Interactive Setup 10/30/2017 Spread and Growth of Islam This will be two page

Spread of Islam Sunnis vs Shi’ites

Umayyad Dynasty Abbasid Dynasty Fatimid Dynasty

The Expansion of Islam, 632 – 733 CE

Spread of Islam Common faith in one god replaced tribal and ancestral bonds Muslim were unified into the Dar al-Islam or Islamic civilization Literally means the house of Islam

Spread of Islam Another prophet was impossible, a "deputy" or Caliph was chosen to oversee the political, religious and military affairs of the Dar al-Islam Disagreement over required qualification of Caliph caused Sunni and Shi’a split

Spread of Islam Islamic civilization encouraged and protected trade Muslim merchants spread religion during attempts to gain access to profitable trade routes and wealthy agricultural regions Merchants traveled farther than armies and took their religion to remote areas of Eurasia. Individuals wanted to gain wealth and social promotion Expansion unified & provided a common task for the umma that was on the verge of falling apart after Muhammad’s death

Spread of Islam Conversion to Islam not forced on anyone in the Arab Empire In fact: Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians all considered “people of the book” and were given the status of dhimmis (protected subjects) In the 400s years following Muhammad’s death, millions of individuals and many whole societies with the Arab Empire adopted Islam

Spread of Islam Not such a dramatic change for Monotheistic people such as Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians Already familiar with ideas of: monotheism, heaven, hell, final judgment, divine revelation, fasting, ritual prayer, etc. Islam sponsored by a powerful state lead to wealth and prestige of Arab Empire attracted people Successful conquest called into question the power of old gods; perhaps God really is all-powerful

Spread of Islam A sect of Islam called the Sufis developed and helped spread the religion as missionaries Sufism did not stress specific creeds or beliefs Its mysticism had broad appeal to peoples with traditionally animistic belief systems

Sunnis vs. Shi’ites Conflict over election of caliphs causes conflict immediately First four caliphs generally accepted as valid, called Rightly Guided Caliphs and lead the Rashidun Caliphate

Sunnis vs. Shi’ites After the death of Muhammad, the caliph, or successor to the prophet was chosen. Abu Bakr was nominated as the first caliph. Abu Bakr would lead the first caliphate, known as the Rashidun or Patriarchal Caliphate. The choice of Abu Bakr caused significant dispute as many believed that Muhammad had chosen Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad to succeed him. Served as caliph 656-661 CE, then assassinated along with most of his followers

Sunnis vs. Shi’ites Abu Bakr was followed by three more caliphs, the last of which was Alī ibn Abī Tālib. Alī’s succession caused a division in Islam to became more defined. Sunni Muslims believe that Ali was the fourth caliph, a position chosen based on ability to lead. The Shi’a (Shiites) believe that Ali is the first Imam, and that only blood descendants of Muhammad can lead the Muslim people.

Sunnis vs. Shi’ites Believe the caliph is the rightful political and military leader of Islam Believe the caliph should be chosen by the Islamic community Believe the caliph can be any devout Muslim Religious authority comes from the larger Islamic community; particularly ulama = religious scholars Believe that the leader of the Islamic community should be a blood descendant/relative of Muhammad Religious authority comes from prayer leaders called imams Imams = only ones that can correctly interpret divine revelations and Islamic law

Umayyad Dynasty (661 – 750) Following assassination of Ali, Umayyad tribe seize power, creating first Islamic dynastic system of rule

Umayyad Dynasty (661 – 750) Expanded Islam into Europe Caliphs became hereditary rulers Empire’s capital moved from Medina to Roman/Byzantine city of Damascus in Syria Power of the state was managed through tribal networks The Umayyads expanded the empire which brought wealth & new Islamic converts

Adversary Empires •Byzantine –Eastern Roman Empire ▫Orthodox Christians persecuted Copts and Nestorians in Egypt. ▫Islam gained support of theses religions and defeated the Byzantine in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Palestine Sasanians–Old Persian Empire ▫Elite were Zoroastrians and they persecuted peasants. ▫When Islam attacked they won the support of the peasants and easily beat the elite.

Umayyad Dynasty (661 – 750) Used the political systems and structures left behind by Roman Empire Arabic replaced Greek or Persian as the language of government Muslim coinage was issued for the first time Ambitious building program showed the growth of Islamic presence in the Near East

Built in Jerusalem in 691 CE Built by Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik The Dome of the Rock Built in Jerusalem in 691 CE Built by Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik

Umayyad Architecture Dome of the Rock

Umayyad Dynasty (661 – 750) Overthrown because: Non-Arabs Muslims resented status as second-class citizens Shia Muslims believed Umayyad caliphs were illegitimate Many Arabs protested the luxurious living of their rulers

Abbasid Dynasty (750 – 1258) Abbasids took their name and claimed descent from the uncle of the prophet Muhammad, a man named Abu al-Abbas Built up a new capital for the empire in Baghdad Non-Arabs now played a prominent role Persian culture became the culture of Islamic elites

Abbasid Dynasty (750 – 1258) Muslim merchants expanded wealth by trading across Africa, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea

Abbasid Dynasty (750 – 1258) Sharia law gave protection to merchants Regardless of religion or ethnicity Gov officals called qadis presided over legal and trade disputes

The Abbasid Empire Wealth from trade led to a golden age, a time of great Muslim achievements in science, math, medicine, & architecture

Abbasid Dynasty (750 – 1258) Persian legal traditions of rule began to influence governance practiced by Muslim caliphs A specifically Islamic culture was nurtured and began a long and brilliant florescence In the ninth and 10th centuries, Baghdad became a global center of culture and learning A massive library and center of learning called the bayt al-hikma, or "House of Wisdom," was created in 830

Abbasid Dynasty (750 – 1258) Political unity didn’t last long By the mid-800s many local governors or military commanders asserted autonomy over their regions Islamic world fractured into multiple “sultanates” Dynasty officially ended when conquered by the Mongols in 1258

Fatimid Dynasty (909–1171)

Fatimid Dynasty (909–1171) Began as a missionary movement whose goal was the spread of the Shi’ite sect of Islam Initially centered in southern Arabia and then in North Africa and finally in Egypt Built capital in Egyptian in Cairo Became a center of science, commerce, culture, and intellectual life within the Islamic world

al-Azhar Mosque

Fatimid Dynasty (909–1171) Promoted a Red Sea trade route and used the profits to fund religious missionaries and military missions Respected diversity within Islam and other faiths even if they did work to persuade Muslims of the truth of Shiite doctrine At the end of the dynasty, the Egyptians were still largely Sunni, and Christian and Jewish communities remained strong. Decline began because of fighting between local tribes and rise of local rulers