Transcript Islam

History; Empire
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emerges in Arabia, early 7th century, the product of the revelations given to Muhammad, and his
tireless work (570 – 632, born in Mecca, about 50 miles inland from the Red Sea coast, roughly in the
middle of the Arabian peninsula; Dies 632, buried in Medina
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When Muhammad enters the scene, the Arabs had not really made on mark on world historical events.
After his death, rapid advances – politically, militarily, culturally, artistically
The spread of Islam and the Caliphates
Great cultural and political centers were in Spain and Persia – Baghdad becomes a truly cosmopolitan city –
architecture, learning, etc. – later, power centre shifts to Istanbul/Turkey
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Qur’an
• is not a Trinity; but one – uncompromising
monotheism
• Islam based, like Judaism and Christianity, on a
book, said to be given to Muhammad in a
series of revelations – Quar’an (+ Hadith
• Islam rooted in majesty and authority of one
God, Allah, one prophet, Muhammad, and
one book, the Koran
Monotheism
Islam belongs to the family of monotheistic
faiths, the children of Abraham: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
Jews and Christians trace their genealogy to
Abraham through Sara and her son Isaac;
Muslims represent the other branch of the
family, which descends from Abraham’s son
Ismail and Sarah’s handmaid, his mother, Hagar
God’s Unity
Say: He is Allah,
The One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not,
Nor is He begotton;
And there is none
Like unto Him.
S‹urat al-Ikhl‹aß, 1-4
God: Light, Radiance
God is the Light of the heavens and the
earth; the likeness of His Light is a niche
wherein is a lamp (the lamp in a glass, the
glass as it were a glittering star) kindled
from a Blessed Tree, an olive that is
neither of the East nor of the West, whose
oil well nigh would shine, even if no fire
touched it; Light upon Light. (24.35)
True Piety
True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day,
the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of
one’s substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and
orphans, the needy, the traveller, beggars, and to
ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the
alms.
(S‹urat al-Baqara, 177)
“People of the Book”
• Jews and Christians in Arabia
• Expanse of new territory - major portions of the Roman and
Persian empires of Late Antiquity
• included many indigenous Christian communities, in several
denominations.
• They all came under Muslim rule, but demographically they
made up the religious majority in many places until well into
the eleventh century.
• Arabic speaking Christians were among the initial readers of
the Qur’an.
• In conquered territories (Syriac, Greek, Latin), Arabic becomes
everyday language.
Qur’an
• Presumes readers are familiar with Jewish and Christian
traditions, lore, and faith
• Presumes priority of Jewish scriptures and New Testaments
• Qur’an: “a corroborating scripture in the Arabic language to
warn wrong doers and to announce good news to those who
do well” (Qur’an 46.12).
• In the Qur’an, God advises the Muslims, “If you are in doubt
about what we have sent down to you, ask those who were
reading scripture before you” (Qur’an 10.94)
Also warns, criticizes Christians
• “[do not] follow the fancies of a people who went astray in
the past and led others astray and themselves strayed from
the right path” (Qur’an 5.77).
• “O People of the Book, do not exaggerate in your religion, and
do not say about God anything but the truth. The Messiah,
Jesus, Mary’s son, is only God’s messenger, and his word he
imparted to Mary, and a spirit from him. Believe in God and in
his messengers, and do not say, “Three.” Stop it! It is better
for you. God is but a single God; he is too exalted for anything
to become a son to him, anything in the heavens or anything
on the earth. God suffices as a guardian.” (Qur’an 4.171)
• People of the Gospel; People of the Book; Nazarenes;
Scripture People
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem skyline