Transcript I. Background

Islam Expands
Chapter 10 Section 2
Muhammad’s Successors
Muhammad did not name successor or how to choose
one
Muslim community elected Abu-Bakr (loyal friend) as
first caliph
Caliph = “successor” or “deputy”
New political formation = “caliphate”
Muhammad’s father-in-law, Abu Bakr, was named the khalifa
(caliph) or “Successor”
Rightly Guided Caliphs
“Rightly Guided Caliphs” = the first four caliphs
Abu-Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali
All personally had known Muhammad
Known as “rightly guided” because they used
Muhammad’s actions and the
Qur’an as guides for leadership
Concept of Jihad
jihad means “striving” – inner struggle
against evil
Also used to mean armed struggle against
unbelievers
Abu-Bakr used jihad to encourage & justify
the expansion of Islam
Muslim Conquests
Muslims eventually conquered Syria, lower
Egypt, Sassanid Empire (Persia)
Stretched from Atlantic Ocean in west to
Indus River in the east
Treatment of Conquered Peoples
Religious freedom (Qur’an forbids forced
conversion)
Christians & Jews were “people of the book”
Non-Muslims paid poll tax & certain restrictions
Reasons for Success
1) Desire to spread their faith
Victories seen as sign of Allah’s support
Fought to defend Islam
2) Armies were well disciplined & expertly
commanded
3) Non-followers of Christianity &
Zoroastrianism were persecuted by
Byzantines & Sassanid Empires, so they
welcomed Muslim invaders
Internal Conflict = Crisis
Difficult to keep unified rule
Uthman murdered – civil war erupts – struggle
for power
Ali (relative of Muhammad) v. Muawiya
(governor of Syria)
Ali was assassinated
Umayyad family came to
power
Moved capital to Damascus
Surrounded with wealth,
ceremony
Civil War – the Umayyads
Umayyads came to power & moved Muslim
capital to Damascus
Split between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims
Sunni
Believe that first four caliphs
were “Rightly Guided”
Shi’a
Believe that Ali should have
succeeded Muhammad
Muslim rulers should follow the All Muslim rulers should be
Sunna
descended from Muhammad;
don’t recognize the Sunna
Claim that the Shi’a distorted
the meaning of passages in
the Qur’an
Claim that the Sunni have
distorted the meaning of
passages in the Qur’an
Split of Islam
Division over Umayyad rule, office of caliph
The Shi’a believed the caliph should be
descendant of Muhammad
The Sunni believed that a caliph could be a ruler
who followed the Sunna (Muhammad’s
example), not necessarily a descendant
Both accused of misinterpreting the Qur’an
The Sufi rejected the luxurious life of the
Umayyads
Growth of Muslim Empire
Umayyad caliphate set up in Spain
Berbers (Muslims from N. Africa) also settled in Spain
Abbasids Consolidate Power - replaced the
Umayyads as ruler of the empire
Moved the capital to Baghdad
(key for trade)
Developed strong bureaucracy
Rival Groups Divide
Muslim Lands
Abbasids failed to keep control
Independent Muslim states arose
For example, the Fatimid Caliphate (Shi’a who claimed
descent from Muhammad’s daughter Fatima)
The Abbasid caliphate was connected to the
independent Muslims through religion, trade, and
economy
Muslim Trade
Muslim Empire had access to both land and
sea trade
Single language (Arabic) and single
currency (dinar) made travel & trade easier
Banks offered sakks, or letters of credit, to
merchants
Merchant with sakk from one city could
exchange it for cash in another city
In English, pronounced “check”
Muslim Culture
Chapter 10 Section 3
Muslim Society
Cultural traditions combined with Arabic
culture
Preserved Greek and Roman knowledge
Today’s Goal: Explain the contributions of
Muslim culture to the arts, literature, science,
math, and philosophy
Muslim Cities
Damascus, Córdoba, Cairo, Jerusalem
Cities symbolized strength of caliphate
Baghdad (Abbasid capital)
Extensive planning
Circular design of three protective walls
Palace of marble and stone at center
Main streets lined w/shops
Social Classes & Women
Upper class = Muslim at birth
Second class = converts to Islam
Third class = “protected peoples”
Lowest class = slaves
Qur’an stated men and women were equal in
faith
shari’a gave women more economic & property rights
Yet still subservient to men
Some women were educated, participated in public life
Muslim Scholarship &
Knowledge
The Prophet emphasized learning
House of Wisdom = library, academy, & translation
center in Baghdad
Scholars of various cultures worked together to translate
texts
Muslim Literature
Qur’an is standard for all Arabic literature
Poets praised the Prophet, Islam, & caliphs
Nature & pleasures of life
Ten Thousand and One Nights
Collection of fairy tales, parables, legends
Muslim Philosophy
Preserved works of Greek philosophers
“Ideal Man” – blend of cultures
The ideal and morally perfect man should be of
East Persian derivation, Arabic in faith, of Iraqi
education, a Hebrew in astuteness, a disciple of
Christ in conduct, as pious as a Greek monk, a
Greek in the individual sciences, an Indian in the
interpretation of all mysteries, but lastly and
especially a Sufi in his whole spiritual life.
Ikhwan as-Safa, The World of Islam
Muslim Art &
Architecture
Muslims discouraged images of living things
Calligraphy  beautiful handwriting
Geometric patterns in woodwork, glass, ceramics,
textiles
Architecture represents cultural
blending
Great Mosque of Damascus –
dome & vaulted ceiling
Great Mosque of Córdoba –
two tiers of arches to support ceiling
Muslim Medicine
Persian scholar al-Razi (Rhazes) – great
physician
Comprehensive Book, Treatise on Smallpox &
Measles
Patients recover quickly if breathed clean air
Muslim Math & Science
Solve problems by conducting experiments in lab
settings
Al-Khwarizmi  al-jabr (algebra)
Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) 
Optics
Revolutionary ideas about vision
Astronomy  needed for religious purposes
Muslim observatories
Astrolabe (navigation)
Armillary sphere