The Rise of Islam

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The Rise of Islam
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Terms to Know

• Muhammad (c. 571 632)
• The Quran
• Umayyad Dynasty, 661 750
• Abbasid Dynasty, 750 1258

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Arabia Before Islam

• Commercial cities
• Nomadic culture
• Polytheistic

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Western Afroeurasia before the Rise of Islam
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Muhammad (c. 571 632)

• Born into a commercial family in Mecca
• 610 visited by Gabriel becomes prophet of Islam
  
• 622, Hegira Forced to leave Mecca for Medina
• By 627, Muhammad united Medina under Islam with
  protection for other faiths, peace prosperity
  Islam spread rapidly amongst Arabs
• 630 returned to Mecca in triumph and worked for
  unification of Arabia

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The Practice of Early Islam

• Five Pillars Recitation Prayer Alms Ramadan
  Pilgrimage (Hajj)
• The Quran 114 surahs (chapters) lay out
  creation, life laws
• Sunni recognized authority of Caliphs
• Shiite followed lineage of Muhammad

Decorations in the Great Mosque of Aleppo
demonstrate the sophistication of Islamic
decorative art and architecture
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Creating an Empire

• Four Rightly Guided Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar,
  Uthman, Ali incorporated Persia, Syria, Egypt
  North Africa into Islamic Empire
• Alis assassination in 661 ended the direct line
  of Muhammads household in leading Islam

The Dome of the Rock, one of the most sacred
sites in Islam, was begun in 684 after the
Islamic conquest of Jerusalem
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Umayyad Dynasty, 661 750

• Mu'awiyah, governor of Damascus, rebelled against
  Ali and, after Alis asssassination, seized
  control
• Umayyad Caliphs focused on expansion in the East
  (against Byzantium) and the West (against
  Vandals, Visigoths and Franks)

This example of Islamic architecture comes from
eighth century Cordoba in Spain
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The Empire Grows Divides
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Abbasid Dynasty, 750 1258

• Caliphs of Baghdad, rebelled against Umayyad
  caliphs, 747-750
• Islam quickly fragmented
• Umayyad dynasty re-emerges in Spain
• Africa soon declared its independence
• Critics complained of persecution against Shia
• Harun al-Rashid (763-809) was a scholar, poet and
  military leader who bested the Byzantines
• Al-Mu'tasim (833-842) began practice of passing
  power to Turkish household slaves

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The Muslim World to 1500 C.E.