Islam

I. Islam as a religionII. Islam as an empireIII. Spread of Islam as a universal religion

IDs: hadith, sharia, Sufis, Abbasid Caliphate, 749-945

Argument

Although the universal religions spread in similar ways, they had different relationships with empires. Christianity took over an empire (Rome); Buddhism spread in spite of an empire (Tang China); and Islam created an empire.

I. Islam as a Religion

A. OriginAllahMuhammadProphet

B. Texts

1. Quran (Koran, Qu’ran)

Orally: 610-632Written Down: 650

2. Hadith

Traditions (stories & sayings)

Oral transmission: 632-850

Written down: 850-900

C. Islam in Theory & Practice1. TheologyFive PillarsHajjRamadan Mecca

2. Law: Sharia

a. Quranb. Hadithc. Reasoning by analogy

(jurists)d. Consensus of

community

QadisUlama

3. Mysticism: Sufis

MeditationPoetryMusicdance

II. Islam as an Empire

A. Muslim Arab Conquests, 622-733

ConqueredPersian Empire & southern part of Byzantine Empire

Policies towards Conquered people

Tolerance for “People of the Book” (Jews & Christians)

B. Political Organization

Caliph – successor to the Prophet

Caliphate – Muslim/Islamic empire

Two Caliphates

Umayyad Caliphate (661-749)capital: DamascusArab

Abbasid Caliphate (749-945)capital: BaghdadMuslim (Persian)

After 900, lots of Muslim states in Islamic world.

D. Multiethnic Empire

ArabPersianTurk

E. Factors promoting Unity

Even after the Muslim world was no longer governed in one big caliphate, certain factors unified Muslims despite their different ethnic groups and states

Arabic languagehajjsupport for merchants

Muslim rulers supported cities, merchants, education and technology

The Muslim world was connected by a web of cities

Pilgrims, Sufis, and qadis (legal scholars) carried knowledge throughout Muslim world

Support for Schools & Research

• preserved & combined Greek, Persian & Indian knowledge

• then built on it

III. Spread of Islam

622-732: by conquest & empire

732-onwards: by trade and missionary journeys

III. Spread of Islam

A. Sub-Saharan AfricaMerchantsGhanaMaliSwahili Coast

A. Trade & Religion: Islam in AfricaGold-Salt Trade: Empires of Ghana, Mali & Songhay

B. Islam in SE Asia

C. Islam in South Asia: Conquest & Trade

712: Sind (n.w. India) by Arab-Persian Muslims

700-1000: Conversion of Turks from Central Asia to Islam

Turks conquer parts of North India