1. Overview of Islam ■ Around 600 AD, a new monotheistic religion began called Islam: – The faith was founded by the prophet Muhammad – His followers, called Muslims, spread Islam throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia, & Europe

3. Islam  An Abrahamic Religion  Muslims are strict monotheists.  They believe in the Judeo- Christian God, which they call Allah.  Muslims believe that the Torah and the Bible, like the Qur’an, is the word of God.  Peoples of the Book

4.  Shahada: the declaration of faith  Salat: mandatory prayers 5x a day  Zakat: alms-giving; charity to the poor  Sawn: fasting; done during the Holy month of Ramadan  Hajj: required pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca The Five Pillars of Islam

5. Overview of Islam Today, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion with more than 1 billion followers throughout the world

6. What was Arabia like before Muhammad ?

7. Arabia, the Birthplace of Islam The Arabian Peninsula is a desert region with little fertile soil or farming Most Arabs lived in desert tribes which were centered around families & were ruled by clans Arabia was not united under a single gov’t, but Arabs did have a common language (Arabic) Most Arabs were polytheistic

8. Arabia, the Birthplace of Islam But, Arabia was the intersection of 3 continents (Africa, Asia, & Europe) so it was an important region for trade & had lots of cultural diffusion One of the wealthiest trade cities in Arabia was Mecca Mecca was also a religious city; The Ka’aba was a cube that held statues of hundreds of gods Arabs made pilgrimages to Mecca to visit the Ka’aba

9. The Early Life of Muhammad ■ Muhammad’s early life: – He was born in Mecca in 570 into a poor clan, was orphaned at a young age, & was raised by his grandparents – As an adult, Muhammad became an honest & successful merchant – He married a wealthy widow & started a family

10. What happened to Muhammad in 610?

11. Mohammad & Islam ■ Muhammad created Islam: – Muhammad’s work brought him into contact with Jewish & Christian merchants – In 610, Muhammad was told by the angel Gabriel that he was a prophet sent to Earth by God – He began preaching a new monotheistic faith called Islam (“surrender to God”)

12. What is the basic concept of Islam?

13. Islam ■ Basic beliefs of Islam: – Followers of Islam are called Muslims who believe in one God, called Allah – Allah is the same God worshiped by Jews & Christians – Muslims believe Muhammad was the last of God’s prophets The teachings of Mohammed were written down in the Qur'an (Koran), the holy book of Islam

14. How did some people respond to Muhammad’s new religion?

15. The Hijrah ■ Reactions to Islam: – By 613, Muhammad began preaching his new ideas in Mecca – Some people were attracted to Islam – But, many people feared Muhammad’s growing popularity & that Mecca would lose its status as a holy city

16. How did Muhammad react to violence by non-Muslims in Mecca?

17. Islam Grows in Medina ■ After years of attacks, Muhammad & his followers fled to Medina – This migration was known as the Hijrah – In Medina, Muhammad gained new converts who put Islam above their families & clans – He taught respect for Christians & Jews (“People of the Book”)

18. What did Muhammad do after he gained converts & returned to Mecca?

19. Islam ■ In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca with 10,000 troops & conquered the city – He destroyed the god statues in the Ka’aba, leaving only the statue for Allah – This time, the people in Mecca converted to Islam – In 632, Muhammad died

20. What happened to Islam after Muhammad’s death?

21. The Islamic Empire ■ After Muhammad, Islamic leaders created an empire: – The Islamic Empire had well-trained troops that conquered nearby regions – The massive empire led to great wealth for Muslims & new opportunities to spread Islam

22. What does it mean to be Shiite? ■ Origins of word: Shi ’ at Ali – “ Followers of Ali; sometimes you will see it or hear it as Shi ’ a and other times Shi ’ ite; they are the same ■ Shi’ites believe that to lead Islam you have to be a direct decedent of Muhammad

23. What countries have the largest Shiite concentrations?

24. What does it mean to be Sunni? ■ It means you follow the “ practices or habits ” of the Prophet. ■ It means that you do not believe that the rightful leaders of Islam have to be related to the Prophet. ■ It means that you believe that any qualified leader, who has a close relationship with God and detailed knowledge of Quran, who is selected by the elders (respected, well-known for piety) is an appropriate leader.

