World History Chapter 6

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World History Chapter 6

• The World of Islam

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Islam the beginnings

• Started in the desert of the Arabian Peninsula
• Started by the prophet Muhammad in Mecca
• He claimed that the Angel Gabriel spoke to him
  while he was meditating on wickedness in a cave
  in the desert
• Had to leave Mecca, as he and his followers were
  persecuted by the wealthy, corrupt Meccans.
• He moves to Medina, the of his followers
  increase
• In 630 he returns with a vast army and conquers
  Mecca
• He calls the Kaaba a sacred shrine (see next
  page)
• He dies without an heir in 632 A.D.

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In the city of Mecca there is a great stone
building called the Kaaba. Mohammad called this
building sacred as it was associated with the
founder of Mecca Abraham and his son Ishmael.
The Kaaba in Mecca is the most holy site in
Islam. It is the black building below.
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The Teachings of Mohammad

• Islam or the religion of the prophet Mohammad is
  Monotheistic, and shares roots (including
  prophets such as Moses and Jesus) with Judaism
  and Christianity.
• Muslims belief that to achieve life after death
  (heaven), that they must subject themselves to
  the will of Allah (life by his rules)
• Muslims believe that Mohammad was human!
• There are 5 pillars or most important laws

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A great Mosque (Islamic temple, in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia) Note non-Muslims are not allowed there.
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Sucession

• After the death of Muhammad, his father-in-law
  Abu Bakr became Caliph, or leader.
• Bakr expanded the empire, but when he died, there
  were struggles.
• General Muawiya became caliph and made it
  hereditary, starting the Umayyad dynasty. It
  lasted until 750.
• He moved the capital to Damascus, Syria

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Abu Bakr
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• One revolt during the Umayyad dynasty was very
  important. A distant relative of Mohammads
  through marriage, known as Ali, lead a hopeless
  revolt. Although he died, the conflict split the
  Muslim word with Shiites only accepting
  descendents of Ali as the rulers of Islam, and
  the Sunni who accepted the Umayyads.

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The Abbasids were the next dynasty. They moved
the capital to the Tigris river, and built the
city of Baghdad. There was much cultural growth
in this period math, poetry, astronomy, law.
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After the Abbasids

• The Seljuk Turks conquered Baghdad, but only
  ruled militarily they left the religious leaders
  in place
• After the Turks, the Mongols conquered the empire
  and destroyed the beautiful mosques in Baghdad