Islamic Civilization

Islamic Civilization Unity, Discipline, Organization Arabia Before Muhammad THE ARABS: During ancient times, the Arabs inhabited much of the area from the Arabian peninsula to the Euphrates River POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS FEATURES: The Arab world in the early 7th century had no stable, large-scale political entities People belonged to close-knit clans, or extended families, that formed tribes Most Arabs were pagans, but small minorities were Jewish and Christian ECONOMIC COMPONENTS: Bedouins Farmers Traders BEDOUINS (nomadic pastoralists) provided for their own needs with: Herds of sheep & goats Small-scale trading in towns Regular raids on one another and on caravans FARMERS: Some farmers worked the land, but in many areas soils were too poor and rain was too infrequent to support agriculture TRADERS: Cities supported traders who carried luxury goods (spices, incense, perfumes) from the Indian Ocean region and southern Arabia along caravan routes to the cities of the eastern Mediterranean These traders formed the economic and political elite of Arabia, and they led the tribes Pre-Islamic Trade Routes MECCA was the most important trade center in Arabia It was dominated by the powerful tribe of the Quraysh (KOOR-aysh) JIHAD: Muslim warriors believed they were engaged in a holy war (jihad) to spread Islam to nonbelievers and that those who died in the jihad were assured a place in paradise A desire to escape from the barren Arabian Desert and to exploit the rich Byzantine and Persian lands was another compelling reason for expansion CONQUESTS BY 733: In the east, Islam’s territory eventually extended into India and to the borders of China In the west, it encompassed North Africa and most of Spain But the Muslims’ northward push lost momentum and was halted in 717 by the Byzantines at Constantinople and in 732 by the Franks at the Battle of Tours in Central France CULTURAL INTEGRATION: In the 8th and 9th centuries, under the Abbasid caliphs, Muslim civilization entered its golden age Islamic civilization creatively integrated Arabic, Byzantine, Persian, and Indian cultural traditions During the Early Middle Ages, when learning was at a low point in western Europe, the Muslims preserved the philosophical and scientific heritage of the ancient world ADVANCES IN LEARNING: The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history TRANSMISSION OF KNOWLEDGE: Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and the concept of the zero, were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps THE ARAB EMPIRE, stretching from Spain to India, was unified by a common language (Arabic), a common faith, and a common culture DECLINE: By the 11th century, however, the Arabs began losing their dominance in the Islamic world The Seljuk Turks conquered Syria, Palestine, and much of Persia In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Muslims lost Sicily and most of Spain to Christian knights In the 13th and 14th centuries, Mongols devastated Muslim lands In the 15th century, the collapse of the Mongol empire left the way open for the Ottoman Turks, who reached their height in the 16th century Islam Today Major Religions of the World: August 9, 2007 How Terrorists Hijacked Islam Charismatic leaders, misreading religious texts, find arguments to justify holy war against anyone or any country believed to be promoting an "anti-Islam agenda." And socioeconomic conditions have made a large pool of young men susceptible to the argument that they can best serve Allah by donating their lives to the cause… Fighting such extremism requires understanding that this is a war not between Islam and the West, but between certitude and open-mindedness, dogma and thought, prejudice and tolerance.” Stern, Jessica "How Terrorists Hijacked Islam." USA Today (30 September 2001) MUSLIM WOMEN: According to the Quran, men and women are equal before God Today, Muslims offer these practices as evidence of equality: Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings A marital gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she may keep her own family name rather than adopting her husband's Roles of men and women are complementary and collaborative Rights and responsibilities of both sexes are equitable and balanced in their totality CLOTHING: Muslims say that both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is simple, modest and dignified, but that specific traditions of female dress found in some Muslim countries are often the expression of local customs rather than religious principle Likewise, they admit that treatment of women in some areas of the Muslim world sometimes reflects cultural practices which may be inconsistent, if not contrary, to authentic Islamic teachings Saudi Arabia: Schoolgirls burned to death for not wearing scarves [March 27, 2002] Fifteen schoolgirls died in a burning school building in Mecca, because they did not wear correct Islamic dress Saudi Arabia's religious mutaween police, the so-called "Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice", stopped them from leaving the blazing building, because they were without headscarves and abayas (black robes)….A policeman was seen beating a girl, who escaped, and forcing her back into the flames… Police also stopped firemen and other helpers, who tried to rescue the girls, warning it was "sinful" to come near them A school guard refused despite the pleas of a girl's father to unlock the gates, when the fire broke out The authorities used to keep the school locked to make sure that boys and girls remained strictly apart… The mutaween are all-powerful in Saudi Arabia and normally nobody dares to criticize them They …beat up or arrest and jail anybody, who doesn't obey their orders, when they patrol the streets to enforce the strict Islamic dress code and the practicing of the prescribed prayers and harass those who indulge in forbidden contact between men and women A Child’s Kingdom Sources The Birth of Islam http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/isla/hd_isla.htm Major Religions of the World http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html Marvin Perry, Western Civilization: A Brief History (2001) Thomas F.X Noble, et al., Western Civilization: The Continuing Experience (2002) Stern, Jessica “How Terrorists Hijacked Islam.” USA Today (30 September 2001) Saudi Arabia: Schoolgirls burned to death for not wearing scarves http://www.irish-humanists.org/Hot%20issues%20sub/girlsdie.html A Child’s Kingdom http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/Movies/ChildKingdom.rm