Transcript The Beginnings of Islam - Appoquinimink High School

Today’s LEQs: What were the primary causes and consequences of
intensified trade and communication during Period 3?





Mostly nomadic tribes
Tribes often fought
Worshipped large
variety of gods
Took pride in oral
traditions/group loyalty
TRADERS (Muhammad
was a merchant)







Prophets = people who speak to humanity on
behalf of God
Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Jesus (Deity to Christians, Prophet in Judaism
and Islam)
Muhammad (last and most important
prophet in Islam)



Major trading/religious city
Importance of Kaaba
Located between Byzantine and
Sassanid Empire






Muhammad (570-632CE)
Retreats and revelations
Famous text: Quran
Rejection of the Kaaba’s gods
Growing movement towards Allah/Yaweh as
deity #1!
Followers kicked out of town (the Hijra in
622CE)


Holy book of Islam
Called for creation of a new society (Umma)
based on justice

Five practices of Islam that all observant Muslims
supposed to do:
 The Shahada – declaration of faith (monotheism is the




main point of Islam!)
The Salat – prayers performed five times a day
The Zakat – almsgiving (charitable donations) of about
2.5% of your total wealth
The Sawm – fasting during holy month of Ramadan from
sunrise to sunset
The Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a
Muslim’s lifetime (millions go every year)


Arabs make up
only 20% of the
Muslim world –
huge
misconception
Most Muslims
found in
Southeast Asia
today!







Easy to learn and practice
No priesthood
Teaches equality
Follow one law; the Sharia
Non-Muslims allowed religious freedom but
paid additional taxes
Easily “portable:  nomads and trade routes
Weakness of nearby empires (Byzantine and
Sassanid) allowed easy conquest

Unity found across Muslim areas
supported by common practice (the 5
pillars)



Muhammad’s death caused division – who
should lead?
Abu Bakr elected (632-634 CE)
Goal of conquest brings the umma together
 United all Arabs
 Distraction from internal fighting
 Promised a share of the booty
 AVOIDED mass conversions (at first)
 So they wouldn’t have to share their
booty
 So they could tax subjects at higher
rates



At issue: Who should lead the Muslim Umma?
First 4 caliphs = “The Rightly Guided,” most
agreed on these guys
Eventually, they split into two m ain sects:
 Sunni – “the majority” (caliph should be chosen
by the umma)
 Shi’a – “Party of Ali” (Muhammad’s relatives are
rightful caliphs)




Expansion (central Asia, N.W. India, N. Africa,
Spain)
Capital = Damascus (modern Syria)
Arab conquest state
Bureaucracy – Arab elite ruled over non-Arab,
non-Muslim populations
 Religious freedom tolerated, but had to pay extra
taxes

Segregated into garrison towns to prevent
mixing


Women’s status pretty good
Islam teaches that all people’s souls are
equal
 Active in commerce
 Pastoralist background

Became more patriarchal over time
 Revolt led by Abbasid family
 Non-Arab converts and Shi’ites
joined Abbasids
Centralized
Capital = Baghdad (Imitated Persian
culture)
 Non-Arab converts fully integrated
 Opportunities for education/gov’t
position
 LOTS of conversions







Urban
Madrassa schools
Trade & Hajj = constant and quick ideas
exchange
House of Wisdom in Baghdad = Center of
Learning
Ancient authors translated (especially Greeks
like Aristotle!)





Overexpansion
Caliphs hired personal armies of Turkic
Central Asian pastoralists (slave soldiers)
Centralization breaks downs
Mamluk & Seljuk Turkic slave soldiers really
run the gov’t (caliph = figurehead)
Mongols – kill the last caliph in 1258