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Islam
Brief History
and
Teachings
Arabia in 600 AD
Populated by various Arabic-speaking people
– Bedouin - organized in tribes
– Caravan meerchants and agriculturalists,
living either in oases in the north, or in the
more fertile and thickly settled areas to the
south
– Intense tribal loyalties & warfare
Arab culture revered oral story telling
Majority of Arabs followed polytheistic religions &
worshipped idols
– Few tribes followed Judaism, Christianity or
Zoroastrianism
City of Mecca was a religious & trade center
– Rich mixtures of culture
– Ka'aba - temple founded by Abraham
– Yearly pilgrimage to site
– Much social injustice & economic disparity
Muhammad (570 – 632)
Born at Mecca into the Quraysh tribe
Orphaned at an early age & raised by uncle
Illiterate but very articulate & well liked
Became a successful merchant – traveled north
Married older wealthy widow at 25 - Khadijah
Saw a crisis in Arab society
610 AD….the divine call
– Visited while meditating in cave by the Archangel
Gabriel who commanded him to recite verses sent by
God
– Revelations continued for the next 22 years
– Revelations collected in the Quran
– Revelations directly related to the needs of the Arab
people
– First memorized the verses & passed them to his wife
& close relatives
– Small band of followers would memorize the recitations
First converts – wife, cousin Ali, kinsman Abu Bakr
Starts preaching in 612
New recruits mainly from slaves and lower classes
Night journey to Jerusalem
Muhammad
612-622 AD - in Mecca preaching and gaining followers
– Seen as a trouble maker for attacking the
establishment
– Attempts to assasinate him
AD 622… the Hejira to Medina
– Request to resolve dispute between rival tribes
– With followers moved to neighboring city of Medina
– Year 622 as the start of the Muslim calendar
622-630 AD---in Medina
– Becomes leader of city
Develops concept of Ummah - community
– Mecca and Medina in conflict
– Unites the surrounding tribes
Military victories
Justice not fanaticism
No longer making war with other Arabs
Use of cavalry and camels
Remarkable mobility
High morale from religious enthusiasm
Conquered peoples more open to Islam
Reduced heavy burden of taxation
No persecution of Faiths
The Spread of Islam
Islamic Unity
Arabic became language of business,
government & literature
Uniform enforcement of law contributed to growth
of united culture
Vast trade network extended from India to the
Mediterranean
Rich Cultural Achievements
Many Islamic centers of culture and science
– Baghdad
– Cairo
– Damascus
– Cordoba
– Alexandria
Scholarship
– Produced notable scientists, astronomers,
mathematicians, doctors and philosophers
– Importance of reading the Qur'an produced a
comparatively high level of literacy in the
general populace
Heirs to Hellenistic Learning
– Maintained Classical learning
– Translation of Greek texts - Aristotle
Medicine
Architecture
– Mosques, Palaces & Minarets
Art
– Geometric patterns, calligraphy, metal work
Science & Medicine
Muslim scientists
Saw no contradiction between religion and laws
governing natural world
Scientific method born
Utilized Classical Greek medical texts
Alchemy – beginnings of chemistry
Muslim medicine
Advanced techniques & ideas
Theory that disease born through air
born organisms
Study of anatomy
Vascular & cancer surgery
Study of light, lenses & physiology of
eye – led to camera
Use of anesthetics
Pharmacies
Hospitals – separate disease in
different wards
Pioneers of Medicine
Razi (865 – 925) – Rhazes in the West
Authored more than 100 books on
medicine
First to diagnose and treat smallpox
Ibn Sina (980 – 1037) – Known as Avicenna
Contributions in philosophy, music,
mathematics, geography & literature
Utilized experimentation & observation
wrote Canon of Medicine –
encyclopedia of medicine
Study of infectious disease
Main medical text for 6 centuries
Printed extensively throughout the West
Mathematics
Introduced “Arabic” numerals – originally
from India
Replaced Roman numerals
Included the zero – made for complex
calculations
Perfected use of decimals and fractions
Invented Algebra
Trade
Seaborne Trade developed from Persian Gulf
Began to sail to China to trade
Traveled to Russia and Central Asia by land
Able to travel from Europe to Asia
- Silk, furs, gold and precious stones, spices,
and slaves
- Orange tree, sugar, and paper
An Ever Advancing Civilization
Abraham: Infancy/Family
Moses: Toddlerhood/Tribe
Jesus: Childhood/Love
Muhammad: Adolescence/Nation
Where are Muslims Today?