Muhammed (571- 632 AD)• Early Life: Born in Mecca to powerful

family– Orphaned at 6 & raised by grandfather &

uncle– Little schooling- worked in caravan trade– At 25 married Khadijah(business woman)

• Beginning of Revelations:– At 40 yrs old he heard a

voice while meditating– Believed that the Lord had

spoken through angel Gabriel

– 613 AD preached only One god.

Muhammed Cont’d• Hijrah-

– Left Mecca 622 AD because people were hostile to new ideas

– Turning Point-many followers

– Went to MedinaBecame political & military leader

• Qur’an:– Holy Book written

in Arabic.

Beliefs• Only 1 god and his name is Allah

• There is good and evil in the world,Each person is

responsible for their

actions in life

• Final Judgment

Day- will enter

either Heaven or

Hell

Values: 5 Pillars of Islam (Duties)• Faith: “there is no god but allah &

Muhammed is his prophet (messenger)”• Prayer: 5 times per day facing Mecca• Almsgiving: money or

charity for the poor• One month of fasting:

Ramadan- don’t eator drink from dawn to sunset

• One pilgrimage to Mecca: Hajj- once in lifetime if possible

Moral Values (do not separate personal and

religious life)• Cannot eat pork

• Cannot drink intoxicating beverages

• Community prayer at

mosque on Friday

afternoons

• Worship god or

Allah directly

Sources of AuthorityOriginal source: Allah through angel

Gabriel to Muhammed• Qur’an: book of revelations/ compiled after his

death/ only Arabic is true word• Sunna: muhammed’s

example of how to live life

• shari’a: body of religious law applied to civil & criminal matters. Regulates family life,moral conduct, business & community life. Applies to allMuslims.

Caliphs (successor)• Abu-Bakr- 1st elected Caliph (632 AD- 1st

convert of Muhammed)– Controlled Arabia

• Umar- 2nd Caliph:– Controlled Syria, Lower

Egypt & parts of Persia

• Uthman/ Ali: 3rd & 4th

Caliphs– Extended their rule

from Atlantic Ocean to Indus River

– Both were assassinated & rightly guided Caliphsended (4 of them)

Umayyads- came after Ali (661 AD)

• Hereditary succession of leaders of Muslims- Islam

• Moved Muslim capital to Damascus

• Surrounded themselves with wealth & ceremony

Splits in Islam• shi’a- Caliph needs to be relative of Muhammed• Sunni- followers of

muhammed’s example-elect their leaders

• Sufi- pursued a life of poverty & devotion to a spiritual path-mystics/direct personal relationship with Allah.

Muslim States• Al- Andalus (Andalusia, Spain)-

founded by Berbers (N. Africa- spread to Spain)– Jabal- Tariq- leader who advanced his

army within 100 miles of Paris, Rock of Gibraltar isnamed after him

– Battle of Tours 732 ADdefeated by Charles Martel- Tariq retires back to Spain where Muslim rule will continue until 1492 AD

muslim states Cont’d• Abbasids

– Moved capital to Baghdad

– Center of trade routes that allowed for access to goods,

gold & information

• Fatimid (Fatima):

Dynasty 1258 AD– North Africa to

Western Arabia

& Syria

Muslims as a unified culture• Language- Lingua Franca (language of trade

that everyone can speak) – Arabic. Had to read and write Qur’an to understand it so linked different peoples

• Religion- Islam• Trade- connected

the silk roads ofChina & India with Europe & Africa– Abbasaid dinar-

money universally accepted throughout the Muslim world

– Sakk- check that is good at banks across the Muslim World