The Rise of Islam
600 C.E. -1200’s C.E.
Middle East, ca. 600 A.D.
The Eastern Mediterranean
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By this time,The lands of Rome had been overtaken by the
Goths and Vandals and the East Roman Empire (Byzantine)
was spreading its influence into northern territories.
The Sasanid Empire (224-600 C.E.), which was led by
warrior elites, main purpose was to serve as military
strongpoints protecting long distance trade. The Silk
Road brought many new crops to Mesopotamia and the
Sasanid’s again reestablished Zoroastrianism as the faith
of the empire. 2nd Persian Empire
The proclamations of both Zoroastrianism and
Christianity as official faiths marked the emergence of
religion as an instrument of politics both within and
between empires.
This politicization of religion greatly affected the
culture of the Silk Road and would shape governments
to follow.
The Byzantine Empire
During the Reign of Justinian
Trade Routes of the Ancient World
Islam emerges
Islam
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Bedouin Arab named Mohammed
born ca. 570 A.D.
Merchant family, Hasimites
Qurayshis tribe, who dominate Mecca
– controlling much of the religious
pilgrim trade
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raised by relatives
-father and mother died by age six
-raised by an impoverished uncle
Mohammed
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formal education ?? We don’t
know
–Normally only the Poets of the
Tribes could read and write
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commercial agent for a wealthy
widow
– Khadijah
– supervising caravans from Mecca, north
to Jerusalem
– contact with both Jews and Christians
Mohammed, con’t
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He seems to have made an impression on his
boss, because of his reputed honesty
– married her and retired from commerce
– to devote himself to religion
– and to making society more fair and
equitable
Mohammed, con’t
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monogamous until his wife died
eventually married nine wives and
had assorted concubines
last marriage at 53 to Aishah,
daughter of a friend
wives: widows of friends or political
marriages
• Women alone in such a world were
considered very vulnerable
Origins of Mohammed’s
Teachings
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periods of unconsciousness are indicated:
explanations
Mohammed’s explanation:
– revelations from God
– Very unpleasant and painful for him
The Quran
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Record of revelations received
during visions
Committed to writing c. 650 CE,
compiled (Muhammad dies 632)
–Under the third Caliph, Uthman ibn
Affan
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Tradition of Muhammad’s life:
hadith
Historical Origins of
His Ideas
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Arab polytheism
Hanifism: a belief in one God traced to
Abraham, by tradition
Judaism
Christianity: Orthodox, Nestorian,
Arianism
Beginning of His
Ministry
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at about age 40, after a number of
revelations
began to preach publicly
continued to receive revelations until
death
Early religious career
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not particularly successful
threatened the social, political, and
religious structure, with his doctrine of
social equity
threatened the economic basis of Mecca as
a center of religious pilgrimage
particularly the Black Rock
– sacred to the chief deity of the Arabs
run out of town, or at least encouraged
to leave
– Went to the desert with his family and lived for
about a year
The Hijra
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flight from Mecca, to Yathrib (Medina)
-tradition: invited by the Jews of Medina
622 A.D.
beginning of the Islamic calendar
forms the umma (community)
welcomed, then resisted
Mohammed becomes an absolute theocrat
Jihad
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Attack on Mecca, 630 -- jihad
ten year blockade
a deal was made With Umayyad
clan
The Deal
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Mecca preserved as a holy city and place
of pilgrimage
– to preserve the economic prosperity
the Ka’aba preserved as the central shrine
– idols and icons destroyed
– story of its origins emphasized the role
of Abraham in its placement
– pilgrimage as an act of faith, at least
once in your life
The Ka’aba in
Mecca
The Religion: the Koran
(Qu’ran)
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the Koran (Qu’ran): contains much of Mohammed
recounting of Allah’s teachings
written down by his followers after his death
– from notes and memories, on “stones and
parchments”
Short: 114 chapters
– arranged from longest to the shortest
The Koran, con’t
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some “Old” and “New” Testaments
stories
– but sometimes the story seems a bit
different to Jews and Christians
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parables and fables
political polemic and prophecy
“non-religious” subjects
– not dissimilar to Jewish and Christian
scriptures in some ways
Five Pillars of Islam
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uniqueness of God
–‘There is no god, but God….’
