1. Pre-Islamic Arabia and the birth of Islam
Chapter 06, Part 1
Pre-Islamic Arabia and the birth of Islam

2. PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA The Arabian peninsula
Largely deserts with mountains, oases
Fertile areas in the southern mountains around Yemen
Nomadic Bedouin
Lived in the desert-covered peninsula for millennia
Kept herds of sheep, goats, and camels
Organized in family and clan groups
Importance of kinship and loyalty to the clan
Many tribes seem to have been matrilineal with some rights for women

3. PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA Post-classical Arabia
Romans (Byzantines) and Persians had client kingdoms in area
Active in long-distance over land trade
Trade from Damascus to Mecca/Medina to Yemen
Trade across desert to Persian Gulf and along coast
Part of Red Sea trade system; links between Yemen and Abyssinia
Trade includes gold, frankincense and myrrh
Religion was polytheist
Groups of Jews in Arabia; Monophysite Christians in cities

4. 6TH CENTURY ARABIA

5. PHYSICAL MAP OF ARABIA

6. Muhammad and His Message
Born 570 to merchant family in Mecca
Orphaned as a child
Marries wealthy widow c. 595, works as merchant
Familiarity with paganism, Christianity and Judaism as practiced in Arabian peninsula

7. Muhammad’s Spiritual Transformation
Visions/revelations c. 610 CE
Archangel Gabriel
Monotheism – Allah
Attracts followers to Mecca

8. The Quran Record of revelations received during visions
Committed to writing c. 650 CE (Muhammad dies 632)
Tradition of Muhammad’s life: hadith

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

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

11. The “Seal of the Prophets”
Muhammad – the final prophet
Accepted the authority of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
Held in high esteem Hebrew scriptures and the Christian New Testament
Muhammad had been entrusted a more complete revelation, one that communicated Allah’s plan for the world

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

13. The Ka’aba

14. The Five Pillars of Islam
No god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet
Daily prayer
Fasting during Ramadan
Charity
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

15. Muslims at Prayer

16. Jihad “struggle” “holy war” Against vice Against ignorance of Islam
Against unbelievers who threaten Islam

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

18. 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