HISTORY/CIVICS

Chapter 02: Rise and Spread

of Islam

Scope of Syllabus:

• Introduction – Birth of Islam

• Five pillars of Islam – Central Teachings of Islam

• Muhammad’s successors and spread of Islam

• The Umayyad’s and Abbasid dynasty

• Spread of Islam through Trade

Introduction – Birth of Islam Click the link below to have a better understanding to the introduction of the topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDxKxnVZtgo

Prophet Muhammad was the founder of Islam.

The word Islam is an Arabic word which means “surrender”. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim or Mohammedan which in Arabic means, ‘One who surrenders to God’.

Birth of Islam:

Around the year AD 570 Muhammad, the founding prophet of Islam, was born in

Mecca.

He experienced a vision of the archangel Gabriel who declared Muhammad to be the

prophet of God. This is known as the First Revelation.

After the Revelation Muhammad started preaching a new religion, Islam.

The Revelations of Prophet Muhammad and Islam were compiled in a book the

Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam.

As Prophet Muhammad went about preaching Islam, all the tribes who earlier with

one another, became unified by their belief in Allah.

The Prophet’s preaching upset his enemies who thought him to be dangerous and

plotted to get rid of him.

In AD 622, Muhammad had to leave Mecca and flee to Medina along with his family

and a band of faithful followers.

This flight from Mecca to Medina was called the Hijrah in Arabic, means ‘migration’.

All Muslims use AD 622 as the Year One of their calendar.

A core of committed Muslims was established, and a community life was ordered

according to the requirements of the new religion.

Click the link below to have a better understanding of the discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPrROFaLoEA

Five Pillars of Islam – Central Teachings of Islam:

1. Profession of Faith (shahadah). The belief that "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God" is central to Islam.

2. Prayer (salah). Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark.

3. Alms (zakah). In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need.

4. Fasting (sawm). During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and

drink. The month of Ramadan is sacred because the first revelation of the Koran is said to have occurred during this month.

5. Pilgrimage (hajj). Muslims who have the physical and financial ability should perform the pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

Follow the link:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMiGaKLM-eY

Central Teachings of Islam:

Belief in one God who is the creator of the entire universe. He is the only one all powerful, all-knowing God.

Belief in God’s messenger, Muhammad – the last of the messengers of God.

Forbids idol worship and manifestation of human or animal figures.

There will be a last judgment during which all humanity will be raised to life and appear before Allah to be judged.

Denounces consumption of alcohol and pork.

Muhammad’s Successors and Spread of Islam

After Muhammad’s death in 632 AD, no one could legitimately claim to be the next

prophet of Islam.

The Muslim community elected as their leader Abu-Bakr, a loyal friend of Muhammad.

In 632 AD, Abu-Bakr became the first caliph, a title that means “successor” or

“deputy”.

Rightly Guided Caliphs Abu-Bakr and the next three elected caliphs – Umar, Uthman, and Ali – all had known Muhammad.

They used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions as guides to leadership. For this they

are known as “rightly guided” caliphs. Their rule was called as caliphate.

****Click the link below to have a better understanding of the discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOiaKsVwtms

The sects of Islam: The Sunnis, who form the majority of Muslims the world over, recognize the

succession from Prophet Muhammad to Abu-Bakr to the next three caliphs.

The Shiites are followers of Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law.

The Sufis, the Ismailis and the Wahhabis are the other important sects.

The Umayyad dynasty:

Umayyad dynasty was the first great Muslim dynasty to rule the empire of

the caliphate (661–750 CE), sometimes referred to as the Arab kingdom.

Under ʿAbd al-Malik (reigned 685–705) the Umayyad caliphate continued

to expand.

In an extensive program of Arabization, Arabic became the state

language; the financial administration of the empire was reorganized,

with Arabs replacing Persian and Greek officials; and a new Arabic

coinage replaced the earlier coins.

Communications improved with the introduction of a regular post

service from Damascus to the provincial capitals, and architecture

flourished.

The last Umayyad, Marwān II (reigned 744–750), was defeated at

the Battle of the Great Zab River (750).

Vigorous religious and political opposition to the Umayyad caliphate led to

its downfall.

The most powerful rebel group, the Abbasids, took control of the empire.

YouTube Link:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rACWxttgqeA

The Crusades:

The Crusades were a series of eight holy wars made by Christians of Western

Europe to rescue the Holy Land of Jerusalem from the Muslims from the 11th to

the 13th century.

All classes of the Europeans took part in these wars – from the king to the

peasant – even children.

The Cross was the symbol of Christianity while the Crescent was the symbol of

the Muslims.

They also came to be known as the wars between the Cross and the Crescent.

Please follow the Link for better understanding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcGzQ3ga5R8

The Abbasid dynasty:

Islamic culture started to evolve under the Umayyads, but it grew to

maturity in the first century of the Abbasid dynasty.

The Abbasids developed a strong bureaucracy to conduct the huge

empire’s affairs. A treasury kept track of the money flow.

A special department managed the business of the army.

Diplomats from the empire were sent to courts in Europe, Africa and Asia

to conduct imperial business.

Under the Abbasid rulers, there was a significant growth of new towns

and great wealth.

The Arab ships known as Dhows carried goods from Asia to Europe and

Africa.

In the cities artisans made furniture, glassware, jewelry and beautiful

carpets which were exported.

YouTube Link:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSOvLF6Xq-o

Spread of Islam through Trade:

After the 7th century AD, Arabia became the Centre of trade and

exchange of goods.

Through these contacts, the Arabs came in touch with the cultures of

Persia, Egypt, Romans, Greeks and Mesopotamia.

Baghdad, the Arab capital, became a highly rich city. The Abbasids

controlled the trade-routes through the Mediterranean sea, which linked

Europe with India and China.

