Medina mosque
Mecca mosque
Muhammad preaches to early converts
Central MosqueErin-Osun, Nigeria 2005
Mosques in Erin-Osun, Nigeria 2005
Imam’s home/mosque Mosque next to Iyaloja’s
Key terms Islam = “submission to the will of Allah
(God)”; name of religion passed down from Allah to Muhammad
Muslim = “one who submits”; one who practices the Islamic religion
Qu’ran = “recitation”; Allah’s revelations to Muhammad for 23 years 114 chapters (surahs) 6,000 verses (ayahs) Poetic, spiritual, moral teachings Pre-hijra revelations = belief in Allah’s
spirituality Post-hijra = how to organize politically,
economically, poor, disabled, crime, etc.
Muhammad ibn Abdullah Born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia (c.570 –
632) Querysh ethnicity = nomadic traders who
controlled Mecca politically & economically Khadijah = wife & 4 daughters 40 yrs.= Mt. Hira to fast & meditate,
received revelations from Allah through Jibral, 1. Only 1 God, Allah, Muhammad is last prophet2. Abraham founded the religious tradition, 1st
prophet3. Jews & Christians strayed from their faith, M’s
role was to restore faith for all people Next 23 yrs. = continued to receive
revelations
Muhammad ibn Abdullah preached in Mecca New beliefs challenged Querysh
religious beliefs & political/economic interests
Querysh persecuted M so moved to Medina
622 = “Hijra”: emigration to Medina, 1st year of Islamic calendar
ruled as supreme judge & political leader of 1st Islamic state & returned to control Mecca
632 = Mohammad died at age 72
Shia, Sunni, & Sufi Islam
Who should become caliph upon M’s death? Ali, husband of Fatima: Shia Ali Abu Bakr, M’s disciple M selected Abu Bakr: Sunni Shia today: 10-15% of Muslims Sunni today: 85-90% of Muslims
Sufism = mystical & ascetic spiritual practices, no Sharia, spiritual teachers have direct union w/Allah (shayks, pirs, walis, marabouts)
Stereotypes Orientalism = (Edward Said’s
Orientalism, 1979); Western style of dominating, imagining, misrepresenting & having authority over the East
Islam = inherently violent, called for holy wars to convert people
Post 9/11/01 = backward religion, terrorists, violent fanatics who want to suppress freedom & dissent
Reality = fastest growing of major religions:
1.3 billion pple, 1/5 world population
5 Pillars of Islam1. Shahada = profess faith in Allah &
Muhammad
2. Salat = pray 5 times/day, facing Mecca
3. Sawam = fast during Ramadan (9th month)
4. Zakat = give alms to support poor, orphans, disabled in your community
5. Hajj = make pilgrimage to Mecca (12th month)
Aspects of Islam Cosmology = heaven, earth, hell Humans = represent God on earth,
judged according to deeds Must follow God’s will, path of
righteousness Weak & easily tempted, must repent “Islam” = submit to the will of Allah Day of reckoning = righteous to
heaven, evil to hell Sharia = Islamic law: politics &
codes for criminal law, family, marriage; different schools of Islamic law (Maliki, Hanifa, Al-Shafi, Hanbali)
Gender, family, marriage Early research: focused on texts, distorted
realities, male researchers no access to women
Qu’ran: forbids female infanticide & all sexual immorality
Sharia law: Women inherit ½ parents’ estate Women are ½ legal status of men
Polygyny practiced but not universally
Arranged marriages: education, age, class, sex
Economic, political, cultural factors influence practices: no rigid norms
The Veil
Pre-Islamic origins: Mesopotamian, Persian, Jewish, Christian, Byzantine cultures
Hijab meanings Sacred divide between men & women Outward symbol of separation Modesty Morality
Purdah = enforced seclusion of women
Revival movements: women reclaim veil Protection from strangers Desexualizes work environment Anti-western colonialism & imperialism:
attacked Islamic cultural identity
Islamic Civilizations Islam spread from Arabic region (Middle
East) to: North Africa, Spain, and Asia
Early civilizations: Baghdad (Iraq), Cairo (Egypt), Cordoba (Spain), Palermo (Sicily)
Baghdad (750 – 1258) Universities Translated texts from Greek, Roman, Hindu, &
Persian cultures into Arabic; synthetic philosophy
Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, physics, astronomy, philosophy, art, architecture, medicine
Arabic = (700-1300, Middle Ages) world’s major intellectual & scientific language & influenced the West
Western colonization 1095-1291 = “Crusades,” EU
launched military expeditions to defeat Islamic dynasties & return Holy Land to Christian rule
EU wanted control of Eastern trade routes (spices, silk, cotton)
1400’s = Portuguese establish ports from Arabia to SE Asia, controlled spice trade
1800’s = EU colonizes Middle East: seeking raw materials & new markets
British & French colonies Suez canal: 1869,
connected Mediterranean Sea W/Gulf of Suez 101 miles long immediate and dramatic
effect on world trade combined w/ American
Transcontinental railroad, allowed entire world to be circled in record time
British & French owned increased EU penetration
& colonization of Africa
Egypt: British colony in 1882; sugar, cotton
Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco: French colonies; railroads, mining, agriculture
Iran: N. Iran was Russian colony, S. Iran was British; tobacco
SE Asia: Dutch in 1917; sugar, coffee, tobacco, indigo
Malaysia: British; tin, rubber, Chinese labor
Post-WWII colonies French: North Africa, Lebanon, Syria British: Egypt, Iraq, Palestine,
South Asia Dutch: SE Asia Colonial economies based on cash
crops: tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, cotton, opium
Independence/nationalist movements, new nation-states in 1960’s:Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Iraq, Tunisia, Syria, Jordan
Post-colonial Islamic Reform movements
Egypt Women are equal to men in constitution Anti-sexual discrimination laws Women involved in medicine, law,
engineering, management, government, etc.
