ISLAM FROM ITS ORIGINS TO 1300 

Byzantine Empire

The Sassanid Empire

Mecca and Its Prophet

• Located at one of oases of Arabia– Often traveled by Christian

and Jewish traders• Muhammad (570-632)

– Heard the call to recite Quran (Koran)

– Collected heavenly revelations for 21 years

• Preached Islam, submission to God

The Prophet Muhammad

• Early Life– Around A.D. 570 Muhammad is born into a

powerful Meccan clan.– He becomes a trader, and marries a wealthy

businesswoman, Khadijah.

The Prophet Muhammad

• Revelations– By age 40, Muhammad spends much time in

prayer and meditation– He claims to hear the angel Gabriel tell him he

is a messenger of Allah.– Muhammad found the religion of Islam—

meaning “submission to the will of Allah”– Many join him and become Muslim—meaning

“one who has submitted.”

The Prophet Muhammad

• The Hijrah– Muhammad’s followers are attacked; together

they leave Mecca in 622.– Hijrah was the Muslim migration from Mecca

to Yathrib (renamed Medina).

The Prophet Muhammad

• The Hijrah (continued)– Muhammad attracts many more followers and

becomes a great leader.• Political leader—joins Jews and Arabs of Medina in

a single community.• Religious leader—draws more converts to Islam.• Military leader—tackles growing hostilities between

Mecca and Medina

The Prophet Muhammad

• Returning to Mecca– In 630, Muhammad and 10,000 followers

return to Mecca– Meccan leaders surrender.– Muhammad destroys idols in the Kaaba.– Meccans convert to Islam.– Muhammad unifies Arabian Peninsula.

The Foundation of the Islamic State

• Hijrah (migration) took place September 622– Muhammad and Muslims run from Mecca to Medina

• Muhammad turned Medina into major power center,– tolerated Christians, Jews (for a while)– Muslims became dominant force in Arabia

• Conquered Mecca, 630– Cleansed The Kaaba of Idols, made it supreme center

of Islam

The Kaaba

Islam

• Follows Judeo-Christian tradition

• Allah – Arabic for God• Five Pillars of Islam:

– Shahada – Testimony– Salat – Prayer– Zakat – Almsgiving– Sawm – Fasting– Hajj - Pilgrimage

Shahada

“There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His Messenger.”

Salat

Prayers are performed five times per day

Prayer is thought to be direct between believer and God

Zakat

Muslims must put aside a portion of their incomes for those in need

Sawm

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.

Fasting is thought to make one more sympathetic to those in need and help in purification.

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca

All required to travel at least once in their lifetime

Around 3 million participate each year

The Beliefs and Practices of Islam

• Links to Judaism and Christianity– Muslims believe Allah is the same God worshiped by

Christians and Jews.– Muslims believe the Qur’an, Gospels, and Torah

contain God’s will as revealed through others.– Muslims, Christians, and Jews trace their roots to

Abraham.– All three religions believe in heaven, hell, and a

day of judgment.– Shari’a law requires Muslim leaders to extend religious

tolerance.

Expansion and Varieties of Islam

Within one century after Muhammad’s death, Islamic civilization spread throughout the Middle East, Persia, North Africa, and almost all of Spain.

Currently, the greatest concentration of Muslims is across the northern half of Africa, all of the Middle East, southwestern and South Asia, and the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Who will lead

• Rightly Guided Caliphs – 1st four leaders knew Mohammad

• What to do after this?

Who will lead

The first four considered by most as “the rightly guided” caliphs (Khalifas)• Abu Bakr - 632–634• Umar ibn al-Khattab - 634–644• Uthman ibn Affan - 644–656 – (murdered and civil war starts)• Ali ibn Abi Talib - 656–661 (Civil war is about who should

lead Islam. Shi’a believe that Ali should lead. He is assassinated also)

• What to do after this?

Sunni or Shi’a

• The Umayyad (family name) came to leadership

• Moved Islamic capital from Mecca to Damascus (many don’t like this)

• Lived in wealth (some did not like this – Sufi)• Most went along with this (Sunni)• Others thought descendants of Mohammad

should lead (Shi’a)

Sunni and Shi'as

The majority of Muslims are Sunni.