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prayer five times a day
observe the month of Ramadan
give alms to the poor
pilgrimage to Mecca
–If possible, once in your life
Additional teachings
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dietary laws
no gambling or drinking
no sexual irregularities, as defined by
tradition and custom
no faulty weights or usury
no infanticide
elaborate rules concerning inheritance
and property
improvement in the status of women and
children
Changing Status of
Women
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Qu’ran improves status of women
– Outlawed female infanticide
– Brides, not husbands, claim dowries
Yet male dominance preserved
– Patrilineal descent instead of
matrilineal (Bedouins)
– Polygamy permitted, Polyandry (Women)
forbidden
– Veil adopted from ancient Mesopotamian
practice
Similarities to Judaism
and Christianity
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monotheism (defined a bit differently)
– No go betweens God and the Individual.
– Arabic
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insistence on the responsibility of human
beings
final judgment and rewards
angels and spirits messengers
practice of virtues: truthfulness,
compassion, etc.
Differences
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an emphasis on compassion and mercy
alms giving moderate
heaven conceived a bit differently
no priests or sacramental system
easy conversion: the Shahadah
– ‘There is no God by Allah, and Mohammed is his
prophet.’
Islamic Law: The Sharia
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Codification of Islamic law
Based on Quran, hadith, logical
schools of analysis
Extends beyond ritual law to
all areas of human activity
–This is the basis the idea of an
“Islamic republic” for instance
Expansion of Islam
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early victories
backsliders (tribes) punished
–Apostasy = treason = death
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assaults on:
–the Byzantine (East Roman) empire
–the Sassanid (Persian) Empire also
known as Eranshahr or “Empire of
the Aryans (Persians)”
Early Problems
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Succession ?
– Mohammed had no surviving male children
– Daughter: Fatima
– Son-in-law: Ali, child of his uncle
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generated a permanent split in the Islamic
community
– Sunnis
– Shi’as
Sunnis or “Sunnah”
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considered themselves the “orthodox”
followers of Mohammed
consider the Shi’as to be “dissenters”
issue: who leads after Mohammed ??
the Caliph (or “leader”)
went successively to followers
-Abu Bakr, then Oman
-then Uthman and
The Islamic Empire
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was the first of the four Arab
caliphates.
It was controlled by the first four
successors of Muhammad, known as the
"Rightly Guided" caliphs.
Founded after Muhammad's death in 632,
the empire lasted until 'Ali's death in 661.
The Four Rightly Guided
Caliphs
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- 632–634
- 634–644
- 644–656
- 656–661
Abu Bakr
Umar
Uthman
Ali
Spread of Islam
Muslim Arab Victories
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Syria: 635 A.D.
Palestine: 636 A.D.
Persia: captured in one battle
–expansion into India
–expansion to the borders of China
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Egypt: help by local Christians
North Africa: the Berbers
Expansion and Defeat
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Spain 711-720 A.D. (Franks)
Battle of Tours: October 732 A.D.
– Charles Martel (Carolingian Family)
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Siege of Constantinople: 717-718
A.D.
– Greek fire
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beginnings of Christian reconquest
of former Roman/Christian
territory (Holy Lands)
Reasons for success
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exhaustion of Rome and Persia
– End of a 400 year war
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nationalist sentiments in Egypt and Syria
arguments among Christian factions
speed and size of Muslim armies
simplicity and uncomplicated nature of
Islam
acceptance of the Old and New Testament
– People of the Book
Consequences of
Expansion
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loss of the oldest and most central lands
of Christendom
aided the ascendancy of the bishop of
Rome
virtual collapse of Zoroastrianism as a
major religion
radically altered the balance of power
between the Roman Empire and the East
disruption of the Mediterranean economic
community
Abu Bakr 632-634 [1st]
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not particularly popular with
the Muslim community
allowed raid, then invasions of
Byzantine and Persian territory
subjugated any dissident
elements or tribes
disposed of any “new prophets”
Success = strain
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success introduced luxury and change
– From original caliphs to the Umayyad caliphs
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new ideas and new ethnic groups
– with their own customs and heritage, to
try to assimilate
rise of a sort of “revivalist element”
– Islam had strayed from its original path
and purity
– Muslims were being led back to paganism
– caliphs were becoming idle, corrupt,
tyrants
Uthman 644-656 [3rd]
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murdered: warfare broke out
Ali: cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed
originally passed over as too young
contested the succession
Uthman supported by the Umayyad clan
– early enemies of Mohammed
– refused to accept Ali’s claims
Ali 656-661 [4th]
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Ali would eventually serve as caliph from
656-661 CE, then he is assassinated along
with most of his followers
Remaining followers organize separate
party called “Shia”
– Traditionalists: Sunni
Islamic Caliphates
 Umayyad
7-8th Century
 Abbasid 8-13th Century
 Fatimid 11-13th Century
 Ottoman 15-20th Century
Umayyad Caliphate
661-750
Umayyads
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successful in the war of succession
Ali assassinated in 661 A.D.
