The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. The Sasanid Empire The Origins of Islam The Rise and Fall of the Caliphate Islamic Civilization Adapted from Earth and Its Peoples Instructor’s Resource Manual By Harold M. Tanner

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Sasanid Empire -Politics and Society - Established in 224 CE - Controlled areas of Iran and Mesopotamia - Confronted Arab pastoralists on their Euphrates border and Byzantines on the west

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Sasanid Empire -Politics and Society - Trade -Routes were a part of the “Silk Road” - In peace, Byzantine cities in Syria and the Arab nomads who guided caravans between the Sasanid and Byzantine empires all flourished - The invention of the camel saddle -Benefited Arabs which enabled them to take care of the caravan trade.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Sasanid Empire -Religion and Empire - The Sasanid Empire made Zoroastrianism its official religion - The Byzantine Empire made Christianity its official religion -Both Zoroastrianism and Christianity were intolerant of other religions -These two state religions set a precedent for the link that developed between Islamic religion and Islamic state.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Sasanid Empire -Religion and Empire - The Sasanid and Byzantine Empires were characterized by state involvement in theological struggles. -The Byzantines went to war with the Sasanids over Sasanid persecution of Christians -Byzantines also purged Christianity of beliefs they considered heretical such as the Monophysite doctrine and Nestorianism

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Sasanid Empire -Religion and Empire - In the 3 rd century Mani of Mesopotamia founded Manichaeism - Manichaeism focused on the struggle between good and evil - Mani was killed by the Sasanid Shah but Manichaeism spread widely in Central Asia

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Sasanid Empire -Religion and Empire During this period, religion had replaced citizenship, language and ethnicity as the paramount factor in people’s identity.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Arabian peninsula before Muhammad - Most Arabs were settled people - Nomads were a minority -But were an important in the caravan trade that linked Yemen to Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean -This caravan trade gave rise to caravan cities such as Petra, Palmyra, and later Mecca -It also brought Arabs into contact with the Sasanid and Byzantine empires

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Arabian peninsula before Muhammad - The nomads were polytheistics -Worshiped natural forces and celestial bodies but were also familiar with other religions including Christianity -Mecca - An important caravan city between Yemen and Syria - Also a cult center that attracted nomads to worship the idols enshrined at a small, cubicle shrine called Ka’ba.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -Muhammad in Mecca - Born in Mecca in 570 CE - Grew up an orphan - When older got involved in the caravan trade - In 610 CE, began receiving revelations that he concluded were the words of the one god, Allah. - Others in the community, no doubt, believed he was possessed by a spirit (there was a general acceptance in the commonality of unseen spirits)

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -Muhammad in Mecca - Message -There is one god, Allah. -All people ought to submit to Allah -At the final judgement, all who have submitted to Allah would go to paradise, those who had not, to hell.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -Muhammad in Mecca - Message -Muhammad’s revelations were considered to be final revelations, following and superceding the earlier revelations of God to Noah, Moses, and Jesus. -All people were called to submit themselves to God (Allah) and accept Muhammad as the last of his messengers. -Those who did were call Muslim - Muslim means one who makes “submission”, Islam, to the will of God (Allah).

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Formation of the Umma - Muhammad and his followers fled hostility in Mecca and went to Medina in 622 CE - In Medina, Muhammad’s followers and converts formed a single community of believers, the umma.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Formation of the Umma - During the last decade of Muhammad’s life, the umma developed into the core of the Islamic state. - That Islamic state would later expand to all of Arabia and lands beyond Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Formation of the Umma - Muhammad died after a short illness in 632 CE - Muhammad’s father-in-law Abu Bakr took over the leadership of the umma as the successor (caliph) of Muhammad. - Abu Bakr’s task was a bit unclear since Muhammad had received the “final” revelations from God. - However, Abu Bakr focused on two immediate tasks.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Formation of the Umma - Abu Bakr’s Two Immediate Tasks: 1) Standarization of the Islamic religion - Confirming the Five Pillars of Islam - Ordered those who had been secretaries for Muhammad to organize the prophet’s revelations into a book. The resulting book, finished in 650 CE, was called the Quran, or the Recitation.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Five Pillars of Islam 1) Avowal that there is only one god and that Muhammad is his messenger. 2) Prayer five times a day 3) Fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan 4) Paying alms 5) Making the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during one’s lifetime.

The Sasanid Empire and the Rise of Islam – 200 C.E. – 1200 C.E. - The Origins of Islam -The Formation of the Umma - Abu Bakr’s Two Immediate Tasks: 2) Consolidation of the Islamic State - Muslim armies fought to confirm the authority of the newborn caliphate and to regain some who had switched their allegiance to Medina or to would-be prophets of their own.