1. Islam

2. Muhammad and His Message
Born 570 to merchant family in Mecca
Orphaned as a child
Marries wealthy widow, works as merchant
Familiarity with paganism, Christianity and Judaism as practiced in Arabian peninsula

3. Muhammad’s Spiritual Transformation
Visions c. 610ce
Archangel Gabriel
Monotheism
First tells only family & friends
Attracts followers to Mecca

4. Conflict at Mecca
Muhammad’s monotheistic teaching offensive to polytheistic pagans
Economic threat to existing religious industry
Denunciation of greed affront to local aristocracy

5. The Hijra Muhammad flees to Medina in 622ce
Year 0 in Muslim calendar
Organizes followers into communal society (the umma)
Legal, spiritual code
Commerce, raids on Meccan caravans for sake of umma

6. Muhammad’s Return to Mecca
Attack on Mecca, 630
Conversion of Mecca to Islam
Destruction of pagan sites, replaces with mosques
Ka’ba preserved in honor of importance of Mecca
Approved as pilgrimage site

7. 5 Pillars of Islam No god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet
Daily prayer
Fasting during Ramadan
Charity/Alms
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

8. Islamic Law: The Sharia
Codification of Islamic law
Based on Quran, logical schools of analysis
Extends beyond ritual law to all areas of human activity

9. The Caliph No clear to successor to Muhammad identified
Abu Bakr chosen to lead as Caliph
Led war against villagers who abandoned Islam after death of Muhammad

10. Expansion of Islam Highly successful attacks on Byzantine territory
Difficulties governing rapidly expanding territory

11. The Shia Disagreements over selection of caliphs
Ali passed over for Abu Bakr
Served as caliph ce, then assassinated along with most of his followers
Remaining followers organize separate party called “Shia”
Traditionalists: Sunni

12. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750ce)
From Meccan merchant class
Capital: Damascus, Syria
Associated with Arab military aristocracy

13. Policy Toward Conquered Peoples
Favoritism of Arab military rulers causes discontent
Limited social mobility for non-Arab Muslims
Head tax on non-Muslims
Umayyad luxurious living causes further decline in moral authority

14. The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258ce)
Abu al-Abbas Sunni Arab, allied with Shia, non-Arab Muslims
Seizes control of Persia and Mesopotamia
Defeats Umayyad army in 750
Invited Umayyad to banquet, then massacred them

15. Nature of the Abbasid Dynasty
Diverse nature of administration (ie. Not exclusively Arab)
Militarily competent, but not bent on imperial expansion
Dar al-Islam
Growth through military activity of autonomous Islamic forces

16. Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786-809ce)
High point of Abbasid dynasty
Baghdad center of commerce
Great cultural activity

17. Abbasid Decline Civil war between sons of Harun al-Rashid
Provincial governors assert regional independence
Dissenting sects, heretical movements
Abbasid caliphs become puppets of Persian nobility
Later, Saljuq Turks influence, Sultan real power behind the throne

18. Economy of the Early Islamic World
Spread of food and industrial crops
Trade routes from India to Spain
Western diet adapts to wide variety
New crops adapted to different growing seasons
Agricultural sciences develop
Cotton, paper industries develop
Major cities emerge

19. Formation of a Hemispheric Trading Zone
Historical precedent of Arabic trade
Dar al-Islam encompasses silk routes
Camel caravans
Maritime trade

20. Banking and Trade Scale of trade causes banks to develop
Uniformity of Islamic law throughout dar al-Islam promotes trade
Joint ventures common

21. Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain)
Muslim Berber conquerors from North Africa take Spain, early 8th century
Allied to Umayyads, refused to recognize Abbasid Dynasty
Formed own caliphate
Tensions, but interrelationship

22. Changing Status of Women
Quran improves status of women
Outlawed female infanticide
Brides, not husbands, claim dowries
Yet male dominance preserved
Patrilineal descent
Polygamy permitted, Polyandry forbidden
Veil adopted from ancient Mesopotamian practice

23. Formation of an Islamic Cultural Tradition
Islamic values
Uniformity of Islamic law in dar al-Islam
Establishment of madrasas
Importance of the Hajj
Sufi missionaries
Asceticism, mysticism
Some tension with orthodox Islamic theologians
Wide popularity