beginning of the Umayyad Dynasty
Non-Muslim replaced by believers
and the Introduction of Arabic as
the language of government
Sunni
Damascus then later Cordoba
Great Mosque at Cordoba
(Spain), eighth to tenth
centuries
Center of learning
Cordoba from Damascus/
Spanish Umayyads/ later
Abbasids controlled
arabesque
patterns/columns
Great Mosque of
Damascus (Syria),
706-715
Umayyads/2nd
Caliphate/
preexisting
Roman square
towers/
minarets
Left: Main entrance
to the prayer hall
of the Great
Mosque of
Damascus
Below: Spandrel
mosaic from the
Great Mosque of
Damascus
“Triumphal arch” mosaic from
the Great Mosque of
Damascus
Policy toward
Conquered Peoples
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Favoritism of Arab military
rulers causes discontent
Limited social mobility for nonArab Muslims
Head tax (jizya) on non-Muslims
Umayyad luxurious living causes
further decline in moral
authority
Dome of the Rock [Process]
Factions
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Sunni and Shi’as dominant
originally political
–Eventually the differences became
dogmatic in emphasis
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Shi’as become a party of
religious dissent
Perceptions
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Sunni: conservative, in favor of
the “status quo”
–consensus is the guiding principle
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Shi’as: defenders of the
oppressed, critics of privilege
and power
–obedience is required only as long
as it can be forced, and no longer
Umayyad Empire
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Atlantic Ocean (Iberian ) to India
Syria: center of the Islamic World
Secular, monarchy?
Civil war between various Islamic
groups
Eventually displaced by the Abbasids
and Fatimids [Saladin]
– an Arab family claiming decent from
Mohammed
Dome of the Rock,
Temple Mount Jerusalem
Fatimid Dynasty
910-1171
Fatimid Dynasty
Fatimid Empire
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replacing the Umayyad Empire in the
Magreb, Egypt, and the Levant
Founded the city of Cairo and
consolidated the Caliph. Islam was
briefly united under one caliph.
Promoted religious tolerance to Sunnis,
Jews, and Coptic Christians
Established a massive trade network in
the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and
East Asia during the Song Dynasty of
China.
Fatimid Decline
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Like elsewhere, the Fatimids gave select groups
governorship positions. These groups mainly the
Zirids in North Africa would eventually declare
themselves independent of the Fatimids.
Turkish invaders especially in the Levant and the
Crusaders would capture even more land.
For their political system, they had moved
toward military rule and eventually a nephew of
one of the generals, a man named Saladin would
take control
The Sunni Ayyubid Dynasty (Kurdish) under
Saladin would rule the lands of modern -day
Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and western Saudi Arabia.
Crusades had little effect on Fatimids and
Ayyubid Dynasties
Abbasid Caliphate
750 - 1258
Abbasid Dynasty
The Abbasid Dynasty
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Abu al-Abbas Sunni Arab, allied with Shia,
non-Arab Muslims
Seizes control of the Levant, Persia and
Mesopotamia
Baghdad
Defeats Umayyad army in 750
– Invited Umayyads to banquet, then
massacred them
– Only Spain remains Umayyad
Nature of the Abbasid
Dynasty
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administration (i.e. not exclusively
Arab) Use of Persians for Bureaucracy
Militarily competent, but not bent on
imperial expansion
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Dar al-Islam- House of Submission
which was all the lands ruled by
Islamic rule
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Growth through military activity of
autonomous Islamic forces
Golden Age of Islam-Cauldron of
Cultures
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Abbasid Decline
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Civil war between sons of Harun al-Rashid
Provincial governors assert regional
independence
Dissenting sects, heretical movements
Abbasid caliphs become puppets of Persian
nobility
Later, Seljuk Turks influence, Sultan real
power behind the throne
Almost all of their buildings are now lost
to time
BaghdadDestroyed by Mongols