Beginning Remarks
The globalized world of today is simultaneously shrinking and growing as interactions between different groups of peoples increase. This heightened level of activity between different areas of the world exposes distinct cultures, religions, nations, etc. to one another, thus creating a smaller global society in the sense that individual cultures are becoming more aware of the vast amount of diversity in the world and creating a smaller pool of knowledge not yet known to them.
However, the horizons of the world are also expanding in terms of the amount of knowledge gained when delving further into the specific aspects of new cultures, as opposed to simply acknowledging their existence on a surface level. This growth of interplay requires that different cultures not only become aware of one another, but actively attempt to understand each other. Without this mutual and respectful acceptance, a perceived clash of civilizations develops.
One significant tension in the modern day is between the Westernized America and the broad Islamic civilization. The outward suspicion that America expresses towards Islam displays its general impression that Islamic civilization serves as more of a foreign barrier versus a potential source of knowledgeable wealth. In order to dissipate the animosity that Americans feel toward
Islam and its followers, the following four part lecture series has been organized in an attempt to explain Islamic civilization in an unbiased fashion. Throughout the lectures, certain terms may be unfamiliar to the general audience, and in order to offer a fuller understanding of the topics discussed, these terms will be accompanied by understandable definitions at whatever point they are first introduced to the audience. Thus far the term “Islamic civilization” has been used, but what does this mean? In the context of these lectures, a civilization is a composition of many localized groups that may be found in a wide range of areas and who share a similar culture, social organization, and history. When the audience walks away from this series of lectures, they will have
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not only gained a more specified understanding of what Islamic civilization is, but will also have gained respect for a contrasting culture.
Lecture One: Religion
The best way to begin to understand Islamic civilization is to learn about the establishment of Islam, which is both a religion that originated in Arabia as well as an Arabic term meaning
“surrender” or “submission” (Dolphin). Its roots trace back to 610 BCE when Muhammad ibn
‘Abdullah began to receive revelations from God and preached the messages publicly in Mecca, gradually building a localized following of believers who referred to him as the Prophet (Donner 1,
40-41). Word of his message spread throughout Arabia and was soon embraced by the town of
Yathrib (modern-day Medina) when they requested his help to act as arbitrator between their warring leaders, which was quite advantageous for him and his followers because they were facing intense discrimination in Mecca (42). The permanent pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina that
Muhammad and his followers embarked on is called the hijra, and it marks not only the start of the
Islamic calendar, but also signifies the critical changing point in the history of Islam where the religion became solidified and Islamic civilization began to grow.
Many transitions occurred because of the migration, including a shift from a position of weakness where Muslims were a small persecuted group, to a formidable allegiance with strong central leadership (Syed). It is also marks the transition from the spread of Islam through individual da’wah, which means to “issue a summon” or “make an invitation”, in regional areas, to institutionalized da’wah initiated by the state to spread to areas such as Egypt and Persia (Syed).
When Muhammad died in 632 BCE, the Muslims had expanded their territory to conquer Mecca and a majority of the other tribes in Arabia, and within the next century had reached from Spain to
India (Dolphin). Throughout the life of the Prophet, the messages from Allah (God) were memorized; however, in order to preserve and perpetuate The Word of God as delivered to
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Muhammad, the Islamic holy book, the Qur’an, was officially compiled under the rule of the third caliph, ‘Uthman (Ernst 93-95). Another important holy book in Islam is the Hadith, which is a grouping of statements and accounts of the Prophet, and which contains the Five Pillars of Islam, which provide the framework for a Muslim’s life. They include: shehada, bearing witness to the One and Only God; zakat, religious tax; siyam, fasting during Ramadan; hajj, temporary pilgrimage to
Mecca; and salat, prayers (Bassiouni).
Lecture Two: Culture and Cultural Values
The Quran and the Hadith are both elements of Islam that influence the culture. For example, the Quran encourages women to wear the hijab, and the Hadith sets forth the practice of men growing their beards (Ismail). Another integral factor is local tradition. As stated earlier, civilizations are comprised of many localized groups that share a similar culture and history. Islam is a religion that encompasses people from varying races, regions, languages, governmental types, etc. and so in different localities, customs may be slightly different, such as the status of the hijab. In regions such as Turkey and Tunisia for example, women are not allowed to wear the hijab, yet in
Iran and Saudi Arabia, the wearing of the hijab is enforced (Safi). Though there are differences in practice, there are many unifying themes that allow all those who identify themselves as Muslim to be part of Islamic civilization, most notably the adherence to the belief in Allah as the one true God.
