The Rise of Islam Arabia Prior to Muhammad

The Rise of Islam

Arabia Prior to Muhammad � Crossroads of three continents � Geography-desert with little water � People settled near an oasis town or near the coast � Bedouins-nomads who migrated across Arabia � Coastal towns such as Mecca were popular for trade. � Several different tribes with different religions in Arabia � People would worship at the Ka’aba, a shrine.

Muhammad (570 -632 C. E) � Born into powerful Meccan family � Trader and merchant � At age 40, Muhammad meditated outside Mecca � He saw an angel named Gabriel. � Gabriel gave him messages from God, or Allah. � Islam- “Submission to the will of God. ” � Muslims- “One who has submitted. ”

� He preached in Mecca in 613 � He met hostility from Meccan leaders � He and his followers migrated (Hijrah) to Yathrib, later renamed Medina. � In 630, he returned to Mecca with 10, 000 followers � He converted most in Mecca to Islam. Muhammad Spreads Islam

� The Five Pillars of Islam: ◦ ◦ Faith (Claim Allah) Prayer (5 X a Day) Alms (Giving to Poor) Fasting (During Ramadan) ◦ Pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca � Qur’an-holy book of Islam (written in Arabic) � Shari’a-Islamic body of law. The Religion of Islam

� Muhammad did not leave instructions for who was to take over Islam. � After he died in 632, the umma chose his close friend Abu-Bakr as caliph, or successor. � He enabled the word jihad, or struggle, to keep Islam afloat. � The Rightly Guided Caliphs-the first four successors of Islam after Muhammad. ◦ (Abu-Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) ◦ By 750 C. E, Islam had spread across the Middle East, North Africa, and into Spain; some 6, 000 miles. Islam Spreads After Muhammad

� Ali was assassinated in 661. � A family known as the Umayyads took power over Islam. � Leadership issues � Moved the capital from Mecca � Ruled as non-Muslims � Islam split into two branches: ◦ Sunni-followers of Muhammad’s example; accepted the Umayyads ◦ Shi’a-leader must be descended from Muhammad; did not accept Umayyads. Islam Splits

� Umayyad Empire fell to rebels in 750 C. E. � The Abbasids took control � Moved capital to new city in Iraq called Baghdad � Increased trade along land sea � Developed banks and taxed goods. � Created a bureaucracy with regional governors to control the empire. The Abbasid Empire (750 -1258 C. E)

� Advancements in Science and Math (algebra)-Al. Khwarizmi � Calligraphy-art of beautiful hand writing � Medical Encyclopedia � Ibn Battuta-recorded his travels around the world � Ibn Sina-philosopher and considered the “father of medicine. ” � Architecture-built up cities (Jerusalem, Baghdad, Damascus) Legacy of the Islamic Empire