The Rise and Spread of Islam

1
The Rise and Spread of Islam

• Learn Islamic Greeting
• Mu Allah Kum Absalom
• Absalom Allah Kum

2
Geography of Arabian Peninsula

• Islam begins in the Arabian Peninsula
• Mecca located 45 miles inland from Red Sea on
  Western Side of large desert, that takes up most
  of Arabian Peninsula
• Four trade routes cross desert and West Coast of
  Arabia

3
Trade

• Mecca was a crossroads for trade in late 500s
  when Muhammad grew up there
• Camel trains filled the city carrying perfumes,
  ivory, spices, silk, and precious metals like
  gold
• Travelled north to markets in Syria, where goods
  could be ship across the Mediterranean to Europe,
  some caravan travelled across the desert to
  Mesopotamia or Iraq

4
Bedouins and Merchants

• Desert home to Bedouin people, Arab nomads who
  moved from one area to another
• Herded sheep, camels, and goats and raised
  horses, travelled from one water hole to the
  next, animals grazed on bushes, water scarce for
  people and animals, sometime so salty only
  animals could drink it
• Bedouins acted as guides for trade caravans,
  occasionally would raid caravans, stealing the
  goods, Meccan traders made agreements w/
  Bedouins, Muhammads grand father a wealthy
  merchant help make these agreements
• Used religion to seal alliances with Bedouins,
  inviting them to worship in the Kabah, a cube
  shaped building in the center of Mecca, it held a
  large black stone, a meteorite, sacred to
  Meccans, said to be place where Abahim tried to
  sacrifice Ismail the true son of promise, and
  many other small statues that were family gods
• Meccans guarded the Kabah because the Kabah drew
  worshipers from all over Arabia

5
Muhammad

• Though Muhammads grand father was a rich
  merchant, Muhammad was born into a family in 570
  in hard times, poor
• Muhammad was also an orphan, parents died before
  he was 7 yrs old, an Uncle took care of him,
  Muhammad grew up to work in caravan trade,
  travelled to different parts of the world,
  several times to Syria, part of Byzantine empire,
  reputation grew as great caravan leader
• At 25 married Khadijah a wealthy widow he worked
  for who was 40, she was impressed by his hard
  work and honesty, began to manage caravans
• In free time walked in hills outside of Mecca,
  pondering the troubles he saw in society, liked
  to be alone to pray and think

6
Muhammad, Contd

• In 610 Muhammad went into a cave to pray, heard a
  voice of an angel say proclaim, asked what he
  should proclaim, answer was the one true God,
  Allah
• Frightened at first, felt unworthy, voice told
  him to recite, Quran and he memorized and recited
  what the angel told him

7
The Mission

• Angel said people had abandoned the true faith,
  instead of worshiping God alone they worshipped
  idols and false gods
• Muhammad given a mission, to pass along all of
  the messages he received from God, beginning with
  the Arabs, and then the whole world
• Muhammad obeyed, people accepted his teachings
  starting with his daughters and husbands and his
  wife and friends, became Muslims- persons that
  submit, faith became known as Islam- submission
  to God

8
Hijra

• Meccans ignored Muhammad, thought new teachings
  threatened old religion and gods in Kabah,
  threatening their business, thought would make
  Mecca less important as a place for pilgrimage
• Also taught all people brothers and sisters in a
  community established by God, angered Meccans who
  had slaves and felt superior to travelers
• Heckled Muhammad as he preached, threw garbage
  and stones at him and followers, attacks became
  more violent, forced to flee city
• People in Yathrib a city to the north invited
  Muhammad to com e to their city, saw as a wise
  man to settle disputes, many believed Muhammad
  was a prophet
• 622 in middle of night Muhammad and followers
  fled to Yathrib, called the hijra or migration,
  year one on Muslim Calendar
• Yathrib changed name to Medina, city of the
  Prophet and became an Islamic center

9
Expansion

• Islam did not remain in city of Medina, 630
  Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca, 632
  Muhammad died, Islam had spread across Arabian
  peninsula
• Next 100 yrs Islam moved through conquest across
  North Africa, to Spain and into Southern France,
  pushed East to India and China
• People did not like Byzantine and Persian
  empires, rulers harsh and oppressive, new
  religion made sense, Muslims expert traders,
  travelled all over and took religion with them