1. Warm Up What religion’s duties are stated here?
Who founded this religion?
Where are most of this religion’s followers located at?
State “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.”
Pray five times a day
Fast during the month of Ramadan
Make a pilgrimage to Mecca
Give to charity
1) Islam 2) Muhammad 3) The Middle East & Africa

4. The ummah (Muslim community) must select a new leader, since Muhammad had no son or designated heir
One group felt that Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law and closest male relative should become Islam’s leader (follows Bedouin traditions)
Another group wanted more experience and supported Abu-Bakr, Muhammad’s friend, father-in-law, and a military leader

5. The first 4 caliphs were elected for life
The first 4 caliphs were elected for life. All were close friends or relatives of Muhammad.
Abu Bakr is chosen as the First Caliph, the religious and political successor to Muhammad.
Under his leadership, the Islamic movement grew. He united the Muslim world & overcame military efforts.
The Quran permitted fair, defensive warfare as Jihad (struggle in the way of good or holy war).
The Arabs began to turn their energy they had once directed toward each other against neighboring people.
Picture: Painting of Ali being designated as the Prophet Mohammed’s successor.

6. In 636, the Arab army defeated the Byzantine army
In 636, the Arab army defeated the Byzantine army. Four years later, they took control of the Byzantine province of Syria. By 642, Egypt & other areas of Northern Africa had been added to the new Arab Empire. To the east, they had conquered the entire Persian Empire by 650.
The Arab were led by a series of brilliant generals & dedicated soldiers. The courage of soldiers were assured a place in paradise if they died in battle.
After Abu Bakr death, many of the early Caliphs continued to followed Muhammad example, kept close touch with the people, and asked advise of other Muslims but will be assassinated. In conquered territories, Christians & Jews were allowed to practice their religions but they were subjected to some regulations. They were required to be loyal to Muslims rule & pay special taxes.
Picture: Abu Bakr stops Meccan Mob

7. The Umayyads Dynasty
In 661 the general Mu awiyah, the governor of Syria became Caliph. He established the Umayyad dynasty. He then moved the capital of the Arab Empire from Madinah to Damascus in Syria.
By 725, most of Spain had become a Muslim state with its center at Cordoba. In 732, however, Arab forces were defeated at the Battle of Tours in Gaul (now France). This battle halted the spread of Islam into Western Europe.
By 750, the Arab advance had finally come to an end, but not before the southern & eastern Mediterranean parts of the Old Roman Empire had been conquered.
The Umayyads built a powerful Islamic state that stressed political rather religious. They ruled more like Kings and less like the earlier caliphs.
Image: Shahnameh (Book of Kings) Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935–1020)

8. A split in Islam
Many Muslims of non-Arab background, such as Persians & Byzantines, did not like the way local administrators favored the Arabs.
Since the empire was so vast, it was difficult to rule from a capital that was far from the frontiers. These distant regions began to develop their own power, which was hostile to the caliphate.
Followers of Ali, known as the Shi’a never accepted Mu awiyah rule. When Ali died, his son Hussein took over. A revolt took place in what is now Iraq early in the Umayyad period. He encouraged his followers to rise up against Umayyad rule in Unfortunately, he and his family and a small force were massacred (except women and children).
Picture: Abu Bakr stops Meccan Mob

9. A split in Islam
The murders of Ali & Hussein led to a permanent schism in the Islamic world.
The dispute over succession to Muhammad as a caliph of the Islamic community led to a split of Islam into two groups.
The majority of Muslims known as Sunni Muslim followed the teachings of Muhammad, they did not all agree with Umayyad rule but accepted the Umayyads as caliphs. The caliph may be any devout Muslim who is accepted by the People.
The Shi’a, the smaller group of Muslims. They lived mostly in Iraq & Iran. They believed the caliph should be held only by descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah and her husband Ali as the true rulers of Islam. Those who wanted Ali (and later his son Husain) later become the Shi’a sect of Islam (now known as Shiite)
This political split led to the development of two branches of Muslims that persists to the present.
Picture: Abu Bakr stops Meccan Mob

10. The Abbasid Dynasty and the Seljuk Turks
Resentment against Umayyad rule grew among non-Arab Muslim over favoritism shown to Arabs. They paid higher taxes, received lower wages in the army and government and discriminated socially.
They also helped bring their demise by corrupt behavior.
Opposition to Umayyad ruling built an army & in 3 yrs of fighting overwhelmed the Umayyads.
The new caliph was Abu al-Abbas, a descendant of Muhammad’s uncle. He overthrew the Umayyad dynasty in He established a new caliphate ruled by Abbasid which lasted until 1258.
Picture: Abd-ar-Rahman III of the Umayyad dynasty in his court.

