Islamic Traditions

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Islamic Traditions

• Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D.
• GSTR 220-BWestern Traditions I
• Berea College
• Fall 2004

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THE PRE-ISLAMIC WEST

• Rome, once unified and in control of entire
  Mediterranean region, now divided between east
  and west (since 300s CE) and increasingly
  incapable of ruling vast multiethnic territory
• Christianity, identified with Roman power,
  widespread throughout west Asia, north Africa,
  and southern Europe
• Arab peninsula on periphery of Roman Christian
  world but center of East-West trade routes

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MUHAMMAD (570-632 CE)

• Born in Arabian city of Mecca, home to diverse
  religious influences (Christian, Jewish, local
  Arab polytheism)
• Experiences revelations from Allah (name of one
  Arab deity) beginning with Night of Power
  (610), later transcribed in Quran
• Sees himself as final messenger of one God
  revealed in Hebrew Bible and New Testament
• Persecution leads to escape (Hijra) from Mecca to
  Medina (622), from which his followers conquer
  Mecca (630)

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WHO IS A MUSLIM?

• Muslim from Arabic Islam, submission
• A Muslim is one who submits to one who submits
  to Allah (God) through the revelation (Quran)
  given to humanity through His Prophet and final
  messenger, Muhammad
• A Muslim is anyone who can say and believe the
  Shahada, or Profession of Faith
• There is no God but Allah
• Muhammad is Allahs Prophet

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THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

• Shahada profession of faith in Allah as sole
  deity and Muhammad as final messenger
  (culmination of Hebrew Bible and New Testament
  prophecy)
• Salat ritual prayer five times daily (morning,
  noon, afternoon, sunset, dusk) while prostrated
  in direction of Mecca customarily solitary, but
  communal on Fridays at noon in masjid (mosque)

• Zakat charity a loan to God representing
  2.5 of ones income, donated by those 16 years
  and older who can afford it
• Ramadan abstinence from food, drink, sex,
  stimulants during daylight hours of ninth lunar
  month in commemoration of the Prophets Night of
  Power
• Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca to be made by every
  Muslim at least once in a lifetime

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THE GROWTH OF ISLAMIC INSTITUTIONS

• After the Prophets death, power struggles
  between his caliphs (deputies) lead to deaths of
  fourth caliph, Ali (600-661), Muhammads cousin,
  and Husayn (626-680), Muhammads grandson
• Sunni (traditional) Muslims revere first four
  caliphs and emphasize Islamic unity through
  Sharia (law)
• Shia (factional) Muslims honor Ali and Husayn
  as martyrs and emphasize authority of various
  imams (religious leaders)

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THE ISLAMICIZATION OF THE WEST

• 634 Army of the caliph conquers Mesopotamia and
  Palestine
• 635 Damascus, capital of Syria, conquered
• 644 Egypt and Persia conquered
• 700s Most of north Africa, Spain, Portugal,
  Italy, and India conquered by Abbasid Empire,
  based in Baghdad (756-1055)
• Within a century of Muhammads death, much of the
  formerly Roman Christian world is under Islamic
  rule

• Gradually, most formerly Christian and pagan
  communities become Islamic
• Islamic scholars translate and preserve Greek
  philosophy and science, now lost to Europeans
• Christians and Jews tolerated as Ahl al-kitab
  (People of the Book) and therefore dhimmi
  (protected peoples)
• Tax (jizya) levied on non-Muslims under Islamic
  rule
• Slavery restricted to non-Muslims and children of
  existing slaves converts are emancipated

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Greatest Extent of Abbasid Empire (756-1055 CE)
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WHY DID ISLAM SUCCEED?

• Culture Islamic rulers encouraged literature,
  philosophy, and science
• Politics power vacuum due to decline of Persian
  and Byzantine empires
• Religion Christian doctrine too complex,
  Christian disputes too bitter to retain
  allegiance of many many Christian heretics
  convert to Islam
• Society in most cases, Islamic rulers less
  oppressive, more humane than Byzantine or Persian
  rulers

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THE AGE OF CRUSADES (1095-1291)

• By 11th century, Byzantine Empire faces
  increasing challenges from Seljuk (Muslim)
  Empire, and requests help from West
• 1095 Pope Urban II urges Western Christians to
  attack and invade Muslim-held territories in
  Middle East in order to recapture them for
  Christendom, offering immediate remission of
  sins to those who die in battle
• 1099 An army of mostly Frankish (French)
  Christians massacres the population of Jerusalem
  and establishes independent Crusader states in
  Middle East, undermining Byzantine and Muslim
  power in the region

• 1144 Edessa (in modern Turkey) overthrows
  Crusader rule and returns to Muslim control,
  prompting second Crusade
• 1187 Jerusalem recaptured by Muslim forces,
  triggering third Crusade led by kings of England,
  France, and Germany
• 1204 Western Christian forces capture
  Constantinople and establish short-lived Latin
  Empire in East (1204-1261)
• 1291 Acre, last stronghold of Crusaders in
  Middle East, recaptured by Muslim forces
• Christian persecution of Jews, heretics, and
  homosexuals increases during Crusades

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RISE OF THE SUFI TRADITION

• Soon after Prophets death, some Muslims become
  critical of what they see as worldliness and
  corruption of caliphs
• Wearing plain blue wool (suf) clothing, these
  Sufis preach
• tawakkul (absolute trust in Allah)
• which arises from tawhid (absolute oneness of
  Allah)
• expressed through faqr (poverty, both
  material and spiritual)
• which leads to fana (annihilation of self in
  the presence of almighty Allah)

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THEMES IN SUFI THOUGHT

• As Sufism expands throughout Muslim world, it
  encounters criticism from other Muslims
• In response, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111),
  most famous Sufi theologian, defines 4 major
  points of Sufism
• islam (surrender, submission to God in all
  aspects of life)
• iman (faith in God and his Prophet, Muhammad)
• ihsan (serving God as if one were seeing Him at
  all times)
• ishraq (illumination of the soul, leading it
  from dark materiality to light spirituality)

• Sufi teachers (shaikhs) and their disciples
  (tariqa) devoted to dhikr (remembrance) of
  Allah through chanting, dancing, fasting, music,
  poetry, and prayer
• The poetry of Sufi writer Jalal Al-Din Rumi
  (1207-1273) is known as the Quran in Persian
• Rumis basic theme love, not fear, should define
  relationship between humanity and God

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