Political Rise of Islam

SSWH5 a. Explain the origins of Islam and the growth of the Islamic Empire

c. Explain the reason for the Shia and Sunni split

Arabian Peninsula

• Semitic speaking people of the Middle East

• Nomads who moved regularly to find water and food

• Settled in the Arabian peninsula– desert land– lack of rivers and

lakes

Arabian Peninsula

Conquering of Mecca

• 630 Muhammad conquers Mecca declares the Ka’bah a holy shrine.

• He removes the tribal idols, but keeps the Black Stone.

• Muhammad becomes the religious and political leader .

Beliefs of Islam

Islam is a monotheistic religion based on the belief in one God.

Muslims believe:

• God is all-powerful and compassionate.

• People are responsible for their own actions.• Priests are not needed to mediate between man and God.

Abraham, Moses, and Jesus are seen as prophets, but Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet.

Appeal of Islam to People of Arabia• Gave them a form of monotheism

that belonged to no single tribe and transcended clan and class divisions.

• Provided an ethical system that healed many of the deep social rifts between the clans of Arabian society

• Promoted a moral code and obligation for the wealthy and strong to protect and aid the poor and weak.

• Was translated into a body of Islamic law that held followers accountable for their lives on earth and determined their fate in eternity.

Spread of Islam-

• Muhammad dies in 632 A.D.• Left no clear successor or

heir• The position of Caliph (Muslim

leader) is established• Abu Bakr (1st Caliph) – close

friend/ 1st to convert outside of family

• Sought to protect and spread Islam (Persia & Byzantine Empire)

• Weakness of adversaries, unity of faith, contribute to Arab conquest

Divisions of Islam

Rival groups begin competing for the Caliphate

The 4th Caliph (Ali) was assassinated

Ali’s rival, Mu’awiyah,begins the Umayyad dynasty as the new caliph

Capital is moved from Medina to Damascus

Umayyad

• The moving of the capital makes the empire easier to control but upset Arab Muslims.

• They were more concerned with wealth and power than religion.

Divisions of IslamSunni/Shiites

The view on the role of the rulern leads to a major split

Shias• Believed the caliph

was primarily a religious authority and should be held only by the descendants of Muhammad

• 10% of Muslims today are Shiites (most are in Iran, Iraq, & Lebanon)

Sunnis• Believed the caliph was

primarily a leader and any devout Muslim could serve in the office with the acceptance of the people

• 90% of Muslims today are Sunnis

The Abbasids

• In order to consolidate power the capital is moved to Bagdad.

• They have a strong bureaucracy.• Trade leads to a large amount of

wealth in the empire. • They also had heavy taxes in order to

support the large government.

Quick check

• On your post-it note, describe how the Shia and Sunni split occurred in less than 20 words.

Muslim Culture

SSWH5d- Identify the impact of Muslim scholars

Architecture Architecture• Buildings

commonly centered around a patio area

• Minarets – towers in which faithful received call to prayer

• Mosques – Muslims place of worship

Greek Literature• Poetic works - Arabian Nights

Taj Mahal

Science• First stage –

preservation of classical learning

• Greek logic, particularly Aristotle

• Improvement, clarification, correction and new theories

• Mathematics a. algebra, geometry, and trigonometry refined

• Science a. Navigation - Astrolabe improved - Cartographers most detailed maps in the world

b. Astronomy

Astrolabe

Ibn Sinna–Made many contributions to the

field of medicine•He writes the Canon on Medicine–This is an encyclopedia which combined his knowledge with that of the Greeks and Arabs about the diagnosing and treating of diseases