1. The World of Islam

2. The Arabs
Nomadic, organized into tribes, lived in the Arabian Peninsula
Ruled by a sheik
Farmers, sheepherders
Ruled the caravan trade, carried goods along Silk Road

3. The Arabs Polytheistic, religious center Mecca
Mecca- sacred black stone called Kaaba
Supreme god Allah

4. Life of Muhammad Born in Mecca, became caravan merchant
Received revelations from God and angel Gabriel
Revelations became the Quran (635)
Muhammad was God’s prophet, religion became Islam
Gained followers, moved to Medina
Journey called Hijrah, year 622, year 1 on Muslim calendar

5. Life of Muhammad
Muslims saw no separation between political and religious authority
Muhammad political, religious leader
630 return to Mecca, conquer city, convert all to Islam
Kaaba becomes sacred shrine of Islam

6. Teachings of Muhammad Islam monotheistic
Salvation, afterlife, submit to will of Allah
Muhammad not divine
Acts of worship Five Pillars of Islam
Law Code- shari’ah, applies Quran to daily life
Regulates all parts of life- religion, government, civic life

7. Five Pillars of Islam Islam means “to submit to the will of God”
Belief
Prayer
Charity
Fasting
Pilgrimage

8. Arab Empire and Successors
632 death of Muhammad , left no successor
Abu Bakr named caliph, capital Medina
Islamic movement began to grow
Quran permitted fair, defensive warfare- jihad
636 Arabs defeat Byzantines
640 take over Syria
642 Egypt and North Africa
650 Persian Empire

9. Arab Rule Reasons for success Arab rulers tolerant
Conquered people not required to convert to Islam, just pay taxes and be loyal to Muslim rule
Weakness of Byzantine, Persian Empires- Arabs seen as liberators.
Simple direct message of Islam (no religious hierarchy)
Abu Bakr no successor, fight over who would be caliph
Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali ruler for five years

11. Umayyads 661 Muawiyah becomes caliph, established Umayyad Dynasty
Center of power- Damascus, Syria.
Conquered rest of North Africa, conquered Iberian Peninsula (major Islamic city Cordoba)
732 Muslim army defeated at Battle of Tours, halted expansion in Western Europe

12. Umayyads
732 Muslim army defeated at Battle of Tours, halted expansion in Western Europe
717 Muslim navy defeated Constantinople
Arab advance ended
Empire southern Mediterranean, Spain, Southwest Asia, Central Asia

13. Split in Islam Internal struggles, succession, Arabs vs. non Arabs
680 revolt against Umayyad rule
Led by grandson of Muhammad
Two groups emerge Shiite, Sunni
Shiite- accepted descendants of Ali as true rulers
Sunni accept Umayyad rulers

14. Abbasid Dynasty
Umayyad rule declined from corruption, resentment by non- Arabs
750 Abu- Abbas overthrew Umayyad, established Abbasid Dynasty
Abbasid capital Baghdad
New cultural outlook- not warriors but judges, merchants, government officials

15. Abbasid Dynasty Period of tolerance for non- Arab Muslims
Support for learning and the arts
Growing prosperity because they controlled the trade routes between Asia and Europe

16. Abbasid Dynasty Fights over succession of caliphate
Financial corruption
Caliphs recruited Persians and Turks for positions in military and civil service
Rulers of provinces break away from central authority, establish independent dynasties (Spain, Morocco, Egypt)

17. Seljuk Turks
Fatimid Dynasty in Egypt and Abbasid’s used Turks for soldiers
1055 Turks capture Baghdad
Abbasid Caliph was the religious leader. Seljuk's held political, military power
1071 Seljuk’s defeat Byzantines and take over Anatolian Peninsula

18. Crusades
Byzantine Emperor asks Christian Europe for help, began a series of Crusades 1066
Saladin defeated Christian invaders in Jerusalem (1187)
Beginning of mistrust between Muslims and Christians

19. Mongols
Mongols early 13th century came from Central Asia controlled most of Eurasia
Goal was to create terror so people would not fight back
1258 attacked Baghdad burned schools, libraries, mosques. Ended Abbasid Dynasty
Mongols eventually intermarried with locals, converted to Islam
Result of Mongol invasions new center of Islamic culture Cairo ,Egypt

20. Islamic Civilization Period of 700-1500 Arab Empire prosperous
Trade with Asia, Africa, Europe
Trade led to rise of cities (Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus, Cordoba)
Cities better than European cities at the time
Cities administrative, cultural, economic and trade centers
Vast majority made their living herding, farming

21. Cities of the Islamic Empires
Cities had distinctive physical appearance
Palaces, mosques, fountains, secluded courtyards, marketplace (bazaar)

22. Art and Architecture
Mosques dominated cities, symbolic of Muslim architecture
Dome, arch adopted from Byzantines (Romans)
Walls and ceilings decorated with mosaics, abstract and geometric patterns, no human representation in religious art
Grand palaces

23. Muslim Manufactured Goods
Artisans produced leather (Spain), steel tools, swords (Damascus), cotton textiles (Egypt), carpets (Persia)
Trade led to new business practices, bought and sold on credit, sophisticated accounting

24. Islamic Society
Muslims live life according to Allah’s teaching in the Quran- politics, economics, social life followed Islamic teachings
Society more open than in Medieval Europe
Social mobility possible
All people were equal (except slaves, but they were treated fairly)
Women – inherit property, ask for divorce
Women and men social and spiritual equals
Men could have more than one wife, had to pay a dowry

25. Culture of Islam
Muslim civilization influenced by traditions of diverse cultures
Greeks, Romans, Persians, India
Arabs translated Greek works of Plato, Aristotle, math texts from India
Europeans discovered works of Greek philosophers from Arabic translations
Paper brought from China led to booksellers, libraries

26. Philosophy, Science, History
Pioneered study of algebra
Developed medicine as a scientific field of study, advances in public health
Wrote medical text became standard in Europe for 500 years (Muhammad al- Razi)
Europeans attended medical schools in Spain
Scientific study of history
Studied astronomy (observatory in Baghdad)
Perfected astrolabe, used for ocean navigation

27. Muslim Literature Tradition of oral poetry Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat
Collection of oral tales of adventure, romance, anecdotes set in Baghdad Nights