THE WORLD OF ISLAM World History Mr. Kerensky

The Rise of Islam  The Arabs  Semitic-speaking people  Sheikh- leader of an Arab tribe; they were chosen from one of the leading families by a council of elders.  Although each tribe was independent, all the tribes in the region were loosely connected.  Farmers and sheep herders; polytheistic  Prospered by becoming expert traders

The Prophet Muhammad  Born into a merchant family; married a rich widow.  Troubled over the greediness of the rich trading elites in the city  Visited by the angel Gabriel and given a message from God and told to retell it  He believed that God (Allah) had already revealed himself through the Hebrew and Christian traditions, and Allah’s final revelations were being given to him

The Quran  The holy book of the religion of Islam  Derived from the revelations passed through Muhammad  Contains ethical guidelines and laws by which the followers of Allah are to live.  Islam literally means “peace through submission to the will of Allah”  Those who practice Islam are called Muslims

Hijrah and the Hajj  Hijrah-The journey of Muhammad and his followers from Makkah to Madinah (Medina)  The journey (622 A.D.) marked year 1 in the traditional Muslim calendar  Muhammad later returned to Makkah triumphantly but died only two years later  Hajj- the pilgrimage to Makkah in honor of Muhammad’s triumphant return; all Muslims are encouraged to make it.

The Teaching of Muhammad  Monotheistic; Allah is the all-powerful being who created the universe and everything in it  Emphasizes salvation and offers hope of afterlife  Must subject themselves to the will of Allah  Muhammad was not divine  Shari’ah- the code of laws of Islam; provides believers with a set of practical laws to regulate their daily lives; based on scholars interpretations of the Quran and the example set by Muhammad

The Arab Empire and Its Successors  Muhammad had been accepted as the spiritual and political leader of the Islamic community  Muhammad dies without a male heir (he had seven daughters).  Muhammad’s father-in-law, Abu Bakr, was named the first caliph  Successor to Muhammad; secular and spiritual leader of the Islamic community; as the empire grew, they became more like kings or emperors.

Arab Conquest  Muslims began expanding over Arabia and beyond  Jihad- fair, defensive warfare permitted in the Quran; “struggle in the way of God.”  The Battle of Yarmuk (636 AD)  Arab army defeated the Byzantine army  Four years later the Arabs took control of Syria  642 AD, Egypt and Northern Africa were added to the Arab Empire.  650 AD, conquered the entire Persian Empire

Arab Rule  Arab soldiers were told that they would be promised a spot in paradise if they died in battle  Caliphs ruled from Madinah.  After Abu Bakr died, there were problems again with who would rule.  The next three Caliphs would be assassinated  Ruling Over Conquered Territories  Arabs were tolerant, sometimes allowing local officials to continue to rule  They were not forced to convert to Islam

The Umayyads  General Mu’awiya became caliph in 661 AD  Established the Umayyad Dynasty  Made the caliphate, or the office of the caliph, hereditary to his own lineage.  Expansion under the Umayyads  710 AD- conquered southern Spain  725 AD- most of Spain was conquered  The Battle of Tours (732 AD)  Arab forces were defeated in Gaul (modern day France)  Arab expansion had come to an end.

A Split in Islam  non-Arab Muslims vs Arab Muslims  non-Arab Muslims did not like the way local administrators favored the Arabs  A revolt against the Umayyans in modern day Iraq, led by Hussein, the son-in-law of Muhammad (680 AD) Unsuccessful  Shiite- Muslims who only accept the descendants of Ali as the true rulers of Islam; Minority (except in Iraq)  Sunni- Muslims who accept the Umayyans as rulers; the Majority in the Muslim world.