ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

THE ORIGINS OF ISLAM

• Islam (surrender) was born in the 7th century in Arabia.

• Arabs lived in tribes in the desert.

• They lived basicaly on raising animals like camels or goats.

• These tribes fought against each other.

• There were two important commercial cities: Medina and Mecca.

• They were polytheistic and adored the Kaaba.

MUHAMMAD, THE PROPHET

• 610 A.D. Angel Gabriel speaks to Muhammad.• “You are the appointed one”, the final prophet.• He received the Qur’an, the sacred book containing the

laws that govern the life of Muslims.• 622 he left Mecca because the new religion was not

accepted by the powerful people. He fled to Medina and he converted the city (Hijra).

• This date marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.• When he died in 632, nearly all the Arabian Peninsula was

converted to Islam.

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

• Shahadah: “There is only one God, Allah and Muhammad is his prophet”

• Prayer: five times a day.• Charity / Alms.• Ramadan: Islam’s holy month.• Pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a

lifetime.• There is often a sixth pillar included: Jihad,

the seek of spiritual perfection. That includes converting other people to Islam.

RELIGION• Muslim refers to the islamic religion.• Arab refers to geographical origin.• Arabic refers to language.• So, one person can be an Arab but not a

Muslim or a Muslim but not an Arab.• Sharia: Islamic law. No distinction

between religious and secular life.• Their sacred day is Friday.• They cannot eat pork, drink alcohol, charge

too much for lending money or gamble.

DIVISIONS OF ISLAM

SUNNIS– Most of muslims.

– Leaders chosen through consensus.

– Sharia was codified and closed by 10th century.

SHII– About 15%

– Leader should be a descendant of Muhammad.

– Religious leaders have authority to interpret the sharia.

EXPANSION OF ISLAM

• Islam started in 622 and in 711 it had spread through part of Asia, Africa and it had arrived in Spain.

• How could it spread so far and so quickly?– Zeal of new converts.– Attacked weak empires (Byzantium)– It offered social improvement to some groups

such as peasants or ethnic minorities: All are equal before Allah.

STEPS OF THE EXPANSION• Orthodox Caliphate (632-661)

– Muslims conquered Syria, Palestine, Persia and Egypt from the Byzantines

– There were three caliphs elected unanimously.– When they had to elect the fouth (Ali) some

problems arouse. – Ali fled to Persia and started a new branch of

Islam: Shii– As a result, a new dynasty, the Omeya, started.– The capital of the Orthodox Caliphate was

Medina.

• Omeya Caliphate (661-750)– They made caliphate hereditary.– The capital was Damascus.– They spread from Indus River to the Iberian

Peninsula. – The Franks stopped them in Poitiers (732)– They fought against the Byzantines but did not

defeat them.– A new dynasty started, the Abassid.

THE ABASSID DYNASTY• 750 Abul Abbas rebelled against the Omeyas,

killing all the members of the family except prince Abderraman, who fled to the Iberian Peninsula.

• Bagdad became the capital.• Domestic fights for power.• Destruction of the empire began.• Turk power grew. Turks were muslim people

coming from Asia.• Turks became the most powerful in the 13th

century.

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE EMPIRE

• Maximum authority, the caliph. He had the political and religious power.

• Viziers helped the caliph. They were like ministers.

• In the provinces there were walis, who had the political and military power.

• Qadis were judges according to the Qu’ran.

• Ulemas interpreted the Koranic law.

LIFESTYLE. CITIES (MEDINA)• The centre of political, economic, religious and

cultural life.• The most important cities were Damascus,

Bagdad, Cairo and Córdoba.• There were craftsmen, merchants, servants and

slaves.• The medina was surrounded by a wall. Inside the

wall there was the alcazar, the aljama (great mosque), the souk, alhondigas (stores) and baths.

• The streets were narrow and not well organised.• Out of the wall there the “arrabales” where some

people lived and craftsmen worked the leather.