They follow the established custom, or sunnah, meaning the Sunnah of the prophet, Muhammad.

Shi'as believes in Imams. They are religious leaders who are direct descendants of Muhammad.

Iran and Iraq are Shi’ites.

Sufis

The term comes from the Arabic word suf -the coarse wool garment that is worn by Sufis.

Sufism strives to experience Allah as immanent - dwelling within each worshipper.

The Sufi experiences oneness with Allah and gains spiritual fortitude.

Sufis are not necessarily popular among Muslims.

Sufis live monastic lives with a sheikh as their head.

Islamic Civilization

• Islamic empire was generally prosperous• Based on extensive trade by ship & camel• Camel caravans went from Morocco in far west to countries beyond

Caspian Sea• Trade began to prosper during Abbasid dynasty• Large magnificent cities began to prosper, such as Baghdad, Cairo,

Damascus, Cordoba• Islamic cities had their own physical appearance• Palace & mosques = most impressive buildings• Fountains, public baths, bazaars

Islamic Society

• Muslims live their lives in accordance with Allah’s teachings revealed in the Quran

• Islam states that all people are equal in the eyes of Allah; was not always the case in the Arab empire. There was a well defined upper class of ruling families & wealthy merchants

• Slaves were not considered equal - Muslims could not be slaves

Creation of Arab Empire• Difficult finding leadership after Muhammad’s

death• Abu Bakr = Muhammad’s father-in-law was chosen

to be successor (caliph = successor to Muhammad)• Abu Bakr & Muhammad used Jihad to spread

movement of Islam• Jihad = “struggle in way of God” we usually think

“holy war”

Umayyad Dynasty• In 661, general Mu’awiyah

became caliph• Made the office of caliph

hereditary• 8th century Arabs conquered &

converted the Berbers (people who lived on coast of N. Africa)

• By 725 Spain was Muslim state

• Arabs were defeated at Battle of Tours ending European expansion

Mosque in Cordoba, Spain

Umayyad Dynasty

• Internal struggles led to revolts• The struggles caused Islam to split into two groups,

the Shiite & Sunni• Split continues today….Most Muslims are Sunnis,

but much of Iraq & Iran consider themselves Shiites

Greatest extent of the Umayyad

Abbasid Dynasty

• In 750, Abu al-Abbas overthrew the Umayyad dynasty & founded Abbasid which lasted until 1258

• In 762, Abbasid built new capital of Baghdad on the Tigris River - location took advantage of river & caravan traffic

• Baghdad became center of a huge trade empire

Abbasid Dynasty Falls• Abbasid experienced problems; fighting

over succession of caliph• Vast wealth led to financial corruption• Shortage of qualified Arabs to fill

government positions allowed non-Arabs to become a dominant force in the military & bureaucracy which led to disintegration

• Rulers of provinces began to break away

Greatest Extent of the Abbasids

The Death of Muhammad

• Died of fever, 632, in Medina, Conflict over who will succeed him

• Abu Bakr vs. Ali ibn Abi Talib– Abu Bakr chosen as first Caliph (successor) – followers

called Sunnis– Ali is the fourth Caliph, followers called Shiites– Civil war between the sides resulted in the slaughter of

the Shiite men and the enslaving of Shiite women– Today, 85% of Muslims are Sunnis and 15% Shiites

Sunni vs. Shi’a

Spread of Islam

• Christians and Jews “people of the book”

• Qur’an demands tolerance towards these faiths, outlaws forced conversions

• Islamic leaders conquer surrounding lands quickly, but convert the populations slowly

• Assimilate Persian culture

EXPANSION

Expansion

• Islam spread rapidly under first four caliphs– Use of jihad (struggle) to extend faith to infidel– Jihad can be internal or external as in this case– Most expansion done in order to “defend the Muslim

state”• Muslim empire the largest since Romans within

100 years of Muhammad’s death• Expansion blocked by Franks in Western Europe

and Byzantine Empire in Eastern Europe• Empire soon falls apart due to civil wars and

disagreements over religion (as there is no central religious authority)