1. ARABIA
Muhammed
was born in
Mecca

2. ARABIA BEFORE MUHAMMAD
Mecca one of many busy commercial cities along Red Sea coast
Mecca contained the Kaaba (square temple containing a sacred black rock that Arabs believed Allah threw down to earth. Kaaba also contained idols to other gods.
Great Arabian Desert
Bedouins– desert Arabs who herded flocks, fought among each other, and robbed caravans. Disliked city people

3. MUHAMMAD Born in Mecca, 570 AD Orphan Married wealthy widow
Traveled to Syria and may have heard Christian monks
Familiar with Judaism
Had first vision in 610
Ordered by angel Gabriel to be a messenger for God

4. ISLAM Koran. Poetic account of Muhammad’s visions
Moslems—”true believers”
Muhammad’s vision constitute God’s final message to mankind and the Muhammad was God’s last and greatest prophet

5. ISLAMIC DOCTRINE Emphasizes absolute power of Allah
Duty of human beings is to worship Allah
Islamic prayers are prayers of praise, not petition
Prayer five times a day
Paradise for true believers, hellfire for the wicked
Fasting from dusk until dawn during Ramadan
Pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca
Recognizes Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as earlier prophets but argues that Muhammad was Allah’s final prophet with his ultimate message for mankind

6. HEGIRA MUHAMMAD’S MESSAGE NOT WELL RECEIVED IN MECCA
FORCED TO FLEE TO MEDINA (HEGIRA)
WELL RECEIVED AT MEDINA
CONVERTS ENTIRE CITY
ORGANIZES CONVERTS INTO UMMA (A COMMUNITY OF TRUE BELIEVERS THAT TRANSCENDED OLD BONDS OF TRIBE, CLAN, OR CITY)
A SUPERTRIBE OPEN TO ALL PEOPLE WHO ACCEPTED MUHAMMAD’S MESSAGE
EVENTUALLY TAKES CONTROL OF MECCA THROUGH MILITARY CONQUEST (629)
DURING NEXT THREE YEARS, ALL OF ARABIA CONVERTS TO ISLAM

7. SUCCESS OF ISLAM SIMPLE, STRAIGHT FORWARD, EASY TO UNDERSTAND
PROMISED AFTERLIFE OF SENSUOUS DELIGHTS TO THE FAITHFUL AND ETERNAL TORMENT TO UNBELIEBERS
MUHAMMAD PREACHED THAT HIS MESSAGE BE SPREAD BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY—EVEN WAR
LED TO JIHADS (HOLY WARS)
SPOILS OF JIHADS SPLIT AMONG THOSE WHO CONDUCTED THEM AND ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP IN MECCA
CHRISTIANS AND JEWS ALLOWED TO RETAIN THEIR RELIGIONS—BUT THEY HAD TO PAY SPECIAL TAX
REVENUE FROM TAX SPLIT AMONG ALL MEMBERS OF UMMA
THE DESIRE TO CONTINUE THE OLD BEDOUIN CUSTOM OF WARFARE AND THE CHANCE TO ENRICH ONESELF THROUGH THE SPREAD OF ISLAM PLAYED A ROLE IN THE GROWING POPULARITY OF ISLAM IN ARABIA

8. CREATION OF THE ARAB EMPIRE
Abu Bakr named as Muhammad’s successor or caliph
Bedouin tribes believe Muhammad’s death freed them from all obligations and leave the Umma
Abu Bakr launches war of reconversion
Loyal Moslem forces attack and defeat all tribes that defected from the Umma
Long term survival depended on continual military expansion
Arabs led on new military expeditions against non-Moslems
Leads to creation of empire

9. ARAB EMPIRE Under Umar:
Arab armies conquer Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Egypt
Arab armies even attacked Constantinople but were unable to take the city
Reduced once huge Byzantine Empire to a small state

10. CALIPHS Abu Bakr—first caliph Umar—second caliph
Ali (Muhammad’s nephew)—fourth caliph
Ali murdered by Ummayad family
Tradition later developed that leadership of Islamic world could only be held by descendant of Ali
Shi’ites
Murder of Ali

11. ARAB DYNASTIES I UMMAYAD DYNASTY (661-750 AD)
Took over after murder of Ali
Capital at Damascus
Conquest of North Africa, Spain, and parts of India
Overthrown in 750 AD

12. ARAB DYNASTIES II ABBASID DYNASTY (750-1258 AD)
Descended from Muhammad’s uncle, Abbas
Overthrew Ummayads
Capital at Baghdad
Lost chunks of empire after 1000
Egypt and Spain broke away
Syria, North Africa, and Iran conquered by Seljuk Turks and Berbers
Last caliph killed by Mongols during their conquest of Baghdad in 1258

13. ARAB LEGACY
Collected and translated ancient Persian and Greek scientific and philosophical works
Works of Hippocrates
Introduced “Arabic numerals” to west and perfected the use of decimal fractions and algebra
Concentrated on decorative arts (ceramics, tapestries, mosiacs)
Literature— Arabian Nights and the Koran itself