Transcript Rise of Islam

Rise of Islam
Background
• Began in Arabia circa 600 CE
• Bedouins - Arab nomads, great
traders
• Mecca- trading crossroads,
important city
Arabian Peninsula
Muhammad (570-632 CE)
• Orphan- Mecca, good reputation, honest trader
• Married at 25 to 40 yr. old wealthy widow
• Worried-greed
• Spent time praying & reflecting alone
• Experienced revelation, or vision from God
• voice told Muhammad that he was Allah’s
(God’s) prophet, his duty to warn the people
about divine judgment
Muhammad
• 613 CE, Muhammad began spreading new
religion called Islam (surrendering to God)
• Followers called Muslims (surrendering ones)
More Muhammad
• Wealthy Arabians rejected Muhammad’s
teachings (rich should share their wealth w/the
poor)
• Muslims won support throughout Arabia
• Muhammad died in 632 CE after a brief illness
Muslim Beliefs
• Sacred Text=The Quran
• Written in Arabic
• Basic moral values & rules to guide
Muslims in everyday life
• Five Pillars of Islam
• Shahada: Declaration of faith
• Salat: prayer 5 times a day facing
Mecca
• Zakat: charity to sick & poor
• Sawm: fasting during Ramadan, the
holiest month in the Muslim calendar
• Hajj: a pilgrimage to Mecca at least 1
in a Muslims’ life
Spread of Islam
• Caliph leader or successor
• 680 CE-split in Islam
• Issue- who should be the caliph
• Sunnite Muslims believed that
the caliph was a political leader,
not a religious authority
• Shi’ite Muslims believed that
the caliph should be a relative of
Muhammad
• Infidels- non-believers
Muslim Accomplishments
• Developed the concept of “0” &
algebra
• Advanced in medicine: Inb Sina
wrote book Canon of Medicine
• calligraphy, the art of elegant
handwriting
• Dome of the Rock, the famous
mosque in Jerusalem