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!!!