The Ottomans imposed many restrictions on the Europeans for trade.

The items traded were honey and furs from Russia, slaves and ivory from

Africa and silk, jewels and spices from the East.

The Arabs and Turks traded through many countries through these

contacts.

Impact of Islam on Literature:

As Arabic became the official language, it replaced Greek throughout the

middle East and Persia.

They got translated the Greek and the Indian literary works of religion,

science, philosophy and medicine into Arabic.

The Indian decimal place notation system and ‘0’ (zero) passed into the

Arab hands. And later on developed and used by the Europeans.

The concept of zero and the decimal system and the numerals were

learnt by the world from India through Arabs.

Poetry and Folklore:

The great poets, Omar Khayyam and Ali Firdausi are famous all over the

world for their composition, couplets and folklore.

Omar Khayyam was also a great mathematician, and devised a calendar

which is regarded more accurate than the Georgian Calendar.

The Arab astronomer Abu Mashar came to Benaras and studied

astronomy there for ten years.

Islamic Architecture:

Islamic architecture has a wide range of both secular and religious styles

from the foundation of Islam to the present day.

It influenced the design and construction of buildings and structures

within the sphere of Islamic culture.

The principal architectural types of Islamic architecture are; the Mosque,

the Tomb, the Palace and the Fort.

***NEW TERMS TO LEARN Gabriel: In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an angel who serves as a messenger

from God.

Koran: The Koran is the central religious text of Islam.

Caliph: A spiritual leader of Islam.

Jihad: A war or struggle against unbelievers.

Umayyad: The Umayyad was the first great Muslim dynasty to rule the Empire

of the Caliphate (AD 661-750).

Abbasid: An Arabic dynasty (750-1258) that expanded the Muslim empire. It

was named for al-Abbas (566-652), paternal uncle of the prophet Muhammad.

WORSHEET

A. Answer the following questions briefly:

1. Name any two religions which profess monotheism.

2. Define ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’.

3. Which is the original home of Islam?

4. What is the First Revelation?

5. Mention any two teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

6. Mention the five pillars of Islam.

7. Who became the first caliph?

8. What is the main objective of Salah?

9. What is Zakat?

10.Why is the month of Ramadan considered sacred?

11. Explain the term ‘Rightly Guided Caliphs’.

12. Name two dynasties under which Islamic culture flourished and developed.

13. What are the principle architectural types of Islam?

14. Name the great poets of the Islamic world.

B. CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER:

1. The founding prophet of Islam.

a. Ali b. Muhammad c. Omar

2. Omar Khayyam was a

a. Scientist b. Astrologer c. Mathematician

3. The sacred script of Islam.

a. The Bible b. Bhagwat geeta c. Koran

4. What is Sawm?

a. Fasting b. Prayer c. Alms giving

5. What is Salah?

a. Pilgrimage b. Fasting c. Prayer

6. Prophet Muhammad was born in the year.

a. 622 AD b. 590 AD c. 570 AD

7. Which year is used as the year one of the Muslim calendar?

a. 570 AD b. 633 AD c. 622 AD

8. A spiritual leader of Islam is called as

a. Caliph b. Priest c. Pandit

9. A war of struggle against unbelievers.

a. Cold war b. Jihad c. Boycott

10. Which of the following is not an architectural type of Islam?

a. Dome b. Fort c. Arch

11. It is the birth place of prophet Muhammad.

a. Medina b. Mecca c. Damascus

12. Who succeeded Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD?

a. Abu-Bakr b. Omar c. Ali

C. STATE TRUE/FALSE. ALSO CORRECT THE FALSE STATEMENS:

1. Abbasid dynasty was the first great Muslim dynasty.

2. Al Firdausi was a scientist.

3. The Taj Mahal is in Arabia.

4. The Koran was written in Urdu.

5. Dhows are small boats.

ANSWERS key: EXERCISE – A

1. Christianity and Islam.

2. The word Islam is an Arabic word which means “surrender”. A follower of Islam is

called a Muslim or Mohammedan which in Arabic means, ‘One who surrenders to God’.

3. Mecca

4. Prophet Muhammad experienced a vision of the archangel Gabriel who declared

Muhammad to be the prophet of God. This is known as the First Revelation.

5. Prophet Muhammad preached about the unity of Godhead and he also opposed

the idol worship.

6. The five pillars of Islam are:

a. The profession of faith (Shahadah)

b. Prayer (Salah)

c. Alms giving (Zakah)

d. Fasting (Sawm)

e. Pilgrimage (Hajj)

7. Abu-Bakr became the first caliph.

8. To pray five times each day.

9. To give a share of personal wealth to help people in need and support the Muslim

community.

10. The month of Ramadan is sacred because the first revelation of the Koran is said to

have occurred during this month.

11. “Rightly Guided” Caliphs Abu-Bakr and the next three elected caliphs – Umar, Uthman,

and Ali – all had known Muhammad. They used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions

as guides to leadership. For this, they are known as the “rightly guided” caliphs. Their

rule was called as caliphate.

12. The Umayyad dynasty and the Abbasids dynasty.

13. The principle architectural types of Islamic architecture are: the Mosque, the Tomb,

the Palace and the Fort.

14. Omar Khayyam and Ali Firdausi.

EXERCISE - B ANSWERS:

1. (B)

2. (C)

3. (C)

4. (A)

5. (C)

6. (C)

7. (C)

8. (A)

9. (B)

10. (C)

11. (B)

12. (A)

EXERCISE - C ANSWERS:

1. FALSE (Umayyad dynasty was the first great Muslim dynasty.)

2. FALSE (Al Firdausi was a Poet.)

3. FALSE (The Taj Mahal is in Agra(India))

4. FALSE (The Koran was written in Arabic)

5. TRUE