The rise of Islam - P -

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 1

The rise of Islam

Geography and people of Arabia

• Bedouins, living in tribes, utilized fertile areas within the desert to raise livestock like sheep, goats, and camels. 

• Merchants played a significant role in trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe = utilizing desert routes for caravans.
• Settlements emerged at these intersections, attracting craftsmen and merchants, leading to the establishment of towns and cities like Mecca and Medina.
• The Ka'aba was a popular pilgrimage site before the Islam was established, for people all over Arabia

source 2.8.4

The Pont du Gard is a famous Roman Aquaduct in the south of France, The Roman baths in Bath, in the south of present-day England, were constructed in the 2nd century AD. First elements (temple) were created between 60 and 70 AD.

3.2.1

Some Bedouins today make their living by giving desert tours [Wojtek Arciszewski/Al Jazeera]

3.2.2

modern map of the Arab trade routes in the 6th century AD

Muhammad and the beginning of Islam

Around 570 AD, a man called Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Mecca 

• At a young age he becomes an orphan, eventually being brought up into adulthood by his uncle Abu Talib
• He lived a modest life, worked hard, and became known for his honesty and reliability, earning the nickname Al-Amin
• About the age of 25 he marries Khadijah, whom he met whilst working as a merchant. 

• Even before becoming a prophet, Muhammad was known to meditate alone in a cave called Hira, outside Mecca.
• He was deeply disturbed by the moral corruption, idol worship, and social injustice in Meccan society.
• He was searching for truth, meaning, and a higher power beyond the many gods worshipped by his people.

3.2.3

An early version of the Quran, made out of papyrus from the 7th century.

Hira

Quraysh tribe

Image of the Qurasyh tribe and the Ka'aba during the 7th century A.D.

Muhammad and the beginning of Islam

Around forty, Muhammad (pbuh) claimed that he received revelations from God. His revelations were recorded in the Quran.

• Muhammad (pbuh) was a prophet: a messenger from God. His main message was that there was only one God called Allah. 
• The Quraysh, managers of the Ka'aba in Mecca, resisted his monotheistic teachings , seeing Islam as a threat to their wealth due to the pilgrim trade centered around the Ka'aba.

In 622 AD, life in Mecca became too dangerous for Muhammad (pbuh). Together with his followers, the Muslims, he fled to a city called Yathrib, later renamed Medina (the City of Prophet Muhammed)

This key event is known as the Hijrah. The year of the Hijrah represents the first year of the Islamic calendar and the creation of the Muslim community, the Ummah.

3.2.3

An early version of the Quran, made out of papyrus from the 7th century.

The Islamic calendar is different from the Christian calendar that is commonly used in the West. In western literature, ‘AH’ is used to refer to the Islamic counting of years. AH is short for the Latin phrase ‘Anno Hegirae’, which means: ‘of the Year of the Hijra’. The Islamic year consists of 12 lunar months and is about 11 days shorter than the Christian year.

Struggles and spread of Islam

In Medina, Muhammad (pbuh) turned into a political leader > He resolved tribal conflicts in Medina, gaining acceptance as a leader and expanding the Ummah.

• In Medina, threats from the Quraysh led Muhammad to adopt a military role alongside his positions as a prophet and political leader. 
• Three major battles where fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh

• By 630 AD, Muhammad and his followers peacefully conquered Mecca, removing statues from the Ka'aba in 7 rounds, establishing the worship of Allah alone.

The struggle for God, the jihad, continued. Many tribes joined the Ummah. When Muhammad died in 632 AD, nearly all Arab tribes had recognised him as their leader.

More on that later!

3.2.4

The Kaaba ("The Cube") is a building at the center of Islam's most important mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām, (The Sacred Mosque), in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is the most sacred site in Islam.

From Medina to India and Spain

• After Muhammad (pbuh) passed away, a new leader, called the caliph, was chosen > Both the political and religious leader of the Ummah.

Two groups of Muslims: Sunnis and Shi'as

Sunni: 

• Believe the Prophet did not appoint a successor.
• Support the election of Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s close friend and father-in-law, as the first caliph.

Shi'as:

• Believe Muhammad did appoint a successor: his cousin and son-in-law Ali.
• Say that leadership (called Imamate) should stay within the Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt).
• View Ali as the first rightful Imam (not just a political leader, but a spiritual one too).

The Islam expanded by focusing the jihad outside Arabia, taking over parts of Iraq, Syria, and Egypt in just ten years. 

3.2.5

modern map of the spread of Islam

Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (Abu Bakr)

Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (Ali)

congratulations