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Chapter 14
The Expansive Realm of Islam
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Muhammad and His Message
Born 570 to merchant family in Mecca Orphaned as a child Marries wealthy widow c. 595, works as merchant Familiarity with paganism, Christianity and
Judaism as practiced in Arabian peninsula
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Muhammad’s Spiritual Transformation Visions c. 610 CE Archangel Gabriel Monotheism Attracts followers to Mecca
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The Quran
Record of revelations received during visions Committed to writing c. 650 CE (Muhammad dies
632) Tradition of Muhammad’s life: hadith
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Conflict at Mecca
Muhammad’s monotheistic teachings offensive to polytheistic pagans
Economic threat to existing religious industry Denunciation of greed affront to local aristocracy
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The Hijra
Muhammad flees to Yathrib (Medina) 622 CE Year 0 in Muslim calendar
Organizes followers into communal society (the umma) Legal, spiritual code Commerce, raids on Meccan caravans for sake of umma
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The “Seal of the Prophets”
Islam as culmination and correction of Judaism, Christianity
Inheritor of both Jewish and Christian texts
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Muhammad’s Return to Mecca Attack on Mecca, 630 Conversion of Mecca to Islam Destruction of pagan sites, replaced with mosques
Ka’aba preserved in honor of importance of Mecca Approved as pilgrimage site
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The Ka’aba
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The Five Pillars of Islam
No god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet Daily prayer Fasting during Ramadan Charity Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
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Muslims at Prayer
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Jihad
“struggle” Against vice Against ignorance of Islam
“holy war”
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Islamic Law: The Sharia
Codification of Islamic law Based on Quran, hadith, logical schools of
analysis Extends beyond ritual law to all areas of human
activity
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The Caliph
No clear to successor to Muhammad identified Abu Bakr chosen to lead as Caliph Led war against villagers who abandoned Islam
after death of Muhammad
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The Expansion of Islam
Highly successful attacks on Byzantine, Sassanid territories
Difficulties governing rapidly expanding territory
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The expansion of Islam, 632-733 C.E.
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The Shia
Disagreements over selection of caliphs Ali passed over for Abu Bakr Served as caliph 656-661 CE, then assassinated along
with most of his followers Remaining followers organize separate party called
“Shia” Traditionalists: Sunni
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Shi’ite Pilgrims at Karbala
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The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 CE) From Meccan merchant class Capital: Damascus, Syria Associated with Arab military aristocracy
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Policy toward Conquered Peoples Favoritism of Arab military rulers causes
discontent Limited social mobility for non-Arab Muslims Head tax (jizya) on non-Muslims Umayyad luxurious living causes further decline
in moral authority
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The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258 CE) Abu al-Abbas Sunni Arab, allied with Shia, non-
Arab Muslims Seizes control of Persia and Mesopotamia Defeats Umayyad army in 750
Invited Umayyads to banquet, then massacred them
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Nature of the Abbasid Dynasty Diverse nature of administration (i.e. not
exclusively Arab) Militarily competent, but not bent on imperial
expansion Dar al-Islam Growth through military activity of autonomous
Islamic forces
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Abbasid Administration
Persian influence Court at Baghdad Influence of Islamic scholars (ulama, qadi)
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Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786-809 CE) High point of Abbasid dynasty Baghdad center of commerce Great cultural activity
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Abbasid Decline
Civil war between sons of Harun al-Rashid Provincial governers assert regional independence Dissenting sects, heretical movements Abbasid caliphs become puppets of Persian nobility Later, Saljuq Turks influence, Sultan real power behind
the throne
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Economy of the Early Islamic World Spread of food and industrial crops
Trade routes from India to Spain Western diet adapts to wide variety New crops adapted to different growing seasons
Agricultural sciences develop Cotton, paper industries develop
Major cities emerge
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Formation of a Hemispheric Trading Zone Historical precedent of Arabic trade Dar al-Islam encompasses silk routes
ice exported from Syria to Egypt in summer, 10th century
Camel caravans Maritime trade
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Banking and Trade
Scale of trade causes banks to develop Sakk (“check”)
Uniformity of Islamic law throughout dar al-Islam promotes trade
Joint ventures common
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Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain)
Muslim Berber conquerors from North Africa take Spain, early 8th c.
Allied to Umayyads, refused to recognize Abbasid dynasty Formed own caliphate Tensions, but interrelationship
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Changing Status of Women
Quran improves status of women Outlawed female infanticide Brides, not husbands, claim dowries
Yet male dominance preserved Patrilineal descent Polygamy permitted, Polyandry forbidden Veil adopted from ancient Mesopotamian practice
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Formation of an Islamic Cultural Tradition Islamic values
Uniformity of Islamic law in dar al-Islam Establishment of madrasas Importance of the Hajj
Sufi missionaries Asceticism, mysticism Some tension with orthodox Islamic theologians Wide popularity
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Al-Ghazali (1058-1111)
Major Sufi thinker from Persia Impossibility of intellectual apprehension of
Allah, devotion, mystical ecstasy instead
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Cultural influences on Islam
Persia Adminstration and governance literature
India Mathematics, science, medicine
“Hindi” numbers
Greece Philosophy, esp. Aristotle Ibn Rushd/Averroes (1126-1198)
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