25. Development of Islamic caliphates and their impact on Asia, Africa, and Europe Causes  Arab soldiers committed to the promise of plunder unified around Islam and conquered territory from Spain to India across North Africa, Arabia and Anatolia  Weak Sassanid (Persian/Iran) and Byzantine Empires made conquest easier  Followers were attracted to ideas of equality among believers and familiar with monotheism from Jewish and Christian traditions

26. Effects ■ Caliphate’s introduced bureaucratic structure and established first Muslim Empire ■ Arabs, Persians and other groups unified politically and culturally as Muslims ■ Trade flourished, as merchants agreed on a common set of Muslim business dealings ■ Intellectual development led to algebra, preservation of Classical texts especially those of the Greeks ■ Mosques, hospitals, schools, orphanages and the House of Wisdom were built ■ Islam spread via trade routes to West Africa and to Southeast via the Indian Ocean to Central Asia and China via the Silk Routes

27. Muslim Empire New languages, Trade, Cultural Diffusion, Religion, Math, Medicine, Moral Conduct, Family Life, Business Matters, tax to help the poor

28. What was the political, economic, and social impact of Islam on Europe?  Political  Battle of Tours in 732AD stopped the Muslim advance into Europe and left only Spain in Muslim control.  In 1096 Western Christians marched through the Byzantine Empire to take back the Holy Land from the Muslims. This conflict brought about the end of the feudal system in Western Europe.

29. Battle of Tours

30. Impact of the Caliphates on Europe Cont’. Economic  Increased interaction with the Islamic Empire during the Crusades led to a revival of European trade with Asia. This trade led to a rise in the economic prosperity of Western Europe Social  Increased interaction with the Islamic Empire as a result of the Crusades opened Europeans up to new knowledge of science, medicine, and technology from the Muslims.  Cordoba Spain was a cultural hub of the Islamic Empire in Europe.  Europeans adopted Indian numerals from the Muslims

31. What was the political, economic, and social impact of Islam on Asia? Political  Abbasid caliphate politically unified North Africa, Arabia, Persia and Asia Minor.  Bureaucratic system was established and rule was centralized Economic  Silk Road trade flourished  Indian Ocean Trade Network thrived as Muslim merchants traded with Indian and Chinese merchants

32. Fatimid Empire (909-1171) Capital: Cairo Abbasid Empire (750-1258) Capital: Baghdad

33. Impact of the Caliphates on Asia Cont’. Social ■ Tolerance of “people of the book” led to conversions ■ Split between Shi’a (supporters of Ali’s descendents) and Sunni (supporters of the Umayyad) ■ Geometric patterns ■ Architecture – Mosques – use of domes and minarets ■ Calligraphy – developed as a result of the ban on the use of human figures as decoration in mosques ■ Poetry – reflects oral heritage ■ Islam also spread through merchants and Sufis

34. Political ■ Trade kingdoms emerged in West Africa – Ghana, Mali, & Songhay and rulers converted to Islam to gain trade advantages ■ Eastern coastal city-states gained power as rulers converted to Islam Economic ■ Trans-Saharan trade grew with trade in salt, gold and slaves. ■ Eastern coastal city-states were a source of slaves in Indian Ocean Trade Complex. What was the political, economic, and social impact of Islam on Africa?

35. Impact of the Caliphates on Africa Cont’. Social ■ Islam spread to sub-Saharan African through trade contacts mostly merchants and rulers who converted, such as Mansa Musa of Mali. ■ Local beliefs mixed with Islamic beliefs ■ Swahili – mix of Bantu and Arabic became widespread ■ African slaves were sold across Islamic empire.

36. Info on Islam and Slavery ■ “accepted uncritically in the Qur'an” ■ Racism – remember that Arab is not a racial classification; Arab is referring to a physical region. ■ Men and women ■ Different roles: home, fields, military