Arabian Life Arabian Peninsula 1 million sq. miles Mostly desert –Has oases Southwest has watered valleys Arabs share common language

Bedouins Nomads herded sheep, camels, and goats Lived in tribes of related families –Provide protection and support –Strong family ties Lead by sheikh, chief, –Elders advise Warfare common –For animals, pastures, and water holes

Towns Oases and fertile land Allows for farming and trade Crossroads of trade caravans Mecca an important town for trade and worship Ka’aba- holy shrine –House hundreds of idols from Arab tribes –Associated with Abraham Pilgrims great for business

Religious beliefs Byzantines, Persians, & Ethiopians introduced Judaism and Christianity teachings Jews and Christian lived in the peninsula Hanifs- holy men who believed in one god –Arab monotheism –Allah was this one god

Muhammad Born 570 CE _________________________ Worked as caravan leader Marries Khadija’s a wealthy widow and former boss –Money allows for free time Troubled by world: prays and fasts in cave outside Mecca –_______________________________________ Sound familiar?

Revelations ______________________________ _________________________ Angel Gabriel –“Recite in the name of your Lord, the Creator, Who created man from clots of blood. Recite! Your Lord is the most bountiful One Who by the pen has taught mankind things they did not know”

Revelation and Preaching _____________________________ Begin preaching to people of Mecca _______________________ Tough crowd: –Slow to convert –Khadija and other family first Muslims –Mecca’s poor

Backlash Rejected by most __________________________________ Persecute Muhammad and Muslims Threats on Muhammad’s life makes him look for help

Help and Hijrah Town of Yathrib accept him 622 CE small band of Muslims and Muhammad travel from Mecca to Yathrib ________________________________ __________________________________ _ United Jews and Arabs _________________________________

Medina Compact 624 CE ______________________________ All Muslims place loyalty to Islamic community above tribe Muhammad settle disputes ________________________________ later recorded the Quran- holy scripture of Islam Extend protection to Jews and Christians –__________________________________

War Mecca attacks Medina Muhammad becomes military commander Gains support of several Arab tribes Muslims defeat Mecca _________________________________

“Peace” 630 CE Muhammad enters Mecca Destroyed idols in Ka’aba Turned into place of worship Mecca becomes spiritual capital of Islam 631 CE most of Arabian Peninsula is Muslim 632 CE Muhammad dies

Islam Basic terms you NEED to know Islam- “submission to the will of God” Muslim- _______________ Allah- “God” Quran- ________

Quran ________________ God’s messages delivered by Gabriel to Muhammad Written down 20 years after Muhammad’s death ________________________ Has stories similar to Bible

Values Presented in Quran Similar to Judaism an Christianity –_____________________________ –__________________________ Quran deals with daily life ______________________________ –Has rules on marriage, divorce, family life, property inheritance and business practices

Shari’ah Law not separated from religion Shari’ah- ______________________ ___________________________ Body of law based on generations of legal scholars Covers all aspects of life ________________________________

Rightly Guided Caliphs Caliph- ________________ First 4 Caliphs close friends or relatives to Muhammad 1 st - ___________________ 4 th - ___________________ All followed Muhammad’s example, in touch with people, and took Muslim leaders’ advice

Spread of Islam Want to spread Islam and increase farm land to feed growing population By 650 CE conquered Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Persia, and Egypt –Reduced Byzantine Empire –Controlled all of Persian Empire

Reasons for Great Success United in _________________________ –Jihad- ______________________________ Byzantines and Persians warfare Byzantine and Persian attempts at religious unity –________________________________

Division Struggle between Ali and rival Mu’awiyah (governor of Syria) for caliph 656 CE- ___________________ 661 CE- ___________________ Mu’awiyah- _______________________ Ali’s sun Husayn ____________________

The Split Sunni- “follows of the way” majority –______________________________ Caliph = primarily a leader not religious authority Shiite- _______________________ –_______________________________ Caliph = _______________________ –More spiritual leader than political

Current Distribution

Reform What brings about reform? Sufism- ____________________ Sought direct contact with God –________________________________

Umayyad Dynasty Ruled CE Moved capital ____________________ Conquered to borders of Indian and China North Africa into Spain _____________ 732 CE- Charles Martel –___________________________________

Umayyad accomplishments Focus on political rather than religious United lands –_________________________ Well trained bureaucrats Jews and Christians _________________________

Abbasid Dynasty Non-Arabs mad at Umayyad –_____________________________ Abu’l-’Abbas new caliph Baghdad- _______________________ Center- ________________________ Outside _________________

Harun al-Rashid Ruled CE Worked to bring equality to Muslims, Arab, and not Arab Persians- government bureaucracy Turks- army Arabs- religious life and law