Muslim World

Chapter 11

The Arabian Peninsula

• Geography• Farming limited in Arabia

• Commerce lively

– Trade routes converged at Arabian Peninsula

– Ideas as well as merchandise exchanged

– Trade-dependent towns rose near coasts

• Mecca, near Red Sea, most important of coastal towns

• Religious purpose• The Kaaba, at heart of

Mecca

• Site drew religious pilgrims

• One god considered supreme: Allah

Islam

• monotheistic• Prophet Muhammad said to have heard the

calling of God• journey from Mecca to Medina

– turning point for Islam. • Quran contains the sacred word

– final authority on all matters.

Islam – Way of Life

• Sharia– the Islamic system of law

• regulated moral conduct• family life • business practices• Government

• Unlike the West– the Sharia does not separate religious matters

from criminal or civil law.

Basic Belief• Followers memorized Muhammad's words, some wrote them

down

• Muslims read from Qur’an to hear Allah’s teachings

• Seek religious experience in rhythm, beauty of words

• Full meaning known only in original Arabic language

• Translations not true representation

Qur’an

• Five basic acts of worship central to Islam, Five Pillars of Islam

• Profession of faith• Performance of five daily prayers• Giving of alms to poor, needy• Fasting during month of Ramadan• Make pilgrimage to Mecca

Five Pillars of Islam

Profession of Faith• “There is no god but God…” • By affirmation, Muslim signals

acceptance of the faith• Denies existence of other gods,

accepts Muhammad as prophet

Giving Alms to Poor, Needy• Muslims supposed to give

percentage of income to charity• Even those with little encouraged to

help others

Five Daily Prayers• Worshippers say daily prayers five

times during day• Always face Mecca to pray, no

matter where they are

Fasting During Ramadan• Muslims required to go without food,

drink, dawn to dusk • Ramadan when Muhammad began

to report messages written down in Qur’an

Five Pillars of Islam

Spread of Islam

Movements within Islam

• Sought to communicate with God through meditation, fasting, and other rituals.

• Believed that only descendants of Muhammad could become caliph.

• Believed descendants of Muhammad to be divinely inspired.

• Believed caliph, or successor to Muhammad, should be chosen by leaders of the Muslim community.

• Viewed caliph as a leader, not as a religious authority.

SUFISHIITESSUNNI

The Umayyads and the Abbassids

• These powerful caliphates ruled the Islamic world– expanded the Arab empire – brought about a golden age in Muslim civilization.

• Set up dynasty that ruled until 750

• Conquered lands from Atlantic to the Indus Valley

• Relied on local officials to govern the empire

• Faced economic tensions between wealthy and poor Arabs

• Overthrew the Umayyads in 750

• Ended Arab dominance and helped make Islam a universal religion

• Empire of the caliphs reached its greatest wealth and power

• Muslim civilization enjoyed a golden age

UMAYYADS ABBASSIDS

Advances

• Government set up hospitals with emergency rooms.

• Muhammad al-Razi studied measles and smallpox.

• Ibn Sina wrote a medical encyclopedia.

• Surgeons developed treatment for cataracts.

• Al-Khwarizmi developed astronomical tables.

• Astronomers calculated circumference of the Earth.

• Scholars studied Indian and Greek mathematics.

• Al-Khwarizmi pioneered the study of algebra and wrote mathematics textbook that became standard in Europe.

• Scholars tried to harmonize Greek ideas of reason with religious teachings of Islam.

• Ibn Khaldun set standards for scientific study of history.

MEDICINEASTRONOMYMATHEMATICSPHILOSOPHY

Islam in India

• In the 1100s, Muslim invaders entered northern India and organized a sultanate

• land ruled by a sultan.– Sultans introduced Muslim traditions of

government to India. – Many Turks, Persians, and Arabs migrated to India

to serve as soldiers or officials. – Trade between India and the Muslim world

increased.

Ottoman and Safavid Empires

Gunpowder

• the Mughals ruled India, the Ottomans, and the Safavids dominated the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe. – new military technology

• cannons and muskets.

– “the age of gunpowder empires.”

Fears

• The fears to Islam– Negative stereotypes about Islam

• “the enemy within” • “Islamic terrorists”

– General stereotypes of Muslims:• as barbaric, irrational, fanatic, supportive of terrorism,

oppressive of women – simply: Anti-American

– biases • spread prejudices & stereotypes

Prejudice Stereotyping

Defamation Slander Attack by Media

Discrimination Alienation

Profiling Breach of Civil liberties

Hate Crimes: Verbal & Physical Abuse Vandalism & Arson of Mosques & shops

Murder

Measure your fear

Historical implications

Based on deeply embedded cultural biases • Crusades & Inquisition

– Holy War• Renaissance

– excluded Muslims• Colonial times

– Orientalists portrayed Arabs & Muslims as barbarian & primitive to justify colonial conquests

Myth 1 - Islam is a monolithic bloc

• Around 1.4 Billion Muslims in the world – Only 18% are Arabs

• Largest Muslim population – Indonesia 201M. – 55M Russia– 100M India– 24 in EU– 7-10 US (2nd largest religion)

• Muslims comprise 4000 ethnic groups in 128 countries • Muslims follow no single religious authority – no priesthood

Myth 2: Islam condones violence against non-Muslims

• Aggression is a vice in IslamThe Prophet defined the Muslim as one causing

no verbal or physical harm to othersIslam’s greeting to everyone is “peace be upon

you” Murder of one person or causing devastation of

any form is equated with killing all humanity

• “Jihad”– Striving to do good for the sake of God – A broad concept

Myth 3: Terrorism is Islamic - a fundamentalist duty

• Terrorism : Defined as “devastation on land” “killing people & destroying crops”– Recognized as most heinous crime

• Punishment for terrorism: execution, crucifixion or exile – Trial first.

• Terrorism as a phenomena – Hitler vs BinLaden