Muslim World
Chapter 11
The Arabian Peninsula• Geography
• Farming limited in Arabia• Commerce lively
– Trade routes converged at Arabian Peninsula
– Ideas as well as merchandise exchanged
– Trade-dependent towns rose near coasts
• Mecca, near Red Sea, most important of coastal towns
• Religious purpose• The Kaaba, at heart of
Mecca• Site drew religious pilgrims• One god considered
supreme: Allah
Islam
• monotheistic• Prophet Muhammad said to have heard the
calling of God• journey from Mecca to Medina
– turning point for Islam. • Quran contains the sacred word
– final authority on all matters.
Islam – Way of Life
• Sharia– the Islamic system of law
• regulated moral conduct• family life • business practices• Government
• Unlike the West– the Sharia does not separate religious matters
from criminal or civil law.
Basic Belief• Followers memorized Muhammad's words, some wrote them
down
• Muslims read from Qur’an to hear Allah’s teachings
• Seek religious experience in rhythm, beauty of words
• Full meaning known only in original Arabic language
• Translations not true representation
Qur’an• Five basic acts of worship central to
Islam, Five Pillars of Islam• Profession of faith• Performance of five daily prayers• Giving of alms to poor, needy• Fasting during month of Ramadan• Make pilgrimage to Mecca
Five Pillars of Islam
Profession of Faith• “There is no god but God…” • By affirmation, Muslim signals
acceptance of the faith• Denies existence of other gods,
accepts Muhammad as prophet
Giving Alms to Poor, Needy• Muslims supposed to give
percentage of income to charity• Even those with little encouraged to
help others
Five Daily Prayers• Worshippers say daily prayers five
times during day• Always face Mecca to pray, no
matter where they are
Fasting During Ramadan• Muslims required to go without food,
drink, dawn to dusk • Ramadan when Muhammad began
to report messages written down in Qur’an
Five Pillars of Islam
Spread of Islam
Movements within Islam
• Sought to communicate with God through meditation, fasting, and other rituals.
• Believed that only descendants of Muhammad could become caliph.
• Believed descendants of Muhammad to be divinely inspired.
• Believed caliph, or successor to Muhammad, should be chosen by leaders of the Muslim community.
• Viewed caliph as a leader, not as a religious authority.
SUFISHIITESSUNNI
The Umayyads and the Abbassids
• These powerful caliphates ruled the Islamic world– expanded the Arab empire – brought about a golden age in Muslim civilization.
• Set up dynasty that ruled until 750
• Conquered lands from Atlantic to the Indus Valley
• Relied on local officials to govern the empire
• Faced economic tensions between wealthy and poor Arabs
• Overthrew the Umayyads in 750
• Ended Arab dominance and helped make Islam a universal religion
• Empire of the caliphs reached its greatest wealth and power
• Muslim civilization enjoyed a golden age
UMAYYADS ABBASSIDS
Advances
• Government set up hospitals with emergency rooms.
• Muhammad al-Razi studied measles and smallpox.
• Ibn Sina wrote a medical encyclopedia.
• Surgeons developed treatment for cataracts.
• Al-Khwarizmi developed astronomical tables.
• Astronomers calculated circumference of the Earth.
• Scholars studied Indian and Greek mathematics.
• Al-Khwarizmi pioneered the study of algebra and wrote mathematics textbook that became standard in Europe.
• Scholars tried to harmonize Greek ideas of reason with religious teachings of Islam.
• Ibn Khaldun set standards for scientific study of history.
MEDICINEASTRONOMYMATHEMATICSPHILOSOPHY
Islam in India
• In the 1100s, Muslim invaders entered northern India and organized a sultanate
• land ruled by a sultan.– Sultans introduced Muslim traditions of
government to India. – Many Turks, Persians, and Arabs migrated to India
to serve as soldiers or officials. – Trade between India and the Muslim world
increased.
Ottoman and Safavid Empires
Gunpowder
• the Mughals ruled India, the Ottomans, and the Safavids dominated the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe. – new military technology
• cannons and muskets. – “the age of gunpowder empires.”
Fears
• The fears to Islam– Negative stereotypes about Islam
• “the enemy within” • “Islamic terrorists”
– General stereotypes of Muslims:• as barbaric, irrational, fanatic, supportive of terrorism,
oppressive of women – simply: Anti-American
– biases • spread prejudices & stereotypes
Prejudice Stereotyping
Defamation Slander Attack by Media
Discrimination Alienation
Profiling Breach of Civil liberties
Hate Crimes: Verbal & Physical Abuse Vandalism & Arson of Mosques & shops
Murder
Measure your fear
Historical implications
Based on deeply embedded cultural biases • Crusades & Inquisition
– Holy War• Renaissance
– excluded Muslims• Colonial times
– Orientalists portrayed Arabs & Muslims as barbarian & primitive to justify colonial conquests
Myth 1 - Islam is a monolithic bloc
• Around 1.4 Billion Muslims in the world – Only 18% are Arabs
• Largest Muslim population – Indonesia 201M. – 55M Russia– 100M India– 24 in EU– 7-10 US (2nd largest religion)
• Muslims comprise 4000 ethnic groups in 128 countries • Muslims follow no single religious authority – no priesthood
Myth 2: Islam condones violence against non-Muslims
• Aggression is a vice in IslamThe Prophet defined the Muslim as one causing
no verbal or physical harm to othersIslam’s greeting to everyone is “peace be upon
you” Murder of one person or causing devastation of
any form is equated with killing all humanity
• “Jihad”– Striving to do good for the sake of God – A broad concept
Myth 3: Terrorism is Islamic - a fundamentalist duty
• Terrorism : Defined as “devastation on land” “killing people & destroying crops”– Recognized as most heinous crime
• Punishment for terrorism: execution, crucifixion or exile – Trial first.
• Terrorism as a phenomena – Hitler vs BinLaden
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