The Rise of Islam. What do you know about Islam? What have you heard about Islam? Tell me five...
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Transcript of The Rise of Islam. What do you know about Islam? What have you heard about Islam? Tell me five...
The Rise of Islam
• What do you know about Islam?
• What have you heard about Islam?
• Tell me five things about Islam.
• Islam: Submission to will of Allah (god)
• Muslim: One who has submitted
The Rise of Islam
The Arabian Peninsula
The Rise of Islam1. Setting the Stage: The Arabian Peninsula
a. Connection to 3 Continentsi. Africa, Asia, and Europe
ii. Mostly desert with few oases for little agriculture
iii. Desert inhabited by nomadic Arab herders
The Rise of Islamb. Bedouins: Arab nomads organized into tribes and clans
i. Had ideals of courage & loyalty to the family
ii. Possessed warrior skills
iii. Would become part of Islamic way of life
The Rise of Islamc. Mecca: City in Western Arabia (Modern day Saudi Arabia)
i. Ka’aba: ancient shrine people came to worship at
1. Black stone- built by Abraham and son Ishmael
2. Contained 360 idols worshipped by many tribes
What is the black object at the center and what is happening?
The Ka’aba
The Ka’aba
• Men and Women are Equal
• Forced Marriages
• No Women’s Rights
• Women not allowed to show face
• The Koran teaches tolerance
• Terrorism is associated with Islam
The Rise of Islamii. Muhammad
1. Orphaned at age 6 and raised by grandfather and uncle
2. At age 25 Muhammad became a businessman and trader
3. Married Khadijah, a businesswoman
4. Life changes: While meditating in a cave, he is visited by angel Gabriel who proclaims to Muhammad to preach message that there is only one true god
5. Began to preach and spread Islam
6. Not seen as divine (having extra power)
The Islamic World is not at all a monolithic entity
Nationality Language Family
Arabs Semitic
Turks, Central Asians Altaic
Iranians, Pakistanis Indo-European
Indonesians Malayo-Polynesian
Sub-Saharan Africa Various
A Bit About Arabic
• Semitic Languages based on three-letter roots
• Example: s-l-m, connotes wisdom, harmony
– Salaam, peace
– Suleiman (Solomon)
– Islam (submission to divine will)
– Muslim (one who submits to divine will)
A Bit About Arabic• European languages modify words mostly through
suffixes• Arabic relies extensively on prefixes as well
– Hence there are no simple alphabetical dictionaries of Arabic
• Arabic has numerous sounds not found in English• Arabic omits most short vowels in print• Arabic does not distinguish o and u clearly, or e
and i.• There is no single way to transliterate Arabic and
English
– Written Arabic isn’t spoken– Spoken Arabic isn’t written– Arabic is the language of the Koran and all
Arabic speakers insist they speak Arabic– Linguists would (and some do) subdivide
Arabic into 5-6 distinct languages
Arabia in Mohammed's time
• Various tribal religions
• Jewish communities
• Christian communities, usually splinter sects
Mohammed• Born about 570 in Mecca About 610, claims to receive visions and
messages. These collected and written down about 650
as the Koran. Flees to Medina, 622 (hegira) Return to Mecca, 630 Unified Arabia by the time of his death in
632
The Pillars of Islam 1. Creed
2. Five daily prayers
3. Alms
4. Fasting during Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)Haji denotes one who has made the Hajj
• Some authorities add a sixth pillar:6. Jihad or Holy War in defense of Islam.Means active opposition to evil and injustice, more than literal warfare.
Sources of Islamic Doctrine
• Koran (from root meaning read or study)
• Hadith (tradition): traditional sayings of Mohammed and other early followers
– Tradition of the Mahdi
• Sharia (way): Codified Islamic Law
The Koran• About as long as the New Testament• 114 suras, arranged from longest to shortest• Most suras are collections of Mohammed’s
teachings with no overall theme• Suras are labeled by distinctive or unusual
words found in each• No historical chapters• Considered the definitive form of Arabic• Strictly speaking, cannot be translated, only
paraphrased
The spread of Islam
Inherent appeal Simplicity
Equality
Rights for Women
High moral teachings
Jihad Military skill
Good government
Tolerance
Conversion Incentives Tax on "People of the
Book” - Originally Christians and Jews, later Hindus and certain other groups as well.
Forced conversion of pagans
Trade Indonesia and sub-
Saharan Africa
The spread of Islam
Schism about 700 A.D. Reasons:
Succession to Caliphate (Kalifa, successor; successor of Mohammed)
Incorporation of non-Koranic elements into Islam
Worldliness of Caliphs, discrimination against non-Arab Muslims
Shiites (shia: party or faction) about 10% (mostly Iran) Fundamentalist?
Sunnites (Sunna: beaten path) about 90%
Effects of Islam Preserve classical learning Innovations in astronomy and mathematics Link between East and West "Arabic" numbers from India Trigonometry also from India Sanctuary for Judaism
A Few Arabic Contributions
• Alcohol
• Alkali
• Alchemy
• Benzine
• Boron
• Zircon
• Jar
• Alfalfa
• Algorithm
• Algebra
• Almanac
• Azimuth
• Alidade
• Most Star Names
Star Names
The Spanish Connection
• Wadi-al-yahara (Valley of Flowing Water) Guadalajara
• Al-ghattas (type of sea bird) Alcatraz (pelican)
• Al-amir-al-bahr (lord of the sea) Almirante Admiral
• Jebel Tariq (Tariq’s mountain) Gibraltar• Much “Spanish” architecture is actually
Arabic