The document provides an overview of the history of Islam presented in an Asian studies class. It discusses:
1) The monotheistic roots of Islam in Judaism and how Muhammad established the religion's core beliefs and practices.
2) The political uncertainty following Muhammad's death over who would succeed him as leader of the Muslim community.
3) The expansion and influence of Islam in its early centuries, referred to as the Golden Age of Islam.
7. Monotheism is the belief in one God. It is an idea that is older than the Hebrews, but it is in them we see the earliest and clearest expression. Moreover, the Hebrew traditions would pave the way for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. MONOTHEISM
8. THE HEBREW STORY The Hebrews belong to the Semitic language group of people. Other semitic people include: Akkadians, Aramaeans, Amorites, Phoenicians, and the early Arabs. (Semites = son of Shem, one of Noah’s sons) “ Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and brought them out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to go to the land of Canaan.” (Gen. 11:31) This suggests a migration of the Hebrew people from Mesopotamia to Syria around 1900 to 1500BCE.
9. THE HEBREW STORY Around 1250BCE, the Hebrews found a leader in Moses. His story would end in the forging of the Hebrew’s covenant with Yahweh. “ Thou shalt not have other gods before me.” In terms of Hebrew religious development , this is the first major shift: from polytheism to monolatry . Characteristics of monolatry: 1. transcendent theology 2. moral precepts, rituals, and tabus
10. THE HEBREW STORY 1050 Invasion of the Philistines 1025 Saul unites the tribes of Israel into one kingdom The kingdom then reaches its peak under David (1000 – 961) and Solomon (961 – 922).
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12. THE HEBREW STORY Solomon’s demise fractured the kingdom into two: Kingdom of Israel (north) and Kingdom of Judah (south) . Relatively weak as a whole, the kingdoms were weaker apart. In 722, Israel fell to the Assyrians. In 586, Judah fell to the Babylonians.
18. INHERITOR OF TWO TRADITIONS (II): THE SHIFTING STATES AND EMPIRES OF SOUTHWEST ASIA
19. SETTING THE STAGE Islam was born in a desert town, but its story stretched far beyond the borders of the Arabian peninsula. Understanding its history will require a comprehension of the size and scale of the Asian continent. The following section is an overview of the history of Southwest Asia up until the major empires that surrounded Arabia at the dawn of Islam.
20. STATES AND EMPIRES IN SOUTHWEST ASIA NORTHERN ZONE A complex recorded history of states and empires revolving around Mesopotamia. SOUTHERN ZONE Home to smaller empires that traded across the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea, interacting with Egypt and Greece. ARABIAN PENINSULA A tribal desert society that flourished through trade between north and south. NORTHERN ZONE Mesopotamia Persian Empire SOUTHERN ZONE The Incense Road ARABIAN PENINSULA The Bedouin
22. MESOPOTAMIA Mesopotamian civilization (3200 to 539BCE) is founded between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It is a succession of nations that built on the achievements of the one before.
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25. PERSIAN EMPIRE Persia is modern-day Iran. It’s earliest inhabitants are the Elamites (2800 – 550BCE) who would often feud with the Babylonians and Assyrians. More influential, however, have been the Aryans who came into Iran around 1100BCE. Of these people, the Medes and the Persians were most prominent.
32. THE INCENSE ROAD Trade in aromatics (such as frankincense and myrrh) and spices connected ancient Arabia, Egypt, India, and Africa. Note: Mecca was one of the key cities along this route.
34. THE INCENSE ROAD TRIVIA: Who were the ‘Three Wise Men’? From the Gospel of Matthew: “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him... On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” A Magi was an astronomer and a follower of Zoroaster. To the east of Judea is Persia. Gold, frankincense and myrr were all goods traded along the Incense Road.
35. Contributions of the Fertile Crescent Wheels- Sumerian first used wheeled vehicles to transport goods and trade Cuneiform- The Sumerian cuneiform was made up of wedge-shaped symbols. Its “alphabet” included about 300 symbols representing syllables
36. Aphabet- This alphabet contained 22 symbols for consonant sounds, written in vertical columns from right to left Iron Working – Hittites learned to extract iron from ore and fashioned tools and weapons that are harder than bronze or copper ones. They helped spread the knowledge of iron Hittites Phoenicians
37. Advanced Knowledge in Astronomy – Using advanced knowledge in astronomy, astronomers could predict eclipses of the sun and moon and the position of planets in relation to the sun. Coins – Early coins were made of electrum, an alloy, or natural mix, of gold and silver. The image on a coin showed its value. The used of war chariot in expanding the empire Babylonians Lydians and Persians Chaldeans
40. IBN KHALDUN He is the father of modern-day historiography and the social sciences. Lived a storied life from 1336 to 1406. He travelled extensively throughout the Muslim world, serving different courts in different capacities. In two key points in his career, he witnessed the instability and chaos caused by two warring dynasties in North Africa, the Marinids and Hafsids. Up until the end of his life, he was lecturing and teaching about his theories on history. One of his last students was Timur (aka Tamerlane), the great Asian empire builder.
