ISLAM

Three most influential religions Judaism - God (Yahweh) spoke to Abraham & Moses, establishing their generations as chosen people Christianity – largest religion - Same God spoke to Jesus Christ at his baptism Muslims – 2nd largest religion - same God (Allah) revealed the holy book (Qur’an) to the prophet Muhammad. Jesus important prophet but NOT divine.

All monotheistic Revelation comes from this single God Faiths based on divine revelation

Roman empire contributed to rise of Islam Christianity official state religion of Rome Islam – drew from bible Moses, Abraham & Jesus great prophets

d Founder Muhammad received revelations from God through the angel Gabriel Preached against Mecca’s polytheism & idolatry Fled to a desert oasis – Medina (City of the Prophet) – in 622 (beginning of Islam; first year of Islamic calendar) In Mecca, established Islamic house of worship Ka’bah, destiny now of Muslim pilgrims

Ka’bah in Mecca

Islam = submission (surrender of oneself to Allah) Muslim = one who has submitted to Allah Basic texts: - Qur’an –central sacred text; revelations of Allah to Muhammad from the Angel Gabriel; written in Arabic; cannot be translated into other languages (most Muslims aren’t Arabs) - Hadith (Muhammad’s life, words & actions)

Worship Allah directly – no hierarchy of rabbis, priests, ministers or saints Unity of church & state The state is ruled by Islamic law (Shariah) Caliph – ruler of both religion and state, as successor to Muhammad Jesus honored as a prophet, not divine - Reject Trinitarian faith of Christianity

The Thousand and One Nights – most important literary work of Islamic and Arabl culture (page 257 in text); woman tells wonderful stories to king so won’t kill her & other women

Like Christianity, tradition of expansion Notion of the UMMA MULIMA – the community of all those who had become Islam; transcends national, political and social borders

Tribes raided each other for centuries before Islam in Arabian peninsula Islam forbid Muslims to fight each other Expansion JIHAD = “Holy war” originally was war with one’s heart & mind to convert to Islam Christians & Jews initially not forced to convert; given privileged status within empire as “people of the book (Bible)”

Golden Age of Islam 750 – 1258 Fruits from China, cotton from India Started scientific method, testing hypotheses through experimentation Considered sun center of solar system and earth spins on its axis Invented algebra and trigonometry Discovered concepts of inertia and momentum, later adopted by Isaac Newton

Five Pillars of Islam Recitation of Muslim act of faith in one God with Muhammad as his messenger Pray five times daily, facing Mecca; in a mosque on Fridays if possible Charity –individual responsibility for community (2.5% of wealth, not income)

Fast during month of Ramadan from sunup to sunset (similar to monks’ asceticism) Pilgrimage to Mecca (HAJJ) at least once to walk around the Ka’bah (directly above which is heaven)

Islam is ORTHOPRAXY – emphasis on conduct, not ORTHODOXY with emphasis on religious doctrinal teachings For long time, no clergy as in Christian and Jewish traditions

Muslim cell phone – reminders to pray, direction of Mecca

No pork No alcoholic beverages Males circumcised Polygamy permitted (not practiced widely) Interest on loans (usury) forbidden (same in Christianity) Observation of feast days Simplicity & asceticism led to rapid growth and spread of religion

Sunni versus Shia Disagree on rightful successor to Muhammad and his son-in-law Ali Muhammad was last prophet; successors became CALIFS Sunnis 85-90% of Muslims Shia 10-15% (Iran, Iraq, Bahrain) Key to understanding conflict in Middle East today

Sunni & Shia

Art & Architecture Most magnificent works were architectural Often decorated with mosaics and calligraphy Forbidden to depict Allah or face of Muhammad since Allah is beyond all imagining Intricate blend of abstract geometric designs entwined with sacred texts from Qur’an Carpet weaving

25 million knots (Maqsud of Kashan)

Mosque – large, covered space for prayer, especially for Friday prayers Floor covered with carpets for kneeling at prayer Minbar is pulpit No furniture Mihrab – niche in wall indicates direction of Mecca Fountain to ritually clean hands, feet and mouth before prayer

Minaret – a tower for the muezzin to call the faithful to prayer five times a day Mosque also is community center, similar to the Roman forum or medieval cathedral area No standard design for mosques so much innovation

Dome of the Rock

Octagonal building Interior decorated with mosaics Qur’anic verses inside Rock is important in Abrahamic tradition Burial place of Adam Rock upon which Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac until an angel stayed his sword at the last minute Place from which Muhammad ascended to heaven

Great Mosque of Damascus “standard” mosque design with minaret, grand prayer hall, minaret and large courtyard Influence of Roman architecture evident (Pediment dome and arcades surrounding courtyard)

Façade Mosaics – no human figures

Mosque at Cordoba Originally a Christian church building (basilica) Survived the 1492 Christians driving the Muslims out of Spain – the reconquista

Mosque of Samarra (Iraq) – spiral minaret

Alhambra Mosque – Granada, Spain

Hagia Sophia in Constantinople Golden Age ended with Mongol invasion Mongols converted to Islam a century later Ottoman Empire also converted Christian Cathedral of Constantinople (360 -1463) converted into a mosque by the Ottoman Turks - Four minarets added 1935 – after Ottoman Empire defeated in WWI, Turkey converted into a museum to end Christian-Muslim conflict over building