Muslim Civilization Chapter 9 p. 255

The Origins of Islam  The Arabian Peninsula  Desert  Bedouins  Mecca – near the Red Sea, trade and religious center  Kaaba – pilgrimage boosts economy

Muhammad  Born in Mecca – around 570  Raised by uncle (uncle later protected him from harm)  Religious man : while praying an angel commanded him to speak the word of Allah  Khadijah – Muhammad’s wife and first follower  Muhammad = Prophet  Followers – the powerful people of Mecca were angry with Muhammad due to what he was preaching

 No longer safe after uncle’s death in 619  Moved to Medina – called hegira  Islam – “achieving peace through submission to God”  Muslims defeat Meccans – Muhammad moves back to Mecca  Great influence over western half of peninsula

Basic Ideas of Islam  Muhammad could not read or write  Qur’an – must be written in Arabic to be a Qur’an  Five Pillars of Islam  Profession of faith  Pray five times a day  Giving of alms  Fasting – during month of Ramadan  Hajj – make pilgrimage to Mecca  Jihad – “struggle for faith”; struggle to defend Muslim community; “holy war”

 Sunna – lessons from Muhammad’s daily life and teachings  Sharia law – Muslim legal system that reflects rules by which all should live  Same God in Judaism and Christianity – Torah and Bible are also sacred

The Spread of Islam  Muhammad dies in 632 – conflict over who to be first caliph  Abu Bakr becomes first caliph (successor)  Led strong army to reunify Arabia  By 642 they have an empire  661 – caliphate (area ruled by caliph), northern Africa to Persia

Sunni/Shia Divide  Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law) defeated by Abu Bakr to be the first caliph  644 – Ali defeated again for caliph by Uthman of Umayyads (enemies of Muhammad)  Rebels killed Uthman  Ali becomes caliph  Civil war between Umayyads and Ali’s forces and Ali is killed  Umayyads take control

Sunni/Shia Divide Cont’d  Most Muslims follow the Umayyads reluctantly - Sunnis  Sunnis – “followers of Sunna”; “way of the Prophet”  Followers of Ali are called Shia – “party of Ali”; Ali’s descendants were Muhammad’s true heirs  Shia believe Allah had specially blessed Ali’s descendants because they were Muhammad’s true heirs. The Shia call each of Ali’s successors imams. In Shia, only imams can interpret the Qur’an.

Martyrdom of Husayn  Many believed Umayyad leader Yazid had stolen the caliphate and was not a good Muslim.  Husayn, grandson of Muhammad, led a rebellion.  In 680, Husayn was shot with arrows while holding his infant son. Yazid’s forces slaughtered the survivors or took them prisoners.  Since this event, the Sunni/Shia divide has remained bitter.  Most Shia are located in Iran.

 Sufis – seek a personal connection with God

Society & Culture  Muslim civilization remains distinct because it affects all aspects of life.  Family = main unit of society  Women played important roles in early Muslim community.  Lost status during the Abbasid dynasty  Slavery allowed  Commerce economy - trade

Muslim Scholarship  Islam – examine the world and seek evidence of Allah in its wonders  Translated Greek works into Arabic (which were eventually translated into Latin for European scholars)  Ibn Rushd: commentaries on Aristotle; influenced Muslim, Jewish, and Christian thinking  Astronomy: lunar calendar; Ptolemy’s the Almagest was very influential  Astrolabe

 Doctors had to pass rigorous tests – developed many skills  Ibn Sina: most famous medical scholar – contributed to logic, music, and psychology  Created travel guides to Mecca; measured Earth’s circumference  Ibn Khaldun wrote a history of the world that is still influential today

Arts & Literature  NO religious works contain human or animal figures  Idol worship  Features geometric patterns, floral designs, and calligraphy  Architecture: domes and minarets  Qur’an = most significant literary work of Islam  Arabian Nights, Rumi’s poems, Omar Khayyam’s four-line poems – The Rubaiyat