Medieval History Chapter 11

1. Medieval HistoryChapter 11 Islamic Civilization AD 600-1300

2. Arabian Peninsula • South of Asia. • Home of Arabs. • Descended from Semitic tribes. • Traced to at least 3000 BC.

4. Arab Life • Isolated because of geography. • Prevented invasion from the north. • Allows Arabs to create their own civilization.

5. Arab Peninsula • 1 million square miles of land • Between Red Sea & Persian Gulf. • 2 distinct regions: • Southwest-well watered valleys between mountains. • Rest-arid plains & desert.

6. Oasis: fertile area around springs & waterholes.

7. For centuries… • Nomadic herders and caravans have traveled the desert from oasis to oasis.

8. Lives of the Bedouin • Bedouin: Nomads who herded sheep, camels and goats. • Lived in tents made from camel or goat hair. • Ate dates, milk, mutton. • Live in tribes of family members.

9. Tribes are led by the … • Sheikh: Chief appointed by heads of the family. • Advised by council of elders. • Rules as long as he is supported.

10. Warfare part of bedouin life • Tribes raid each other for camels & horses. • Fight over water holes & pasture. • Believe in “eye for an eye”…

12. Bedouin Activities • Camel & horse racing. • Games. • Storytelling. • Poems about life.

13. Makkah • AD 500’s market towns were forming. • Makkah was the most important of these. • 50 miles from the Red Sea. • Important trading center.

14. People travel from… • All over the region. • Syria, Iraq, even China. • Trade animal products, weapons, spices, dates, grain, jewels, ivory, silk and perfumes.

15. Becomes important religious center… • Kaaba: holiest shrine. • Contains statues of Arab deities. • Pilgrims come to worship.

17. Changes • Business ties replace tribal ties. • Arab lands threatened from outside powers. • New religious ideas: Christianity & Judaism. • Belief in monotheism. (One God) • Arabs search for new religion. • Want something unique for Arabs.

18. Emergence of Islam • “Submission to the will of God.” • Changes Arab history.

19. Muhammad • Prophet of Islam. • Born in Makkah. • Approx. AD 570. • Orphaned & raised by an uncle. • Worked in trade. • Married wealthy, older widow, Khadija, when he was 25.

20. Muhammad meditated… • and fasted in worship to the one God of his ancestor, Abraham. • Experienced a “revelation”, or vision in AD 610 at the cave of Hira.

21. Cave of Hira

22. Believed he was commanded… • To spread the divine message of God. • 3 times, Allah called him to “recite”. • 2nd revelation was to rise and warn people about divine judgment. • He returned to Makkah to preach.

23. One God! • All must worship & obey him. • All who believe in God are equal. • Rich must share with poor. • Devotion & good deeds were measured by God. • Live to prepare for the day of judgment. • Evil will be punished, good rewarded.

24. Muhammad • Spent the last 23 years of his life receiving revelations from God and spreading the message of Islam to the people of the Arabian Peninsula.

25. Muhammad persecuted by… • Wealthy merchants & religious leaders. • Feared monotheistic worship would end pilgrimages to Makkah. • Hurt the city economy.

26. Emigrated to Yathrib. Renamed Madinah. Established Islamic Rule.

27. Flight known as the Hijrah • Emigration. • AD 622 marks the beginning of the Islamic era. • 1st year of the Muslim calendar.

28. Yathrib accepted Muhammad • As God’s prophet and their ruler. • Became the center of Islam. • “City of the Prophet”. • Madinah. • Created Islamic State. Loyalty to Muslim community over loyalty to tribe.

29. Muhammad was judge • and commander in chief. • Quran (holy scriptures) become divine law of the land. • Jews & Christians must accept Islam’s political authority.

30. The Holy Quran

31. Makkans invaded Yathrib • Muslims defeat Makkans who then accept Islam and acknowledged Muhammad as God’s prophet. • Idols in Kaaba destroyed, shrine turned into place of Muslim worship. (built by Abraham) • Makka spiritual capital, Madinah political capital.

