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Islam’s Holy Book
• The Quran or Koran – contains the teachings revealed to Muhammad the prophet of Allah
Laws = The 5 Pillars of Islam
1. Faith in Allah
2. Prayer 5 times a day facing Mecca
3. Giving alms to the poor (charity)
4. Fasting during Ramadan
5. Make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lifetime
Kaaba• Is a large cube
building • It is the holiest
place in Islam• This is the
building Muslims face during prayer
Bedouins• Nomads who live in the
desert• Organized into tribes and
clans– Clans give security and
support since they live in extreme conditions
– Defended themselves from other clans who wanted water, grazing territory, livestock or food supplies
Islamic Way of Life• Bedouin valued
– Courage
– Loyalty to family
– Warrior skills
• This would lead to Islamic way of life
Trade Routes• Many trade routes connected Arabia
to major ocean and land trade routes–Extreme south of the peninsula–To the Byzantine in the north–Caravan routes went to the Silk Roads
in the east–Transported spices to the west
Mecca• Located in Saudi Arabia
• Important stop on trade routes
• During holy months, caravans stopped in Mecca and this brought religious pilgrims who came to worship at the Kaaba
Crisis• Muhammad dies in
632
• Muslims now had to find a new leader
• Muhammad did not name a successor
Solution• Muslims chose
Abu-Bakr who was a loyal friend of Muhammad
• He became the first Caliph
• Caliph – (kay-lif) means successor or deputy
Abu-Bakr• After Muhammad died some
Muslims– Refused to pay taxes– Tried to say they were prophets
themselves– Some tribes abandoned Islam
• In order to get things under control, Abu-Bakr used the military to get authority.
Muslim State• By the time Abu died, the Muslim state
controlled all of Arabia• Under the next 2 caliphs they took:
– Syria – Lower Egypt– Parts of Persia
• By 750 they controlled from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River (2x the width of the USA!!)
Muslim Troops• They were successful
because they were– Willing to struggle till
the end for Islam– Well disciplined– Expertly commanded
• Enemies were not used to their style of warfare
Byzantine and Persia
• The Byzantine and Persia were already weak from long time conflicts
• The people welcomed Islam
Treatment of Conquered People
• Muslims were tolerant of conquered people
• The Quran forbids forceful conversion– They let others keep their religion if they
paid a poll tax
– People who did not convert were not allowed to spread their own religions
Internal Conflict• The 2 Caliphs
after Abu Bakr were assassinated
• After their assassinations, the elective system of choosing caliphs ended
Umayyads• A family that came
to power in 661 • They set up a
hereditary system of getting new leaders.
• They moved the Muslim capital to Damascus
Umayyads• Surrounded
themselves with riches
• Some Muslims did not agree with the Umayyads and split.
Sufi• Another group who
reacted against the rich life of the Umayyads
• They led a life of poverty and devotion to the spiritual life of Islam
• They meditated and chanted
• Focused on the Quran
Cultural Blending• It is in Architecture that the greatest cultural
blending can be seen• Already existing buildings were modified by
Islamic Ideals• Islamic Features:
– Multi-lobed interwoven arches– Domes– Minarets– Large courtyards
Dome of the Rock• Located in Jerusalem• Rock in the center is believed to be the spot from where
Muhammad ascended (rose) up to Heaven
Mosaics• Artwork created
using tiny pieces of colored glass tiles
• Muslims use mosaics to create geometric decorations on Mosques
Arabic Alphabet• Arabic was first used
to translate the context of the Quran (The Holy Book of Islam)
• Written from Right to Left
• Made up of 28 letters
Calligraphy• Art of beautiful
handwriting• In Islam, showing
living things in art was not allowed
• So artists turned to calligraphy to express themselves.
• Turn to page 247 in books
Universities• Muhammad strongly believed in the
power of learning– This led to support of places of learning
by Muslim Leaders
• Qualified physicians = treat the sick
• Mathematicians and Astronomers = Calculated times for prayer
Math• Arabic Numbers were
adapted from India– Included the number ZERO
• Led to study of optics which helped develop lenses for telescopes and microscopes
Medical Advances• The Comprehensive
Book – An encyclopedia of medicine using knowledge from Greek, Syrian, Arabic and Indian sources of knowledge