Islam

1
Islam

• The Rise of IslamandIslam in Africa

2
570 Mohammad (also written as Muhammed) was
born.

• Orphaned and raised by an uncle.
• Became a successful businessman and had a family.
• He was unhappy with the way people were living
  their lives.

3
610 Mohammad goes into the hills.

• While there he was visited by an angle who spoke
  to him.
• Told him to teach about Islam (which means
  surrendering to Allah.
• Allah is the Arabic word for god.

4
Mohammad returned a prophet and taught Islam.

• He traveled all over teaching.
• Some opposed his teachings, but the poor
  especially liked what he said about sharing
  wealth.

5
622 Mohammad and his followers left Mecca and
went to the city of Yathrib.

• Later, the city of Yathrib was renamed Madinah
  which means city of the Prophet.
• The year 622 was made the 1st year of the Muslim
  calendar.
• Hijrah the trip from Mecca to Madinah is a
  pilgrimage called the hijrah.

6
Mohammad starts a government in Madinah.

• He applied laws he believed would lead to a good
  Muslim life.
• He created an Islamic state.
• A government that is run by religious teaching.
  Also called a theocracy.
• People had to be loyal to Islam above loyalty to
  their tribe.

7
630 Mohammads new army conquered Mecca.

• He made it a holy city of Islam.

8
632 Mohammad died.

• After he died there was an argument over who
  would be the next caliph (successor to the
  Messenger of God).
• Mohammads followers split into 2 groups.

9
Mohammads followers split.

• Shiites believed that Mohammads son-in-law Ali
  should take over.
• Sunnis believed that Mohammads father-in-law
  Abu Bakr and the Umayyad dynasty to take over.
• The 2 groups developed different religious
  practices and traditions. They still dont get
  along.
• Today, most Muslims are Sunnis. Iraq and Iran
  have the largest Shiite populations. Part of the
  fighting in Iraq is between Sunnis Shiites.

10
Muslim Beliefs

• Muslims believe that their god speaks through
  prophets
• Examples Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad.
• There are a few commonalities between Islam,
  Christianity, and Judaism.
• Their holy book is the Quran.

11
The Five Pillars of Islam

• Belief Muslims must declare that there is no
  god but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet.
• Prayer They must pray 5 times a day facing
  toward Mecca.
• Charity They must give to the poor.

12
The Five Pillars of Islam

• Fasting They do not eat from dawn to dusk
  during the holiday of Ramadan.
• Pilgrimage They must make the hijrah once in
  their life (if at all possible).

13
1312-1337 Mansa Musa ruled over Mali

• He encouraged Islam.
• He didnt practice it very strongly, though.
• Helped with trade with Arabs.

14
1324 Mansa Musa went on a hijra.

• He made it a spectacle more than a religious
  pilgrimage.
• His wealth impressed the people he met.
• He convinced some architects, teachers, and
  writers to return to Mali.

15
1325 Ibn Battua traveled from Morocco to West
Africa.

• Islam had been practiced in West Africa for
  several hundred years when he arrived.
• Islam was more popular in the cities.
• Many outside of the cities practiced traditional
  religions.

16
1331 Ibn Battua traveled to Mogadishu.

• Mogadishu is in East Africa (today the capitol of
  Somalia).
• Its sultan (leader) spoke fluently to him in
  Arabic, but also spoke Swahili.
• Swahili is still the most common language in
  parts of Western Africa.
• In Arabic it means people of the coast.

17
1580 Sunni Ali was leader of the Songhai.

• He really practiced a traditional religion, but
  claimed he was Muslim to gain support.
• He was overthrown by Askia Mohammad.
• He was a practicing Muslim.

18
Askia Mohammad took over Songhai.

• He encouraged the spread of Islam.
• Under him, Songhai became the largest medieval
  West African empire.
• He made Timbuktu an important center for Islamic
  culture and teaching.
• Started around 150 schools.

19
1591 Songhai fell to Morocco

• The Songhai (last of the great West African
  empires) fell to the Moroccans.