Birth Of Islam PDF

## BIRTH OF ISLAM ### BRIEF INTRODUCTION It appeared in Arabia in the 7th century AD with Mohammed and quickly spread throughout the world through wars and conquests (Middle East, North Africa and Spain). ### Context of the development of the Islamic religion To the north of the Mediterranean s...

## BIRTH OF ISLAM ### BRIEF INTRODUCTION It appeared in Arabia in the 7th century AD with Mohammed and quickly spread throughout the world through wars and conquests (Middle East, North Africa and Spain). ### Context of the development of the Islamic religion To the north of the Mediterranean sea (Western Europe), the barbarian kingdoms sooner or later converted to Christianity. This included the Byzantine Empire. The invasions from the south-east of the Mediterranean (Arabic invasions) had a very different result, most of the territories conquered by the Arabs were lost to Christianity and became Muslim. ### Who are the Arabs? The Arabs belong to the semi-nomadic Bedouin tribes, poor and backward, but also good soldiers and were used by the Byzantines and Persians in their armies, just as the Germans were used as soldiers in the Western Roman armies. ### What is Arabia? Arabia is mostly desert and oasis and the cities are culturally dominated by Siria, Egypt and Ethiopia and influenced by Christian beliefs and Judaism (from the Jews of the Diaspora). ### Birth of Islam In 622 AD, Muhammad, a middle-aged merchant from Mecca, moved to Medina (fuite) in the north and began to organise a religious and military movement. This move of the Prophet, also called Hegira or Hijra, will later be taken as the start of the muslim era. By the time of his death in 632, his movement had spread throughout Arabia. The Prophet's successors, the Caliphs, were very gifted leaders and convinced their followers that they were fighting for Allah. Within 10 years, they conquered Siria, Persia and Egypt without encountering much resistance. The Arabs fought for two reasons: 1. **spiritual**: they are promised the forgiveness of their sins and a beautiful life in paradise if they die for Allah. 2. **for material reasons**: in their military campaigns, they seize the wealth of the cities they conquer They also let the Christian elites and the Jewish population practice their faith in exchange for the payment of taxes. ### What about Islam? The Islamic religion is a strict monotheism, is based on Jewish, Christian and local traditions while recognizing the Bible as a holy text. Muhammed claims that Allah has inspired him as his prophet to proclaim the true and final religion believe: Islam and that this religion is to be spread throughout the whole world and if necessary by the sword and by conquest. Muhammed's teachings are collects in the Koran and Islam contains five basic but mandatory acts called "The Five Pillars of Islam" 1. **Faith**: they have to believe in Allah and they have to confess that Muhammed is his prophet and his messenger. 2. **Prayer**: they have to pray 5 times a day in the direction of the Mecca. 3. **Fasting**: they have to give up food and drink during day-light hours in the month of Ramadan. 4. **Almsgiving**: they have to help people in need and support the Muslim community throughout the whole world. 5. **Pilgrimage**: they have to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca once a lifetime. The Sunni believe that Muslim rulers should follow the Sunna or Muhammed example, it concerns 90% of the Muslims, others believe that Muslim rulers should come from Muhammed bloodline: Shia. ### Succession of Muhammed 1. **Caliphate (632-661)**, Muhammed is succeeded by four righteous califs. After the conquest of Arabia by Muhammed, they conquer Persia, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt and Tunisia. After Ali's assassinations, a new dynasty is established, the Umayyad Caliphate. 2. **Umayyad Caliphate (661-750)**, they move a capital city from Medina to Damascus in Siria, they established a centralized government with the califs making all the decisions. The califats becomes hereditary and Arabic become the language of administration and the Umayyads conquer north Africa, Spain, other parts of the Byzantine empire and central Asia. In the 8th century, the Umayyads attack France but in 732, Charles the Hammer puts an end to the Islamic expansion in France in Poitiers (battle of Tours). 3. **The Abbasid dynasty (750-1258)**, the Umayyads are overthrown by the Abbasids in 750, the Abbasids moved the capital city from Damascus to Bagdad, they leave the west for the east focus on Persia and this period is considered as the golden ages of the Muslims' Arabs. Bagdad is a huge center of learning and commerce, it's one of the largest and cosmopolitan cities in the world owned to Muslims, Christians, Jews and pagens from the middle east ans central Asia. In 800 AD it counts less that 100 people. As a center of learning, Bagdad is a city of museums, libraries, mosques and hospitals especially the house of Wisdom. In the 13th century, the Abbasid dynasty becomes corrupted and civil wars take place btwn members of the ruling elite (fighting for power) and popular uprisings and peasant rebellions weaken the dynasty, further more, In 1258, the Mongols invasions ends the Abbasid dynasty and destroy Bagdad. 1258 marks the end of the Arabic domination of the Muslim world. Islam will be later dominated by the Turkish Ottomans who conquer the Byzantine empire and eastern Europe as well as the middle east and part of north Africa. ### Video **What were the two main functions of the houses of wisdom?** 1. Center of learning 2. Center of translate **Who would be welcome there?** Copysts, scientists, scholars, chemists, alchemists **What made Bagdad a great choice for the house of wisdom?** Capital of the Islamic world, paper mills industry (moulins a papier).