All of the Five Pillars may also be included, but the fundamental idea which defines a person as
Muslim is sheahda. This overall broad system of beliefs combined with specific customs dictated by locality is what allowed Islamic civilization to evolve and be borne from Islam.
Art and poetry are also important elements that help to distinguish the culture and define
Islamic civilization. One of the most recognizable art forms in Islam is calligraphy. It is frequently, but not exclusively, frowned upon to create visual displays of leaders such as the Prophet, especially if they include the face, because it is seen as “idolizing” them, which takes away the importance of
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Allah. Therefore, calligraphy developed as a way to display artistic reverence and can be seen on important monuments such as the Taj Mahal.
Lecture Three: Political Institutions
Chief among the individuals that were not supposed to be depicted in Islamic artwork were caliphs, which is the title given to Muslim rulers. This system of having a centralized authority began after the hijra when Islamic civilization began gaining power and becoming more politically established; however, when the Prophet died, there was no longer a figure to lead the growing
Islamic empire, and thus there was a conflict over who would become the leader. This dispute generated a division among Muslims on the basis of who was qualified to succeed Muhammad, and these two factions still exist today. Sunni Muslims are those who believe that the position of caliphs should be determined by an election of religious leaders in the community whereas Shiite Muslims believe that the qualifying factor to become caliph should depend on the candidate’s direct lineage from the Prophet (Boeree).
Two of the most influential caliphates were the Umayyad, which was ruled by Sunnis, and the ‘Abbasid, which was ruled by Shiites. The Umayyad’s were the first Muslim dynasty in the sense that they were the first to pass down power within their family (Saylor). They were also responsible for expanding Islam to India, China, North Africa, and Spain, instilling Arabic as the official language of the empire, building roads, and creating postal routes (Moritz). The ‘Abbasid caliphate was the next set of rulers and was one of the greatest Islamic caliphates as it reigned during an era known as the “Golden Age” of Islamic civilization (Bennison 158). The ‘Abbasids advanced the intellectual foundations built by the Umayyads by extending the development of religious and applied sciences; however, the many advances that led them to be such a great dynasty also caused their downfall (158). Ibn Khaldun, a 14 th century Muslim philosopher, discusses in the Muqaddimah how elitism, such as that present in the ‘Abbasid empire, led to the beginning of the fall of dynasties
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(Class Lecture, 12/4/13). Though there were great intellectual and societal progresses, the end of the
‘Abbasids was also incredibly important because it signified the disintegration of an Islamic civilization that operated under the rule of a caliphate; the currency of political power became so profound that it distanced the political elite from the ordinary people, a concept that was not conducive to how the Muslims had traditionally governed their empire (Class Lecture, 12/4/13).
Lecture Four: Educational Advancements
As previously alluded to, Islamic civilization not only places value on religion and art, but science as well. The ‘Abbasid caliphate was instrumental in implementing progresses in many Islamic science categories: traditional, which included religious and historical tradition; rational, which included philosophy; and applied, which encompassed engineering and agriculture (Ernst 152,
Bennison 159). Particularly important advancements included the construction of palaces, baths, and mosques which featured running water and sewage systems (Bennison 159). Astronomy and medicine were also disciplines where significant progress was made, solely because of their political importance to the king (Ernst 152).
It is evident through verses such as “Allah will exalt those of you who believe and those who are given knowledge to high degrees” (58:11) and “O my Lord! increase me in knowledge” (20:114) that Muslims are encouraged through the Qur’an to seek knowledge (Chapter III). Therefore, education of all types is an incredibly important element to Islamic civilization. This pursuance not only allowed for the development of the Islamic civilization, but also influenced many other cultures that it has come in contact with, including that of Western civilization. This is seen through the
European’s borrowing of classical knowledge during the Renaissance that was preserved and development by Muslims (Bennsion 214). As author Amira Bennsion notes however, modern times have apparently forgotten this connection and fail to realize that the ‘division’ between East and
West is actually quite thin (214).
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Concluding Remarks
As proposed in the introduction of this lecture series, the purpose was to define and provide a better understanding of Islamic civilization so as to help promote a more respectful attitude among the audience towards a contrasting culture. As portrayed throughout the lectures, Islam is a religion that contains a specific belief system; however, its important role in Muslims’ life styles have allowed for an entire civilization to develop that was initially conceived on Islam’s basic religious principles, and from there, evolved into an entity with a distinct culture, history, and social organization. As the world becomes more globalized and more cultures are exposed to each other, it is important to remember that every civilization is connected to one another. This broad and unifying ‘human civilization’ is full of a wealth of knowledge that when harmoniously shared, can lead to great innovation, success, and a mutual respect that would deconstruct the notion of a clash of civilizations, and instead insure respectful acceptance.
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