Rise of Islam

The Middle East

Themes in Islamic History

• Islam as Religion

• Islam as State & Empire

• Islam as Civilization

Arabia

Islam After Muhammad • At death Muhammad in 632 he left no

son to succeed him• Daughter Fatima• Split between Shiites and Sunnis

– Great argument over succession• Shiites – Only descendants of

Fatima or her husband Ali should succeed Mohammed– Death of Husain (son of Ali) most

celebrated event in Shiite calendar• Sunnis – any follower of Islam should

be eligible to lead– Division political & religious– Never settled to this day

• Series of Caliphs governed the Islamic State

Struggle for Succession Number of conflicting parties sought to

succeed Muhammad• Companions – belonged to

Muhammad’s tribe or had accepted mission early

• Legitimists – heir must belong to family of Muhammad– Ali paternal cousin, husband of

daughter Fatima & one of first believers

• Aristocracy of Quraysh – Umayyads – Held reigns of power & wealth in

pre-Islamic days• Companions triumphed with selection

of abu-Bakr

Struggle for SuccessionRashidun - Four “righteous” caliphs (632-661 AD)

– All were close associates and relatives of Muhammad• Abu Bakr (632-634) Father-in-law of Muhammad and

one of first believers• Umar (634-644) main military genius who carried Islam

forward from the Arabian peninsula• Uthman (644-656) - empire fell into a civil war called the

Fitna – In 656 Uthman is assassinated by followers of Ali

• Ali  (656-661) Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin – Many refused to accept Ali as a leader – Killed by assassin

Umayyad dynasty claims the caliphate – Damascus capitalAbbasid dynasty – 754 – seizes caliphate

– al Mansur (754-775) builds new capital at Baghdad

Conquest & ExpansionExpansion of Islamic empire

against Byzantine & Sassanid (Persian) empires

Abu-Bakr –Orders jihad (holy struggle) against the "infidel" Christian or Byzantine Empire north of Arabia

• Damascus becomes capitalUmar• 637 – Defeated great Persian

Sassanid army• 639 – Conquers Alexandria – base

of Byzantine navy• 643 – Arabs to border of IndiaTariq ibn Zaid crossed from North

Africa (Morocco) into Spain in 711Expansion stopped in France in 732 –

Charles Martel (Battle of Tours)

The Spread of Islam

Medieval Baghdad

Medieval Baghdad762 - Abbasid dynasty moved the capital of Islamic

empire to the newly-founded city of Baghdad• Caliph Al-Mansur founded• Banks of the Tigris River• Known as the “Round City” • Foreign influences – Persian, Syrian & Hellenistic Baghdad capital of "Golden Age" of Islamic

civilization • Magnificent architectural achievement• Muslim scholars - important contributions in the

sciences, humanities, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, and literature

• Became city of museums, hospitals, libraries• World's richest & most intellectual city of the time• Believed to be largest city in the world from 775 to

935 - possibly over 1,000,000 Baghdad was destroyed by the Mongols in 1258 • Ended era of the Abbasids

Medieval BaghdadBayt al-Hikmah (the House of Wisdom)• World famous center of learning • Attracted scholars from all over the world • Library, academy and translation bureau • Translate Greek works of Aristotle, Plato,

Galen, Hippocrates, Euclid, and Pythagoras• Translate Persian, Sanskrit, Syriac into Arabic • Al-Khawarizmi, the "father" of algebra 

Merchants played a major role in the city• From Persia, China, India, Africa & Europe• Sinbad the Sailor recounts actual voyages

made by Muslim merchants

Caliphal palace known as the Golden Gate or the Green Dome

• Dome of audience chamber rose to 130 feet

Harun al-RashidAbbasid caliph (r.786-809) Baghdad a city of immense wealth and

international significance under al-Rashid• Tribute paid by many rulers to the caliph • Used on architecture, arts & luxurious life at

court Great patron of arts & sciences• Encouragement of learning, art, poetry, music• A scholar and poet himself • Invited many scholars to the kingdom• Founded first Muslim hospitalBuilt Green Dome palace in Baghdad Fabulous court inspired the book One Thousand

and One Nights• Displays of extravagant wealth• Entertainers flocked to his court: poets, wits,

musicians, singers, and dancersDiplomatic relations with Charlemagne

Islamic Spain• Influence on Medieval European

civilization• Ummayyad Caliph• In Spain from 711 to 1492Cordoba• Center of culture that rivaled

Baghdad• Libraries, palaces, street

lights, running water• Cultural center of Medieval

Europe• Mosque – early vaulting like

later Gothic cathedrals

Creation of Islamic Civilization• Islamic civilization developed slowly

– Centuries before majority of people in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia accepted Islam

– People generally converted from self interest– Escape taxes & seek identification with ruling

class• Combination of cultural influences• Arabs assimilated, adapted & reproduced the

intellectual & cultural heritage of those they conquered

• Arabs adopted best art, architecture, philosophy, medicine, science, literature, and government mainly from Hellenized Aramaic & Persian civilizations

• Arab contribution was mainly in language and religion

• Final culmination of Semitic civilization which started in the Fertile Crescent developed by Assyro-Babylonians, Phoenicians, Aramaeans and Hebrews

Islamic Unity• Arabic became language of business,

government & literature• Uniform enforcement of law contributed to growth

of united culture• Vast trade network extended from India to the

Mediterranean

Rich Cultural Achievements • Scholarship

– Produced notable scientists, astronomers, mathematicians, doctors and philosophers

– Importance of reading the Qur'an produced a comparatively high level of literacy in the general populace

• Heirs to Hellenistic Learning– Maintained Classical learning– Translation of Greek texts - Aristotle

• Medicine• Architecture

– Mosques, Palaces & Minarets• Art

– Geometric patterns, calligraphy, metal work

Science & MedicineMuslim scientists• Saw no contradiction between religion and laws

governing natural world• Scientific method born• Utilized Classical Greek medical texts• Alchemy – beginnings of chemistryMuslim medicine • Advanced techniques & ideas• Theory that disease born through air

born organisms• Study of anatomy• Vascular & cancer surgery• Study of light, lenses & physiology of

eye – led to camera• Use of anesthetics• Pharmacies• Hospitals – separate disease in

different wards

Pioneers of MedicineIbn Sina (980 – 1037) – Known as Avicenna• Contributions in philosophy, music,

mathematics, geography & literature• Utilized experimentation & observation• wrote Canon of Medicine –

encyclopedia of medicine• Study of infectious disease• Main medical text for 6 centuries• Printed extensively throughout the West

Mathematics

• Introduced “Arabic” numerals – originally from India

• Replaced Roman numerals

• Included the zero – made for complex calculations

• Perfected use of decimals and fractions

• Invented Algebra

One Thousand and One NightsClassic of world literature

Stories were created over many centuries, by many people and in many styles

Originally Arabian, Persian, & Indian folk tales

• Collected during time of al-Rashid

Best known stories:

• Ali Baba, Sinbad the Sailor, and Aladdin

• al-Rashid’s court frequent setting

Frame story:

• Efforts of Scheherezade to keep her husband, King Shahryar from killing her by entertaining him with a tale a night for 1,001 nights

• Always a cliff hanger

British translator – Richard Burton

Architecture