The Umayyad Caliphate: The History and Legacy of the Second Islamic Kingdom Established After Muhammad’s Death
Written by Charles River Editors
Narrated by Daniel Houle
2.5/5
()
About this audiobook
The split between the two forms of Islam was already in the process of forming upon the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad had constructed around himself not only a potent new religious movement but also a powerful young state called the Ummah (the "Community" for lack of a better translation). Belonging to the Islamic faith also meant belonging to the Ummah, which was governed by its own laws and had many of its own institutions. In his own lifetime, Muhammad had ruled the Ummah through what sociologists call "charismatic authority," a term coined by Max Weber that is defined as "resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." Hence, Muslims believe Muhammad ruled because he was uniquely chosen and endowed by God as the exemplar of all humanity, giving him a unique (though not perfect or infallible) ability to govern humanity. This was a holistic form of governance because the Prophet did not simply deliver God's words (what became the Holy Qur'an), nor did he simply pronounce upon court cases and create laws. He did all those things, but he also presented in his own person the embodiment of the best that humanity could aspire to. He was fully human, but the finest, most pious example that humans would ever produce.
Amid the upheaval in the Islamic world following Muhammad’s death, the Umayyad Caliphate lasted for less than a century, but in that time it managed to become one of the most influential of the major caliphates established following him. Its official existence was from 661-750, and the rulers were the male members of the Umayyad dynasty, roughly translated from Arabic as the “Sons of Umayyah.” Its primary base of power was in Syria following the creation of a dynastic, hereditary rule headed by one of Syria’s long-lasting governors, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan.
More audiobooks from Charles River Editors
Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Project MK-Ultra: The History of the CIA’s Controversial Human Experimentation Program Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The East India Company: The History of the British Empire's Most Famous Mercantile Company Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nineveh: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Assyrian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mossad: The History and Legacy of Israel’s National Intelligence Agency Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Life and Legacy of the Father of the Atomic Bomb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legends of the West: Deadwood, South Dakota Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mysterious Midwest: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in America's Heartland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mysteries of the South: Ghosts, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in Dixie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cambrian Period: The History and Legacy of the Start of Complex Life on Earth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Madame de Pompadour: The Life and Legacy of French King Louis XV’s Chief Mistress Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denisovans: The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia during the Paleolithic Era Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arnold Rothstein and Meyer Lansky: The Lives and Legacies of the Gangsters Who Reformed Organized Crime in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pleistocene Era: The History of the Ice Age and the Dawn of Modern Humans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fermi Paradox: The History and Legacy of the Famous Debate over the Existence of Aliens Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung: The Pioneering Lives and Works of History’s Most Influential Psychologists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Medieval England: The History of England from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Tudor Dynasty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Umayyad Caliphate
Related audiobooks
Harun al-Rashid: The Life and Legacy of the Abbasid Caliph during the Islamic Golden Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Islamic Empires of India: The History of the Muslim Dynasties that Ruled India Before the British Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mamluks: The History and Legacy of the Medieval Slave Soldiers Who Established a Dynasty in Egypt Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Qur'an: What Everyone Needs to Know Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mughal Empire: The History of the Modern Dynasty that Ruled Much of India Before the British Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFollowing Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lakhmids: The History of the Ancient Arab Kingdom that Fought in the Roman-Persian Wars Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Moors of Andalusia: The History of the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Islam and the West Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Muhammad's Prophethood: An Analytical View Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life of Mohammed: The Sira Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Islam: A Short History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Delhi Sultanate: The History and Legacy of the Medieval Islamic Dynasty in India Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Making the Arab World: Nasser, Qutb, and the Clash That Shaped the Middle East Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Chaldiran: The History and Legacy of the Ottoman Empire’s Decisive Victory Over the Safavid Dynasty in Anatolia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Introduction to Islam Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Global Messenger Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sharia Law for Non-Muslims Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Christian and Islamic Theology: What Do Christians and Muslims Believe? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Islamic Faith: A simplified Presentation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuleiman the Magnificent: An Enthralling Guide to the Sultan Who Ruled during the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMuhammad: A Prophet for Our Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Global Jihad: A Brief History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Islam For You
Islam For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: Third Edition with Bonus Content, New Reflections Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Quran Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rumi's Little Book of Life: The Garden of the Soul, the Heart, and the Spirit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gifts from a Guide: Life Hacks from a Spiritual Teacher Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnderstanding World Religions: Audio Lectures: An Interdisciplinary Approach Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Koran Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5No God but One: Allah or Jesus?: A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Majestic Quran Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Holy Qur'an [Arabic with English Translation]: Vol 1: Chapters 1 - 9 [Saheeh International Translation] Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alchemy Of Happiness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Idries Shah Anthology Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thomas Merton on Sufism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Conference of the Birds Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Islam: A Short History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Search for Inner Peace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hadith: The Traditions of Mohammed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Surahs & Verse from The Holy Quran for Stress, Depression & Anxiety Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Umayyad Caliphate
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I don’t quite like the fact that it aggrandised Shiites Muslim and downplayed the atrocities of some of the caliphates. Good listening tho