RISE OF ISLAM
DESERTS, TOWNS, AND TRAVELERS
Arabian Peninsula is at the crossroads of
three continents
Most of the peninsula is desert
There are a few oases that can support
agriculture
DESERT AND TOWN LIFE
Nomads here are called Bedouins and they lived in
tribes and groups called clans
Clans competed with one another for scarce
resources
Harsh conditions made them develop into good
fighters, which would make up the core armies of
the Islamic empire later
Bedouin ideals of courage and loyalty to family
and warrior skills became an important part of
Islamic way of life later
By early 600s many Arabs had settled in towns
that could support agriculture
AT THE CROSSROADS OF CIVILIZATIONS
By early 600s trade routes ran through
the Arabian peninsula connecting the
Indian Ocean with the Byzantine and
Sassanid empires
Things like spices, incense, silk, and ideas
spread
Cities such as Petra and Palmyra were
prosperous trading cities along these
routes
MECCA
City of Mecca became an important stop
along the trade routes because the
Ka’aba was there. The Ka’aba was a
simple house of worship and people
went there in pilgrimage
Concept of one god, Allah in Arabic, not
new to the peninsula, as Christians and
Jews already lived and worked there
THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Born around 570 CE into a powerful clan
in Mecca
Raised by his grandfather and uncle
because he lost his parents at six
Became a trader and businessman
Married Khadijah, who was also his
business partner
REVELATIONS
Muhammad had been interested in religion
At age of 40 he received revelations from the angel
Gabriel
He believed that God spoke to him through Gabriel
and that god was Allah
He believed he was the last prophet
He taught that there was only one true god, Allah,
and all other gods had to be abandoned
Islam means “submission to the will of Allah” and
Muslim means “one who has submitted”
He began to preach this message in Mecca but it
was largely unpopular because many feared that
Mecca would lose its importance if the gods of the
Ka’aba were abandoned
THE HIJRAH
Muhammad went to Yathrib (later
renamed Medina) and there began to
get a lot of followers
This migration north was called the
Hijrah
He helped mediate disputes between
groups and joined the Jews and Arabs
in a community
Became a military leader in disputes
between Mecca and Medina
RETURNING TO MECCA
630 he returns to Mecca with thousands
of followers
Mecca’s leaders surrendered and the
Prophet entered the city in triumph
He destroyed the idols in the Ka’aba
Meccans declared loyalty to Muhammad
and converted to Islam
Muhammad died at age of 62
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF ISLAM
One god, Allah
Judgement at death and heaven and hell
Holy book is the Qur’an (Koran)
5 Pillars
All Muslims have to carry out 5 duties
Faith
Prayer
Alms
Fasting during Ramadan
Pilgrimage or hajj to Mecca
A WAY OF LIFE
No separation between personal and
religious life
Customs and laws in Islamic society ensure
that everyone is serving Allah and community
No pork or alcohol
Communal prayer on Friday afternoons
No priests or central authorities because
every Muslim should worship God directly
Ulama is the scholar class of Islam who deal
with learning and the law
SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
Allah is the original source of authority
Allah expressed his will through Gabriel and
then Muhammad
Muhammad’s revelations were written down
in the Qur’an
Qur’an is written in Arabic and only Arabic
can be used for worship
Arabic spread widely as Islam spread
Sunna, Muhammad’s example, is the best
way to live
SHARIA
Sharia is the legal system that regulated
family life, moral conduct, and business
and community life
 No separation between religious matters from
criminal and civil matters
 Brings sense of unity among Muslims since they
all follow it
LINKS TO JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY
Allah is the same as the god worshipped in Judaism and
Christianity
Muslims view Jesus as a prophet and not the son of God
Qur’an perfects the earlier revelations from God
Qur’an is the final book and Muhammad the final prophet
Trace their ancestry to Abraham
All believe in heaven and hell and judgement day
Christians and Jews were “dhimmi” or people of the book
and were well respected, as Sharia law required Muslim
leaders to extend religious tolerance to Christians and Jews
A large Muslim empire developed that included many
different people