Worlds of IslamSource

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 promises

supertribe

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?