the rise of Islam Unit iii

Muhammad the prophet From Mecca in modern day Saudi Arabia Muhammad was a middle aged merchant who claimed the Angel Gabriel asked him to recite the word of God As a Merchant Muhammad had exposure to the ideas of Judaism and Christianity Maybe even Persians

Muhammad takes political power Mecca was already a popular pilgrimage site Muhammad was kicked out because Islam threatened the pilgrimage Muhammad and his followers went to Medina Prayer switches from Jerusalem to Mecca Muhammad became a political and military leader 630 CE Muhammad takes back Mecca

The Spread of Islam Abu Bakr, Muhammad's successor began attacking the Byzantine Empire and recording the Qur'an A vast empire grew out of the principles of Islam in just 200 years Muhammad's successors relentlessly spread the religion through military conquest

The rapid spread of Islam

Basic Beliefs Five Pillars of Islam Conquered people do not have to convert, only pay a larger tax. Followers of Judaism and Christianity are specifically mentioned in the Qur’an as “people of the book” Five Pillars of Islam 1. Shahadah- declaring there is no god except God (Allah), and Muhammad is God’s messenger 2. Salat- Prayer five times a day 3. Zekat- Giving 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor 4. Sawm- Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan 5. Hajj- Pilgrimage to Mecca

The five pillars of Islam

Basic Beliefs Guiding text: The Qur'an Absolute Monotheism Taking care of those less fortunate than you Hadiths; a collection of sayings and stories about the prophet Muhammad A believer in Islam is part of the Uma or community of believers Islam becomes a restoration religion Muslims believe the Monotheisms before Muhammad had strayed from purity Muslims believe Mohamed was the last prophet sent by God

Shia- Sunni Split Root of split goes back to Muhammad's first successor Abu Bakr, Muhammad's father in law became the first Caliph Many wanted his son in law, Ali to take over Shia Muslims believe the Caliph should be a descendent of Muhammad Caliph means “successor” Meaning Abu Bakr was a “successor” to the prophet

Modern Shia- Sunni Divide Today Shia Muslims make up 16% of the Islamic population

The Islamic split has serious ramifications today

Bagdad: The Center of learning The Abbasid Caliphate (750- 1258 CE) became the center for learning The Persian ruling class moved the capital to Baghdad Baghdad becomes the center of learning Large library held the work of Greek philosophers, Greek scientist, and Buddhist and Hindu text Openness to foreigners and their ideas Possibly largest blending of cultures since Hellenistic times Brought to an end by the Mongols

Ibn sina (980- 1037 CE) Often known by Latin name Avicenna Gained great advances in the field of medicine Created the Canon of Medicine Became the standard medical text book for centuries

How’s this for a vacation?

Ibn battuta (1304-1368 CE) Moroccan explorer Traveled the known Muslim world Recorded his travels in the Rihla (translated to “Journey”) Helped link Africa to the Islamic World The most well traveled man to date

The Abrahamic traditions Judaism est. around 1000 BCE Christianity est. around 40 CE Islam est. around 600 CE

What do the Abrahamic religions all have in common? All three use a religious text that provide guidelines ethical and moral behaviors as well as how to govern believers Judaism- Torah Christians- The Bible Islam- The Qur'an All three recognize Abraham, Moses and other figures from the old testament as important religious figures All three believe in fundamental monotheism All three originated in the same region, and claim several of the same cities as religious holy sites

Jerusalem

Fundamental differences in the Abrahamic religions Judaism Judaism does not actively seek converts and the religion is associated with a group of people Christianity Christians believe Jesus was the son of God (or Messiah) Catholic leaders must remain unmarried Islam Islam is the newest and only Abrahamic tradition to reference the other two in the holy text

Modern Distribution

Over half the world practices an Abrahamic religion