1. The Worlds of Islam 600-1500

2. Tribal Feuds Prior to Islam: * Arab world organized by tribal groups *Bedouin groups *bitter feuds clashing over access to trade centers and oases --peninsula part of routes betx Mediterranean and Indian Ocean= economic growth

4. Mecca Important pilgrimage site –*home of Kaaba= shrine with 100s of tribal gods –Quraysh tribe dominate city *become wealthy from taxing pilgrims

6. Contact with Byzantine and Sassanid Empires Arabian Peninsula next to both these powerful empires Variety of people (Christian and Persian) lived on peninsula Contact with Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians spread idea of monotheism in the polytheistic world

8. Messenger Story Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (570-632) ------see Ms K’s story board---- The revelations were actually a call to return to a pure faith in Abraham --purge corruptions and errors *Jews wrongly saw themselves as chosen people *Christians wrongly turned their prophet into a god *Arabs were wrongly polytheistic and idol worshippers

10. Some other Terms/Faith items Umma= a new community of the faithful where the poor and vulnerable would be protected Jihad *greater Jihad= struggle within one’s self to overcome greed and sinful desires *lesser Jihad= struggle of the sword to protect the community from external threats

12. Transformation of Arabia Membership in the Umma was not based on family but upon faith Came into conflict with neighbors Most of peninsula unified under the Islamic state Sharia= law system = no distinction between religious and civil law

13. Making an Arab Empire Armies rapidly spread out of peninsula= conquered Spain= invaded France= reached Indus River= invaded Egypt= Persian Sassanid Empire fell= And much of Byzantine lands Battle of Talas (751) *defeated the Chinese in central Asia *Turkic people become a widespread Islamic culture

15. Economics Part of rich trade routes Productive farmlands --increasing wealth of the new empire Dhimmis= “people of the book”= Jews/Christians/Zoroastrians = can keep own religion but required to pay a tax instead of military service= Jizya Tolerance allowed these faiths to continue

16. Conversion Many early converts were prisioners of wr or slaves or due to avoiding paying the tax Merchants found it helpful to form connections with the community Arabic language and culture adopted by converts in Africa/Mesopotamia East of Tigris River areas did not adopt Arabic (Turks, Persians, Indus Valley kept traditional languages) Persian culture, in fact, spread into the wider Muslim world (architecture, administration, art)

17. Women and Men During the revelations Muhammad created rules that protected women and gave them some control over their property/rt to divorce. Even though men were still allowed multiple wives (limit 4) all were to be cared for equally Devout women would receive Allah’s blessings just as men would

18. Restrictions After the prophets death Arab empires established increasing restrictions on elite women Veiling and sequestering were traditions in the pre-Islamic world Segregated in the mosque but not excluded (Some Jewish sects and Christian denominations also segregated women inside the worship space)