1. The Rise of Islam

2. Arabia in Late Antiquity
Struggle between Sasanian Empire (Persian, Zoroastrian) and Byzantium (Christian)
Kingdom of Axum is a client state of Byzantium
Pre-existing struggles between Christians and polytheists in Arabia before the birth of Muhammad

3. Muhammad Spiritual awakening in 610 CE
Member of Quraysh tribe in Mecca
Journey to Medina in 622 CE
Religious community (umma)
Conquest of Mecca in 630 CE
Dies in 632

4. Kaaba

5. The early Caliphate
First four rightly guided Caliphs (rashidun) (to 661 CE)
Abu Bakr; ‘Umar; ‘Uthman; ‘Ali (all related to Muhammad)
Ridda wars

6. Expansion of Islam to c. 650

7. Umayyad caliphate (661 – 750)
Period of spectacular military success. Islam stretched from Punjab to Spain.
Caliphs cannot claim direct ties of blood to the Prophet.
Conflict between ‘Ali and Mu’awiya. Ali successful in 656 but struggles to assert himself.
Kharijites (seceders).
Fitna (strife)

8. Expansion of Islam to c. 750

9. Legitimacy of rulers Kharijites - piety and standards of behaviour
Alids, later Shi’ites -- legitimacy comes from descent from the prophet.
Umayyads - legitimacy comes from consensus of community of Believers (jamaa)
Religious scholars (‘ulama)
Taxation of mawali (clients of Arab tribes)

10. Golden dome of Karbala

11. Dome of the Rock

12. Abbasid caliphate
In 750 Umayyads were overthrown by a Shi’ite revolt from Khurasan in north-eastern Iran.
Capital moved from Syria to Baghdad in 762 CE.
The Abbasids have a bad press from early Islamic historians
More inclusive than Umayyads
Development of bureaucracy
Iqta (right to collect taxes instead of taking a salary).

13. Mamluks
From 9th C. the Abbasids replace the army that brought them to power with Turkish slave soldiers (mamluks or ghulams) brought from central Asia
Esp. under caliph al-Mu‘tasim (r. 833–42)

14. Abbasids and ‘ulama
Al-Ma’mun (r. 813 – 33) tries to subject ‘ulama to an inquisition (mihna)
Mihna abandoned under al-Mutawakkil in 848

15. End of Abbasid rule
By mid 10th century Abbasids are controlled by Shiite Buyids in Iraq. Buyids are invaders from northern Iran.
This period sees split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims which lasts until the present.
Building of libraries and law schools (madrasas)
Sunnis assemble collection of hadiths
Development of four schools of Islamic legal thought (madhabs)