1. Development of Islam and creation of Dar Islam Post Classical Era

2. how was Islam was able to spread from Spain to India in a relatively short amount of time, dominating a wide range of territories and societies? Both religion and nationalism in precipitated Muslim expansion. –Islam and Arabic combined Another contributing factor was the flexibility of the military The social structure and hardy nature of Arab society lent itself to military operations of the sort that conquered vast empires. Emphasis should also be placed on the strength of the Muslim economic, military, and political systems, while recognizing that the conquered territories were weak in those same areas.

3. Describe the evolution of Islamic civilization and its impact on Europe. The foundation of Islamic civilization is the Shari’a, the law of Islam. –The Shari’a envisions a community of believers who are brothers and sisters and who share the same moral values. –The adherence to the Shari’a provided a common cultural and secular set of laws throughout the Islamic world despite ethnic or political divisions. The growth of urbanization contributed to the rise of Islamic civilization. –Because of the growing number of converts to Islam, the cities became a centerpiece for conversion activities and the sharing of cultural traditions. –The cities were the centers of Islam. –They were the hub of commercial activities and spread the knowledge of new crops to the countryside, in particular, citrus fruits, rice, sugar cane, and cotton. Intercity and long- distance trade flourished, providing important linkages between the city dwellers and the countryside. –The manufacturing sector grew as well, especially the production of cloth, metal goods, and pottery. The market economy grew under the strong influence of Islamic ethics and law. Science and medicine also flourished; building on the Hellenistic tradition and their own experience, Muslim doctors and astronomers developed skills and theories far in advance of their European counterparts. The Muslims shared their scientific and intellectual traditions with Europe, in particular, Spain and the Iberian peninsula, creating in Spain the most diverse and sophisticated agricultural economy in Europe. The Spanish cities were larger and richer than comparable European cities, and a unique architectural and literary style emerged there.

4. Compare and contrast the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, particularly regarding religion, politics, and the military The Umayyads, coming to power in the seventh century C.E., controlled an empire that was more ethnically Arab than Islamic. The military was primarily Arab, and the political system was closely linked to their Byzantine and Sasanid forebears. y the time the Umayyads fell from power in 750, less than 10 percent of the population consisted of converts to Islam. Rebellions against the legitimacy of the Umayyads were frequent. The Abbasid Caliphate was defined from the outset by its Islamic foundation. More and more converts were attracted into the military and politics. The Abbasids put a renewed emphasis on theology and religious law. They also marked a change in intellectual tradition by translating Persian, Greek, and Indian scholarship and thought. The government became more complex and cosmopolitan, and a new capital was built in Baghdad. As more non-Arabs converted to Islam, Islamic society included Greek, Iranian, Central Asian, and African elements. This sharing facilitated greater cultural exchange, of which papermaking technology is a great example. This “golden age” of the Abbasid dynasty is also demonstrated by the translation of works of Aristotle into Arabic and the writing of the stories of The Arabian Nights.

5. After Muhammad’s death why was there fragmentation in the Empire ultimately creating three different paths? The story of Ali is both personal and political He has a personal relationship with Muhammad that leads to the conflict over the legitimate ruler and the formation of the new position of caliph. This continues with the Battle of the Camel and the martyrdom of Husayn. These conflicts result in the Sunni Shi’ite and Kharijite sects

6. Compare the status of Muslim women with the status of women in other parts of the world at that time. Nowhere in the world offered women equality. Women did not have “equality” as it is envisioned in the modern sense anywhere in the world, however, Muslim women did have certain rights guaranteed them by Quranic law. While European women did not have the right to own property, divorce, and testify in court, Muslim women are guaranteed these things by Quranic law. The topic of veiling is of particular interest as well. –Although not an indigenous Arab custom, it is adopted from the Byzantine and Sasanid Empires and becomes a widespread custom in the Muslim world but it performed in a variety of ways. –Elite women were restrained from public view more strictly than lower status women. –Elite women were often secluded in the home or went out covered completely to avoid the lustful gaze of men outside of the family. –By covering or staying secluded, some women were given access to the public world or the world of scholarship. Some elite women also were permitted to study and become literate. Women were also permitted to practice birth control. Muslim women have the same religious obligations as Muslim men, including the pilgrimage to Mecca. Women in the Muslim world and most of the world did not play a direct role in public affairs, however, they did play an indirect role through their husbands and sons.