11. The Abbasid Rule The Abbasids built a new capital city at Baghdad
Under the Umayyads, warriors had been seen as the ideal citizens. Under Abbasid, judges and merchants were the new heroes. They even tried to break down the distinctions between Arab & Non- Arab Muslims. This change opened Islamic culture to the influence of the civilizations they had conquered.
Picture: Abd-ar-Rahman III of the Umayyad dynasty in his court.

12. Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid is often described as the golden age of the Abbasid caliphate. He developed a sophisticated urban civilization based on the diversity of the empire’s people.
Harun and his successors worked to ensure equality among all Muslims, Arab and non-Arab.
He also lavished support on artists and writers.
This was period of growing prosperity in the Muslim world. They had conquered many of the riches provinces of the Roman Empire, controlled the trade routes, and Baghdad became the center of large trade empire.
Picture: Combat between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Amr Ben Wad near Medina in Arabia.

13. The Muslim Empire was now politically divided.
The Decline and Divisions
When Harun al-Rashid died, his two sons fought to succeed him, almost destroying the city of Baghdad. Financial corruption took place, shortage of qualified Arabs for key positions in the army & city service contributed to the decline. Caliphs began to recruit non-Arabs such as Persians & Turks.
Rulers of the provinces of the Abbasid Empire began to break away & established independent dynasties.
Spain established a dynasty around 750. Morocco became independent .
A new dynasty under Fatimids was established in Egypt with its capital in Cairo in 973.
The Muslim Empire was now politically divided.
Picture: Combat between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Amr Ben Wad near Medina in Arabia.

14. Seljuk Turks
The Fatimid dynasty in Egypt soon became the dynamic center of Islamic civilization. They created a strong army by hiring nonnative soldiers. One such group was the Seljuk Turks.
The Turks were nomadic people from central Asia. They converted to Islam and prospered as soldiers.
They grew stronger, moving gradually into Iran & Armenia.
In 1055 a Turkish leader captured Baghdad and took command of the empire. Turks held the real military and political power of the state.
Picture: Combat between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Amr Ben Wad near Medina in Arabia.

15. Prosperity in the Islamic World
Despite the internal struggles, overall this was one of the most prosperous periods in the history of the Middle east.
South from the Sahara came gold and slaves. From China, silk and porcelain. Eastern Africa came gold & ivory. Iraq provided linens, dates and precious stones and western India supplied textiles. The development of banking and the use of coins made it easier to exchange goods.
The bazaar, or covered market, was a crucial part of every day Muslim city or town. The bazaar was an important trading center, where goods from the known world were for sale.
Picture: Combat between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Amr Ben Wad near Medina in Arabia.

16. Bazaar

17. Islamic Society
To be a Muslim is not simply to worship Allah but also to live one’s life according to Allah’s teachings as revealed in the Quran. This also included social life.
According to Islam, all Muslim people are equal in the eyes of Allah but not for Non-Muslims.
The Quran granted women spiritual and social equality with men.
After the spread of Islam, older customs eroded the rights enjoyed by early Muslim women.
The custom of requiring women to cover virtually all parts of their bodies when appearing in public was common in the cities and is still practiced today in many Islamic societies.
However, these customs owed more to traditional Arab practice that to Quran.
Picture: Combat between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Amr Ben Wad near Medina in Arabia.

19. According to the Quran, Muslims had a duty to follow their faith and to struggle for its expansion. The Islamic state, therefore, viewed the conquests as a jihad, or struggle to introduce Islam to other lands.
The Quran forbade the use of force in winning converts to Islam.
Islamic teaching, however, promised that warriors who died in a jihad would immediately enter paradise.

20. Jews & Christians were tolerated because they believe in one god.
Conquered peoples could maintain their own religion, but had to pay a poll tax to avoid military duties – created a strong economic base
Those who converted to Islam avoided the poll tax – added incentive

21. Islamic art was a blend of Arab, Turkish and Persian traditions.
Islamic scholars made contributions to mathematics (algebra) and the natural sciences that were passed on to the West.
Islamic art was a blend of Arab, Turkish and Persian traditions.
Image: Al Khulafa historical mosque in Baghdad

22. Arabic becomes the shared language of Muslims
Mecca becomes the “international” city where Muslims from across Eurasia and Africa come together and exchange information and cultural traditions