Medieval Islam

1
Medieval Islam
HIS1104 Tradition and Transformation in
Western History
2
The Rise of Islam Background

• Three major civilizations in medieval western
  history
• western Christendom
• Western Europe
• "Barbarian West"
• most primitive underdeveloped
• Byzantine Empire
• Eastern Europe Asia Minor
• Islam in the Arabian Peninsula
• a distinctive culture,
• a living religion,
• a military political force
• spread out with remarkable speed
• CWH "explosion"!

3
Arab ???

• Hebrew "Arabha"
• dark land or steppe land (mixed unorganized)
  to move or pass
• ?concept of nomadism ??

4
Islam

• Islam "surrender" "submission to the will of
  Allab"
• Muslim "the one who submits to the will of
  Allah"
• Muhammad the last the greatest of a long line
  of prophets (such as Moses, Jesus, etc.)
• "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the
  prophet."
• --- the Koran (al-Qur'an)
• the Bible of Islam as words of Allah "dictated
  to Muhammad by an original "uncreated" book in
  heaven"
• words of Allah, eternal, uncreated,
  inalterable

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"La Ilaha illa-l-Lah"

• "No God whatsoever but Allah"
• "He is god, the one God, the everlasting
• And there is none equal unto Him."
• Islam (???) ? religion
• ? politics
• ? culture
• law, science, etc.
• Religion state together

6
Mecca

• In the Arabian Peninsula, Caravan routes, ????
• Commercial network ??
• Mecca ?? the greatest of these trading cities
• new foreign ideas challenged old ways/views

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Muhammad

• Muhammad (c. 571-632)
• "the highly praised
• Born in Mecca
• (a poor branch of Mecca's leading clan)
• orphan
• ?Little formal education
• ?A caravan leader
• ?Travel
• ?Contact with Judaism, Xnity, Persian
  Zoroastrianism
• helpful wife Kadijah (a rich an elderly
  widow)
• Muhammad a sensitive man with a powerful
  winning personality

8
Muhammad

• Late 30s (in 610)
• Muhammad underwent a mystical experience
• Angel Gabriel --- Koran
• inspiration from mystic voice
• new religion ? preaching writing
•  
• BUT then Muhammad too successful
• threat to the profitable center of pilgrimage
  the Kaabe (cubic structure) of many local
  religions

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Muhammad

• 622 Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina
  ???(????)
• "Hegira"
• abandoning
• migration
• (turning point)
•  
• Muhammad then won support faith from Medina
  gained power
• chief religious, political, military leader
• ? 630 Mecca
• but, d. 632
• followers (caliphs) conquered ? "conquered
  conversion of the world"
• "conquering the infidels" (the unfaithful)

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Muhammad

• warlike spirit
• "fighting Puritanism"
• essence of Islam
• killed in holy wars martyrs ??(to heaven)
• The moral social teaching
• primary duty almsgiving??
• to ransom the captive
• to feed the orphan the poor who lie in the
  dust
• polygamy???? slavery
• BUT otherwise, the moral code is strict

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Muhammad

• e.g. corporal punishment(??)(?????)
• 5 daily prayers
• recitation of the Koran
• severe annual fast
• pilgrimage to Mecca
• (at least once in lifetime)
• service to faith (religion) service to state
• ????

12
Islam

• Islam opposed Xnitys trinity
• ?Allah
• Allah, no intermediate
• Allah is all mighty, sole creator
• Koran, Adam Eve
• ? Xnity

13
Koran

• Koran Iblis Satan
• ?Satan ??(Christianity)
• Islam ? Christianity

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Conclusion