Liberal divorce laws Turkey & Tunisia: prohibit polygyny Saudi Arabia
Gender segregation: schools, jobs, transport, public entrances, etc.
Why Islamic resurgent movements in 1970’s?
1. 1967 Arab-Israeli war: Arab territories lost to Israel, turned to Islamic faith for strength
2. Oil boom: Allah’s will; revenues in Libya, Iran, Saudi supported fundamentalist movements
3. Disillusionment w/capitalism & socialism: looked to Islamic solution
4. Iran success: Islamic revolution overthrew secular, Western-influenced shah
Iran’s Islamic Revolution 1500’s: Shia Islam became state
religion; today, 90% of Iranians are Shia
Shia leaders: Mullahs = village preachers Mujtahids = religious judges Ayatollahs = religious scholars,
moral & political leaders Shahs = political rulers
Iran “modernizes” economy, military, education Educated elite: Western democratic values &
representative govt. Opposed Shah’s absolute power
Shia critique: shah gave West permission to undermine Islam
1925-1979 Pahlavi dynasty Shia leaders viewed as obstacles to
modernization Secular laws replaced Sharia law No more veil 1963 “White Revolution”
Shah was “Great Satan,” puppet of US govt. Commercial agriculture, land reform,
capitalism, landless peasants, women vote, SAVAK secret police
Ayatollah Khomeini arrested
Opposition increases1. Rural migrants: sided with Islamic clergy
2. Westernized middle class: democratic hopes
3. University students: Shia Islam like liberation theology, free them from foreign control
*Demonstrations, protests, fervor*
1979: Ayatollah Khomeini led revolution
“Islamic Republic of Iran” = theocracy ruled by Shia clergy
Political, cultural, social transformation
Islamic Republic of Iran Mosques = government offices,
places of worship, local police; all Iranians forced to register
Purge Iran of Western influences Women forced to wear head scarves Family Protection Act abolished Minimum marriage age was 13,
polygyny, divorce at will 10 year war against Iraq Struggle: moderate democrats v.
conservative fundamentalists
Afghanistan 1800’s
British supported leaders Modernization (built roads, etc.) Unify/pacify ethnic groups
1920’s-30’s Economic development & democracy failed Soviet Union supported Marxist movements
1970’s Soviet Union sponsored 2 successful coups
Resistance forms Afghanistan ethnic groups: Pashtuns (47%),
Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Kirghiz, Hazara, Baluchis, Sunni (88%), Shia (12%)
Mujahidin = “holy warriors” launched jihad (holy war) against Soviet-sponsored govt.
1979: Soviet Union invaded AF to repress resist. West gave financial & military aid to
Mujahidin Afghans fled to Pakistan Soviets withdrew
1980’s-90’s Islamic & ethnic groups fought for power West w/drew support from Mujahidin, fearing
revolution like Iran
Taliban emerges Taliban = “religious students”
1994 Islamic faction Afghan religious students recruited
from schools in Pakistan Militia gained control over most of
Afghanistan Strict Islamic guidelines & norms
No music, dancing, singing, kite flying, cards, chess, etc
Men can’t trim beards, women wear burqas
Al Qaeda supports Taliban Headed by Osama Bin Laden = Saudi
multi-millionaire terrorist
Take-home messages1. We must interpret multiple forms
of Islam with respect to local cultural, historical, & political contexts
2. No essential “Islamic tradition”
3. Islamic fundamentalisms have emerged within the context of: Western colonialism, Western imperialism & internal factional, sectarian, and class differences