41. IBN KHALDUN’S OBSERVATION Ibn Khaldun noticed that the rise and fall of dynasties followed a cycle. A dynasty establishes its power in a city The city reaches a period of prosperity and prominence Leaders grow either weak, lax, corrupt, or all three; Primary cause is luxury Tribes in the periphery gather in strength and number At its weakest, the city is overrun by invading tribes
47. USING ASABIYA IN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS The next two slides were real scenarios in history. I’d like you to think of how the concept of asabiya can explain what happened in these. I am leaving these to you for independent use. I encourage group discussion on this since there are many possible ways to analyze and use asabiya. I’ll be asking for your insights here in either Special Essay #2 or the Periodic Exam, or both.
51. THE SETTING By 600CE, at the dawn of Islam’s birth, The Christian Byzantine Empire in Europe and the Zoroastrian Sasanid Empire were exhausting each other through a rivalry that would end by 627. In the Arabian peninsula, the caravan town of Mecca was quickly becoming a prosperous trading center, ushering in urban and commercial changes that put pressure on traditional institutions. Throughout Arabia were the Bedouin tribes who lived on herding and sporadic raids (ghazu) on settlements and caravans.
52. THE BEDOUIN Pre-Islamic Arabia Tribes were bound together by the muruwah spirit which emphasized courage in battle, patience in suffering, and vengeance to protect the tribe. Most of the tribes were polytheistic, and Mecca served not only as a trading center but a place for the different tribes to house their idols in the Kabah . Tribes living closer to the Byzantine and Persian empires were exposed to Judaism and Christianity, thus the concept of a monotheistic faith is not alien to the Arabs. The Bedouin were gifted poets; oral recitation was a sacred ritual.
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54. Muhammad (570 to 632BCE) was raised an orphan in a less well-to-do tribe called the Quraysh. He married Khadija and exposed himself to the commercial lifestyle in Mecca. However, he grew increasingly troubled by the idolatry, worldliness, and lack of social conscience around him. This opened him up to a profound religious experience that would change his life when he was 40 years old. MUHAMMAD
56. First of all, Muhammad wasn’t well received in his home town of Mecca. His preaching against their traditional gods and goddesses threatened both (a) their ancestral ways and (b) the Meccan pilgrimage shrine and the lucrative trade it attracted. He fled Mecca in 622 for the town of Yathrib (later Medina) who requested his wisdom in helping them resolve a conflict. WHAT DID MUHAMMAD TEACH?
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60. MUSLIMS BECOME ONE PEOPLE In 630, Muhammad triumphantly returns to Mecca. He casts out idols from the Kabah, declaring the supremacy of the one true God. A tribal confederation is bound by personal allegiance to Muhammad and submission to God.
62. THE NEXT QUESTION After Muhammad dies in 632, the question immediately turns to who will succeed him. Abu Bakr, his most gifted student, assumes command of the ummah. He is called the caliph . “ O Men, if you have been worshipping Muhammad, then know that Muhammad is dead. But if you have been worshipping Allah, then know that Allah is living and never dies.” With this, the ummah transcends loyalty to a particular person, but to God himself.
63. A DIFFERING OPINION However, some contested that the successor should be a relative of the prophet. His closest relative, his cousin Ali, became the caliph in 656 but was largely contested by rival parties. He was murdered in 661 and his bloodline was eradicated when his son, Husayn, was murdered at Karbala, in Iraq, at the year 680. Loyalists (partisans, Shia ) of Ali claim he is the true imam . Other claimants to the title imam soon followed.
67. WAS IT HOLY WAR? Jihad is mistakenly translated as ‘holy war’. It simply means ‘struggle’. It can refer to a person’s internal struggle against temptation and sin. It can also refer to an external struggle against those who may invade or harm the Dar al-Islam (the Abode of Islam).
70. THE GOLDEN AGE OF ISLAM The Umayyad and Abbasid periods are considered “The High Caliphate” where a politically strong, culturally vibrant, and economically wealthy system led to a “Golden Age” for Islam.
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73. IV.C THE RISE OF ISLAM FRAGMENTATION AND CONSOLIDATION
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75. CENTURIES OF TURMOIL The Muslim world was embroiled in a conflict with Christianity. From 1095 to 1291, the Holy Roman Empire fought to seize control of Jerusalem. In 1216, Genghis Khan leads the Mongols into Persia and Mesopotamia. By 1258, Baghdad is burned and looted.
80. HOW HISTORY BRIDGES PEOPLE We will be watching a clip of President Barack Obama’s speech to the Muslim world delivered last June 4. Observe how he uses history to express his respect for the Muslim world and reaffirm their common ties.