1. Most major belief systems of the 2nd wave era emerged from core of established civilizations

2. In contrast, Islam and Christianity emerged from the outside ◦ a. Christianity from Roman-occupied Jews

◦ b. Islam from Arabian deserts and towns

A. Geography

› 1. Arabian Peninsula is mostly desert

› 2. farming possible with irrigation or at oases

a. a fertile area in the desert watered by a natural

well or spring

› 3. nomadic herders and Arab tribes/clans occupy

the peninsula

a. frequent warfare

A. Geography

› 4. Mecca – city in the middle of two

large, transcontinental trade routes

a. birthplace of Muhammad

b. Islam’s most holy city

A. Geography

› 5. Kaaba – black stone building sacred to Arabs

BEFORE Islam

a. supposedly built by Abraham / possibly originally a

meteorite

b. housed polytheistic idols used in prayer

c. still sacred to Muslims today

B. Muhammad

› 1. born around 570 CE in Mecca

› 2. began life as an illiterate shepherd

› 3. marries into wealthy caravan business

› 4. supposedly approached by angel Gabriel while

meditating in the desert

› 5. begins to preach a monotheistic religion to

polytheistic people

Make a prediction: What do you think will

happen to Muhammad as he preaches in

Mecca?

C. The Hijra

› 1. in 622 CE, Muhammad was forced out of

Mecca and fled to Yathrib

a. this journey is known as the Hijra

› 2. Muhammad was welcomed in Yathrib, built an

army, returned to Mecca in 630 CE and…

a. conquers enemies

b. destroys polytheistic idols in Kaaba

c. converts Kaaba into an Islamic shrine to Allah

d. unifies historically-divided Arabs

e. dies in 632 CE

f. leaves followers in chaos

1. Briefly describe the geography (environment) of the Arab world?› Mostly desert, little farming in oases

2. What is the most sacred city to Muslims?› Mecca

3. Who is the Prophet of Islam?› Muhammad

4. This temple was important to Arabs BEFORE the creation of Islam and was transformed into the most important Muslim building thereafter.› The Kaaba

5. What is the Hijra?› in 622 CE, when Muhammad was forced out of Mecca

and fled to Yathrib

D. Teachings of Islam

› 1. Islam is monotheistic (1 god)

› 2. belief in heaven (paradise) and hell

› 3. no “priests,” only teachers

D. Teachings of Islam

› 4. the 5 Pillars of Islam (cornerstone of religion)

a. declaration of faith

b. daily prayer 5 times a day toward Mecca

c. charity to the poor

d. fasting during Ramadan

e. hajj – once in a lifetime trip to Mecca

D. Teachings of Islam

› 5. sacred text is the Qur’an (Koran)

a. a complete guide for life / final authority on all

matters

b. stresses honesty, generosity, and social justice

c. contains harsh punishments for those who go

against the teachings in the Qur’an

d. written in Arabic

i. all Muslims must at least read Arabic

D. Teachings of Islam

› 6. Jihad = “efforts in God’s service”

a. often misinterpreted as holy war

b. leads to missionary conversions and/or wars vs.

others

› 7. People of the Book (Jews and Christians)

a. Muslims believe in the same god as Jews and

Christians

b. believe Bible and Torah are partially correct

E. A Way of Life

› 1. Islam is both a religion and way of life

› 2. Sharia – applies the Qur’an to everyday life

a. regulates moral conduct, family life, business

practices, government, etc.

› 3. women in early Islamic society

a. the Qur’an states that men and women are

spiritually equal

b. often Muslim women are portrayed as second

class citizens; however, this is not justified by the

Qur’an

1. What is the holy, sacred text for Islam? In what language is it written?› Qur'an / Arabic

2. According to Muslims, who were “People of the Book?” Also, what book(s)?› Jews and Christians / Bible and Torah

3. What are the 5 Pillars of Islam? a. declaration of faith

b. daily prayer 5 times a day toward Mecca

c. charity to the poor

d. fasting during Ramadan

e. hajj – once in a lifetime trip to Mecca

4. What is the unofficial “6th Pillar of Islam”? How did the meaning / interpretation of this change over time? › Jihad – “effort tin God’s service

› Becomes excuse for violence against other religions

“If you worship Muhammad, Muhammad is

dead. If you worship God, God is alive.”

A. after Muhammad’s death, the various

Arab tribes began to fight one another again

B. Abu Bakr becomes the first caliph

› 1. a successor of Muhammad

› 2. he unites Arabs and begins a remarkable series

of conquests [east and west of Middle East]

C. Why so Successful?

› 1. weakness of Persian and Byzantine Empires

› 2. bold and efficient fighting strategies

a. used Bedouin cavalry

› 3. the common faith united diverse peoples

a. Muslims actively converted those they converted

b. generally tolerant of Christians and Jews

D. Sects of Islam

› 1. the majority of Muslims are, and have been,

Sunni and Shia

› 2. the two sects disagree over the role of caliphs

(successors of Muhammad)

› 3. Sufis – Muslim mystics who meditate, fast, and

perform special rituals

• a. Abu Bakr suppresses tribal rebellions immediately (M had as well)

• b. Uthman and Ali (3rd and 4th) Caliphs are assassinated = civil war

[around 85% today]

• a. caliphs were rightful political and military leaders, selected by the religious community (merit)

[about 10%]

• a. believed STRONGLY that Islamic leadership must be derived from the line of Ali and his son Husayn, blood relatives to Muhammad

• *both of whom were assassinated

• a. believed religious authority came from the larger Islamic community

• b. particularly from religious scholars known as ULAMAS

• c. “advocates of the established order”

• a. believed religious authority was invested in IMANS who had the ability to infallibly interpret divine revelation and law that the early caliphs lacked

• b. minority status

• c. “the defenders of the oppressed, the critics and opponents of privileged and power”

• d. martyrdom and messianic elements

• splits further / continues today

• a. sought direct and personal experience with Allah

• b. sought to tame the ego and achieve spiritual union with Allah

• c. renunciation of the material world

• d. meditation on the words of the Quran

• e. chanting

• f. the use of music and dance

• g. the veneration of Muhammad and other “saints”

• that’s DIFFUSION home slice

E. Empires of the Caliphs

› 1. Umayyad Dynasty [661-750 CE]

a. capital in Damascus, Syria

b. carried Islam from India to Spain

c. Arabs held a privileged status among other Muslim

converts – caused resentment

d. power corrupts…

E. Empires of the Caliphs

› 2. Abbasid Dynasty

a. Banquet of Death – Umayyad family removed

b. ended Arab’s privileged status within Islam

c. the “golden age” of Islamic empire

d. moves capital to Baghdad on Tigris River (modern-

day Iraq)

i. “City of Peace, City of God, Paradise on Earth”

ii. becomes larger and wealthier than Constantinople

› Read: Huran al-Rashid P.259 – in blue

P. 264 – in red

F. Decline of the Caliph

› 1. after the Abbasid Dynasty, the Islamic Caliphate

(empire) becomes independent

kingdoms/empires

› 2. Muslims face waves of invasions

a. Seljuk Turks in 900s

b. Christian Crusaders between 1000s and 1200s

c. Mongols in 1200s