Notes on Islam

nMuhammad & the Rise of Islam

nMuhammad (A.D. 570-632)

nA.D. 570, Muhammad born in Mecca (a center of polytheistic worship)

qOrphaned as a young boy

nSpiritual transformation at age 40

qAdvocated strict monotheism

nHis vision of Gabriel: “Recite!”

qThe Qur’an

nHegira—flight to Medina

nJihad, or “struggle,” against Mecca

qIn the Qur’an jihad meant struggle for God in a general sense, but it has come to mean physical struggle in some circles of Muslim extremism

nThe Qur’an , the Sacred Book of Islam

n114 suras (chapters) organized by length (longest to shortest)

nExcerpts (see MP—R, 192-198)

qSee Sura 96: “Recite in the name of your Lord who created—created man from clots of blood . . . Indeed, man transgresses in thinking himself his own master.”

qSura 5: “They already have the Torah . . . We have revealed the Torah, in which there is guidance and light.  By it the prophets who submitted to God judged the Jews . . .  After them we sent forth Jesus the son of Mary, confirming what the Torah already revealed, and gave him the Gospel, in which there is guidance and light . . . And to you We have revealed the Book with truth.  It confirms the scriptures . . .”

nHow does the Qur’an deal with Jewish & Christian beliefs?

nIslam

nIslam, “submission [to Allah]”

qRigorous morality

nMuslim, “one who has submitted”

nBelievers unified by faith in Allah, not blood or tribe

nThe Five Pillars of Islam

qRigorous monotheism: there is but one God, and Mohammad is his prophet

qPrayer five times a day towards Mecca

qDawn to dusk fast during month of Ramadan

qAlmsgiving to the poor

qThe Haj: obligation to make a sacred pilgrimage to Mecca in one’s life time

nArabs vs. Muslims

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nIslam After Mohammad

nIn many ways, the Muslim world was the heir of Classical culture

nThe Umayyad Caliphate

nCaliph: a successor to Mohammed

qThe first four “rightly guided” caliphs who had known Mohammed

qConflict over the role of Ali, Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law

nSupporters of Ali were called Shi’ites; Supporters of Abu Bakr were Sunni

nConquest of Byzantine provinces (especially the city of Alexandria) brings Classical art, architecture, science, and literature to the Arab world

qIn some areas, such as philosophy and medicine, the Arabs preserved Classical learning better than the Europeans did

nA dynasty of caliphs, the Umayyad, ruled the Islamic Empire from Damascus in Syria from c. 661-750

nDevelopments and Conquests

nAfter Mohammad’s death Muslim scholars developed shari’ah law

qApplies the teachings of the Qur’an to daily life

qRegulates all aspects of Muslim life

qNo separation between religious matters, civil or political law

nMuslims began to expand throughout the Arabian peninsula

qConquered people were not forced to convert to Islam!

qConquered areas were forced to accept Islamic law

nThe Arab Empire

nLater Islam

nAbbasid caliphs in Baghdad (A.D. 754–1258)

qPersian influence on art, learning, and government now becomes predominant (Classical influence was stronger during the Umayyad Dynasty)

nCultural and intellectual progress

nFragmentation of the Islamic world

qSpain and North Africa

qEgypt

qPersia

qTurks

nThe rise of the Seljuk Turks, zealous Islamic converts who were ruling from Baghdad by 1050 and later moved their capital to Asia Minor, led directly to the Crusades

q9 crusades between A.D. 1091 and 1272

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