32. Created a new community • Based on common religious principles, rather than tribal affiliations. • Muhammad died in 632 CE at age 63. 2 major achievements. • Formation of religious community based on carefully preserved sacred writings. • Example of his life as guide for Muslims to follow.

33. Islamic beliefs and practices have remained remarkably stable throughout the centuries. • No “reformation” such as in Christianity

34. Quran revealed to Muhammad • By the Angel Gabriel. • 22 year period. • Compiled into a collection after Muhammad died. • Took 20 years. • Quran is final authority in matters of faith & lifestyle.

35. Written in Arabic… • Contains God’s message. • Stories, teachings and exhortations. • Some stories (Noah’s Ark, Jonah & whale) variations of those in Bible.

36. Presents moral values of Islam • Similar to Judaism & Christianity. • Honor parents, kindness to neighbors, protect orphans & widows, give to the poor. • No murder, stealing, lying, adultery.

37. Rules for daily living… • Forbids gambling, eating pork or drinking alcohol. • Rules about marriage, divorce, family life, property inheritance & business practices.

38. No separation of church & state • Law & Islam is same. • No ranked order of clergy. • Islamic moral principles organized into a body of law known as the shari’ah. • Based on Quran & Hadith (sayings of Muhammad). • Covers all aspects of private & public life.

39. Faith Prayer Alms Fasting Pilgrimage

40. Faith • “There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.” • Muhammad is a prophet, he is not divine. • Muhammad is the last and greatest of prophets whom God has sent. • Adam, Abraham, Moses & Jesus are also considered prophets. • Arabs descend from Abraham through his son Ishmael and Jews from his son Isaac. • Believe Jesus brought God’s message and performed miracles.

41. Prayer • Offered 5 times a day; sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset & evening. • Pray facing Makkah, using same words & motions. • Forehead to ground as a sign of submission to God. • Pray in mosque on Friday. • Led by imam (prayer leader).

42. Alms • Charity • Wealthy should assist the poor & weak. • Private contributions. • Publicly through a state tax to support schools & aid poor.

43. Fasting • Month of Ramadan. • 9th month of Islamic calendar. • Time of Muhammad’s 1st revelation. • No eating or drinking from sun rise to sunset. • Children, pregnant women, travelers & the sick are exempt. • Meals are taken at sunset, after prayers. • 3 day celebration at end of the fast.

44. Pilgrimage • Hajj to shrines in Makkah & Madinah. • Able bodied should go at least once in their life. • Receive special honor in the community. • 2 months & 10 days after Ramadan. • 3 days of ceremony, prayer & sacrifice. • Sign of unity, allows exchange of ideas among Muslims.

45. Section 2: Spread of Islam • Muhammad died 632. • No instructions about successor. • Islamic community needed a strong leader to guide its affairs.

46. Prominent muslims met & chose new type of "successor", khalifah, or Caliph

47. 1st 4 caliphs chosen for life • All chose friends or relatives of Muhammad. • 1: Abu Bakr, father in law & friend. • 4: Ali, married to Muhammad’s daughter Fatimah. • Followed Muhammad’s example, kept in close touch w/ the people, asked advice of other Muslim leaders.

48. The Rightly Guided Caliphs • Sought to protect & spread Islam. • Used military to acquire wealth, land & converts. • Acquired Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Persia & Egypt by 650 AD.

49. Reasons for success • Religious duty to spread Islam. • Conquests were “JIHAD”. • Holy struggle. • Byzantine & Persian rulers imposing religious unity, people of unofficial religions accepted Muslim rule.

50. While armies having success • Rival groups fighting for the office of the caliphate. • 4th) Ali vs. Mu’awiyah, governor of Syria. • AD 661 Ali was murdered and Mu’awiyah became 1st caliph of Umayyad dynasty. • Ali’s son Husayn refused Umayyad rule and continued the fight. • AD 680, Husayn & followers massacred by Umayyad troops in Karbala in present day Iraq.