of the Prophet (Quraysh); later, any qualified ruler family of the Prophet

current leaders imams mujtahids

identity of imams human leaders infallible manifestations of God and perfect interpreters of the Qur'an

Abu Bakr & Ali ibn Abi Talib

Abu stabilized the community after Muhammad’s death

recording the Quran in writing started military campaigns against the

Byzantine (plague) and Sassanian Empires (weak)

finally Ali becomes leaderleads to a civil warUthman’s tribe becomes the ruling dynasty followed by the Abbasids

IN SHORTa small group of people an area of the world with few natural resources =>

created one of the great empires of the world and also one of its great religions

Muslims were great conquerorsstarted an explosion of trade and learningsaved many of the classical texts that form the

basis of the “Western Canon”paved the way for the Renaissancemuch of the world between Spain and the Indus

River wasn’t Arabized, most of it was Islamized 5 times a day millions of people turn toward Mecca