1. Rise and Spread of Islam

2. I. Religious beginnings
Muhammad ( )
Early life: trader and businessman
Interested in religion, but not set on one specific belief
Age of 40 – voice called to him as he meditated outside city of Mecca
Voice of angel Gabriel, messenger of Allah
Became convinced he was last of prophets and Allah was the one and only god

3. I. Continued… Islam – “submission to the will of Allah”
Muslim – “one who has submitted”
The Hijrah
Muhammad left Mecca in 622, followers were being attacked
Migrated to Yathrib (Medina)
Gained many followers along the way
In Medina, became skilled political leader, uniting Arabs and Jews
630 – returns to Mecca with 10,000 followers
Mecca surrendered, most converted to Islam
Joined umma – Muslim religious community

4. II. Beliefs & Practices of Islam
One god: Allah
Five Pillars of Islam (duties all Muslims have to perform)
Faith – testify to the following statement: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”
Prayer – pray towards the direction of Mecca 5 times a day
All mosques have a wall that indicates the direction of Mecca

5. II. Continued… Other beliefs/practices
Alms – responsibility to support those less fortunate
Fasting – holy month of Ramadan, do not eat between sunup and sunset
Pilgrimage – if physically & financially able, all Muslims perform the Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca
Other beliefs/practices
Qur’an (holy book) – Arabic version is only true version
Shari’a – system of law that regulates family life, moral conduct, business, community life

6. III. Connections to Judaism & Christianity
Islam teaches that Allah is the same God that is worshiped in Christianity and Judaism
Jesus was a prophet, but not son of God
Qur’an is the final holy book, along with Torah and New Testament
Trace ancestry to Abraham

7. IV. Muslim authority
After death of Muhammad, Muslim community elected series of caliphs – meaning “successor” or “deputy”
First four caliphs called caliphate, most successful leaders
Abu-Bakr (first caliph) faced a number of people abandoning Islam, refusing to pay taxes, false prophets
Called for jihad – can refer to inner struggle against evil or armed struggle against unbelievers
Used as justification of expansion

8. V. Expansion
By 750, Muslim empire stretched 6,000 miles from Atlantic Ocean to Indus River
Why so successful?
Armies well disciplined, expert commanders
Byzantine and Sassanid Empires to the north were very weak from fighting each other
People persecuted under other empires welcomed Muslim invaders
Many converted to Islam on their own
Against Muslim beliefs to force someone to convert

9. VI. Sunni-Shi’a split
661 – Ali, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, last of elected caliphs, was assassinated
Family called Umayyads took power
Moved capital to Damascus
Abandoned simple life of previous caliphs, embraced wealth and luxury
Most accepted Umayyads’ rule
Became known as Sunnis – “followers of Muhammad’s example”

10. VI. Continued…
Some claimed that caliphs had to be descendant of Muhammad
Became known as Shi’a – “party of Ali”
Followers known as Shi’ites
Third group called Sufi
Rejected the luxurious life of Umayyads
Pursued life of poverty and devotion to spiritual path
Distribution map

11. VII. Continuing to expand
Umayyads overthrown in 750
Abbasids took control
Murdered entire Umayyad family (except one prince)
Moved capital to Baghdad in central Iraq
Located on key trade routes
Allowed for better communication and access to material goods
Lasted until 1258

14. IX. Social & Gender issues
Social classes
Upper class: Muslims by birth
Second class: converts
Third class: “protected people”, “people of the book”
Lower class: slaves
Gender issues
Declining rights of women
The veil was a symbol of subjugation (inferiority)

15. IX. Continued… Women were kept from working outside the home
Thousands of women were kept as slave concubines for the caliphs
Although, in some cases, slaves more free
Did not have to wear veil or robe in public places

16. X. Muslim Culture
Combination of many different cultures (Arabic, Persian, Jewish, Christian) created a culture that was unique and sophisticated for its time
Rise of cities
Baghdad, Damascus, Cordoba, Cairo – all populous and centers of learning and trade
Baghdad reached 1 million people at its peak
Arts and sciences
Muhammad stressed the need for learning
Medical physicians for treating illness
Math & astronomy to calculate times of prayer and direction of Mecca

17. X. continued… House of Wisdom
Located in Baghdad
Scholars of different cultures & beliefs worked to translate texts from all over the world to Arabic
Relied on experimentation rather than simple logic to solve scientific problems
Muslim scholar, Ibn al-Haythan, discovered that rays pass through the eyes to enable sight
Helped develop lenses for telescopes and microscopes

18. X. continued… Philosophy Break-up of unified Muslim empire
Scholars studied philosophy from Aristotle and Plato
Many were criticized for attempting to blend Islam with Greek philosophy
Break-up of unified Muslim empire
Split into 3 distinct empires – Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal
Muslim culture would continue to gain strength and provide basis for European scholarship

20. Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem