The Arabian Peninsula and the Growth of Islam

BEAUTY AND HERITAGE OF ARABIA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBhkKum4NiQ

MOSQUES AROUND THE WORLD: I picked this video for the awesome PICTURES and music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-576emfhkuU

SOUTH ARABIA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkjOIz0gx0o

Vocabulary Set 1

1. Arabian Peninsula

2. Muhammad3. Oasis4. Allah5. Monotheism6. Nomad7. Ka’aba8. Islam

9. Muslim10. Hijrah11. Qur’an12. Sunnah13. Mosque14. Caliph

15. Shi’a Muslim

16. Sunni Muslim

17. Arid18. Mecca19. Medina20. 5 Pillars of

Islam

The Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula

• GEOGRAPHY– The geography of the

Arabian Peninsula encouraged:• Nomadic way of life• Trade

• Arid- Little rain, little farmland, covered by deserts

The Arabian Peninsula

• Oasis – Desert area that contains water– Trade supplies– Farming

The Arabian Peninsula

• Nomad- People who move place to place w/out settling permanently– Seeking water/grazing

land for herds– Example: The Bedouins

Nomad Example: The Bedouins

• Strong, adaptable desert people

• Defend from raids by other clans

• Fighting skills – usedas core of Muslim armies later on

The Arabian Peninsula

• Geography continued • Crossroads- Where 2 or more roads meet

• Arabia is the crossroads of trade routes:– Asia– Africa– Europe– Mediterranean Sea– Red Sea– Arabian Sea– Persian Gulf

The Growth of Islam

• RELIGION The origins of Islam and the life and teachings of Muhammad[Standard 7.2.2]

• Islam – A religion based on the teachings of the prophet (a person who speaks for god) Muhammad– Islam = “peace through submission to the

will of Allah”

• Muslim – A person who practices Islam

• Allah – Arabic word for God

• Mosque – Muslim place of worship

• Ka’aba – Ancient shrine (a black cube) in the center of Mecca– Arab tradition says it was built by

Abraham and Ishmael as a temple to Allah

The Growth of Islam

Islam and the prophet Muhammad

• Muhammad (510-632) – – Prophet who founded

and spread Islam– Strong and charismatic– Religious, political and

military leader• United diverse Arabian

Peninsula• Treaties/alliances with

nomadic tribes

The Growth of Islam

• Islam and Muhammad the Prophet

• Early Life: – Orphaned, worked

caravan trade, married wealthy widow @ age 25, became prosperous merchant in Mecca (famous trading city)

• Islam and the prophet Muhammad

• “Messenger of God (610): – Gabriel the angel reveals

God’s words to Muhammad during a prayer

The Growth of Islam

• Islam and the Prophet Muhammad

• Hijrah (622) Migration/flight of Muhammad and followers to Medina (city North of Mecca)– Because Meccans

persecuted (attacked) Muhammad’s faith at first

– Islam gains many converts in Medina

Medina Today

Medina today

Mecca Today

The Growth of Islam

• Islam and the Prophet Muhammad

• Surrender of Mecca (630)– Muhammad and 10,000

Muslims force Mecca to surrender

– Muhammad forgave the Meccans, dedicates Ka’aba to Allah

• Death: 632– Unified much of the

Arabian Peninsula by this time

The Growth of Islam

• Qur’an and Sunnah:Primary sources of Islamic beliefs, practice, and law.

[Standard 7.2.3]

• Qur’an – Holy Book of Islam– Revealed through angel

Gabriel• Sunnah – Muhammad’s words and

deeds used as a guide for living

The Qur’an

The Growth of Islam

• 5 pillars of Islam– Framework for worship

and sign of commitment to the faith.

1) Creed{faith} (Shahada) There is only one god (Allah) and Muhammad is his prophet

2) Prayers (Salah)Pray 5 times a day, facing Mecca

3) Almsgiving (Zakat) 2.5% of income

4) Ramadan (Sawm)Fast(don’t eat)

5) Pilgrimage (Hajj)At least once in a lifetime

Connections to Judaism and Christianity

• “People of the Book”– Jews and Christians

were tolerated because their religions share similarities with Islam

• Islam, Judaism, Christianity– Believe in same god– Trace beginnings back to

Abraham– Heaven, hell, final judgment day– Holy books

• Judaism = Torah• Christianity = Bible

– Prophets• To Muslims, Jesus is simply a

prophet (NOT son of God)• Muhammad is not considered a

prophet in Judaism/Christianity

Islam After Muhammad’s Death

• Caliphate (the first system of government established in Islam)

• “MUSLIM EMPIRE”– THEOCRACY – A community

governed by god (religious authority)

• Caliph – secular and religious

head of a Muslim community

• The Rightly Guided Caliphate– First 4 Caliphs after

Muhammad’s death– Followed Muhammad’s

example and the Qur’an

The Rightly Guided Caliphate

#1 Abu Bakr#2 Umar

#3 Uthman#4 Ali

(ASSASSINATED)

• Followed Muhammad’s example

• Followed Qur’an• Used military force to

unite Muslim community

• Expand Muslim territory

Expansion in the Age of the Caliphs

Reasons for Muslim Success

• Muslims = Organized, disciplined military• Byzantine/Persian Empires = already weak

(fighting each other)

• Muslims = Inclusion and culture blending• Byzantine/Persians persecute religions– Peoples welcome Muslims as liberators (liberate = to

set somebody free)

After the first 4 caliphs…

• Umayyad family took power after death of Ali Founded Umayyad dynasty (we’ll hear more about them later)– Moved capital from Medina to Damascus

• Umayyads’ actions divide Islam– Some Arabs unhappy with new capital (too far)– Others thought Umayyads abandoned earlier

Bedouin ways & too concerned with luxury

Islam’s Schism: Sunni v. Shi’a

Islam’s SchismCrisis of succession

BOTH FOLLOW QUR’AN AND SUNNAH!!!

• Sunni Muslim– A branch of Islam that

accepts ELECTED caliphs– Followed Umayyads for

peace • Shi’a Muslim

– A branch of Islam that thinks caliph should always be related to Muhammad

– Rejected Umayyad rule• BOTH FOLLOW QUR’AN

AND SUNNAH!!!