Chapter 13 The Expansive Realm of Islam 2011

Chapter 13 The Expansive Realm of Islam © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1

Muhammad and His Message n n Born about 570 C. E. to merchant family in Mecca Orphaned as a child Marries wealthy widow ca. 595 C. E. , works as merchant Familiarity with paganism, Christianity and Judaism as practiced in Arabian peninsula © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2

Muhammad’s Spiritual Transformation n n Visions, ca. 610 C. E. Archangel Gabriel Monotheism – Allah Attracts followers in Mecca © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3

The Quran n Record of revelations received during visions Committed to writing ca. 650 C. E. (Muhammad dies 632 C. E. ) Tradition of Muhammad’s life: hadith © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4

Conflict at Mecca n n n Muhammad’s monotheistic teachings offensive to polytheistic pagans Economic threat to existing religious industry Denunciation of greed was affront to local aristocracy © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5

The Hijra n Muhammad flees to Yathrib (Medina) 622 C. E. q n n n Year 0 in Muslim calendar Organizes followers into communal society (the umma) Legal, spiritual code Commerce, raids on Meccan caravans for sake of umma © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6

The “Seal of the Prophets” n n Muhammad – the final prophet Accepted the authority of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Held in high esteem Hebrew scriptures and the Christian New Testament Muhammad had been entrusted a more complete revelation, one that communicated Allah’s plan for the world © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7

Muhammad’s Return to Mecca n n n Attack on Mecca, 630 C. E. Conversion of Mecca to Islam Destruction of pagan sites, replaced with mosques q q Ka’ba preserved in honor of importance of Mecca Approved as pilgrimage site © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8

The Ka’ba © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9

The Five Pillars of Islam n n n No god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet Daily prayer Fasting during Ramadan Charity Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 10

Muslims at Prayer © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11

Jihad n “Struggle” q q n Against vice Against ignorance of Islam “Holy war” q Against unbelievers who threaten Islam © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 12

Islamic Law: The Sharia n n n Codification of Islamic law Based on Quran, hadith, logical schools of analysis Extends beyond ritual law to all areas of human activity © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 13

The Caliph n n n No clear to successor to Muhammad identified Abu Bakr chosen to lead as caliph Led war against villagers who abandoned Islam after death of Muhammad © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 14

The Expansion of Islam n n Highly successful attacks on Byzantine, Sasanid territories Difficulties governing rapidly expanding territory © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 15

The Expansion of Islam, 632 -733 C. E. © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 16

The Shia n n n Disagreements over selection of caliphs Ali passed over for Abu Bakr Served as caliph 656 -661 C. E. , then assassinated along with most of his followers Remaining followers organize separate party called “Shia” Traditionalists: Sunni © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 17

Shi’ite Pilgrims at Karbala © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 18

The Umayyad Dynasty (661 -750 C. E. ) n n From Meccan merchant class Brought stability to the Islamic community Capital: Damascus, Syria Associated with Arab military aristocracy © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 19

Policy toward Conquered Peoples n n Favoritism of Arab military rulers causes discontent Limited social mobility for non-Arab Muslims Head tax (jizya) on non-Muslims Umayyad luxurious living causes further decline in moral authority © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 20

The Abbasid Dynasty (750 -1258 C. E. ) n n n Abu al-Abbas, Sunni Arab, allied with Shia, non. Arab Muslims Seizes control of Persia and Mesopotamia Defeats Umayyad army in 750 C. E. q Invited Umayyads to banquet, then massacred them © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 21

Nature of the Abbasid Dynasty n n n Diverse nature of administration (i. e. not exclusively Arab) Militarily competent, but not bent on imperial expansion Content to administer the empire they had inherited Dar al-Islam Growth through military activity of autonomous Islamic forces © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 22

Abbasid Administration n n Persian influence Court at Baghdad Influence of Islamic scholars Ulama and qadis sought to develop policy based on the Quran and sharia © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 23

Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786 -809 C. E. ) n n n High point of Abbasid dynasty Baghdad center of commerce Great cultural activity © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 24

Abbasid Decline n n n Civil war between sons of Harun al-Rashid Provincial governors assert regional independence Dissenting sects, heretical movements Abbasid caliphs become puppets of Persian nobility Later, Saljuq Turks influence; sultan real power behind the throne © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 25

Economy of the Early Islamic World n Spread of food and industrial crops q n n Western diet adapts to wide variety New crops adapted to different growing seasons q q n Trade routes from India to Spain Agricultural sciences develop Cotton, paper industries develop Major cities emerge © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 26

Formation of a Hemispheric Trading Zone n n Historical precedent of Arabic trade Dar al-Islam encompasses silk routes q n n Ice exported from Syria to Egypt in summer, tenth century Camel caravans Maritime trade © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 27

Banking and Trade n Scale of trade causes banks to develop q n n Sakk (“check”) Uniformity of Islamic law throughout dar al. Islam promotes trade Joint ventures common © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 28

Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) n n Muslim Berber conquerors from north Africa take Spain, early eighth century Allied to Umayyads, refused to recognize Abbasid dynasty q q Formed own caliphate Tensions, but interrelationship © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 29

Changing Status of Women n Quran improves status of women q q n Outlawed female infanticide Brides, not husbands, claim dowries Yet male dominance preserved q q q Patrilineal descent Polygamy permitted, polyandry forbidden Veil adopted from ancient Mesopotamian practice © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 30

Formation of an Islamic Cultural Tradition n Islamic values q q q n Uniformity of Islamic law in dar al-Islam Establishment of madrasas Importance of the hajj Sufi missionaries q q q Asceticism, mysticism Some tension with orthodox Islamic theologians Wide popularity © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 31

Al-Ghazali (1058 -1111) n n Major Sufi thinker from Persia Impossibility of intellectual apprehension of Allah, devotion, mystical ecstasy instead © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 32

Cultural Influences on Islam n Persia q q n Administration and governance literature India q Mathematics, science, medicine n n “Hindi” numbers Greece q q Philosophy, especially Aristotle Ibn Rushd/Averroes (1126 -1198) © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 33