Islam’s Origins Life of Mohammed

The First Four CaliphsSeeds of the Sunni / Shia SplitConquests of Omar Treachery of `Uthman Civil War - Ali vs. Aisha

Review

12-1

Objectives

• Explain how Islamic people believe that Muhammad got his ideas.

• Explain why Muhammad’s time in Medina was important to the growth of Islam.

• Explain why the Moslem world split into two factions.

Muhammad was the founder of the religion of Islam.

Qu’an or Koran is the book sacred to Muslims.

Sunni is the majority Muslim group that believed the leader should be chosen.

Shia is the minority Muslim group that believe the leadership should have been inherited.

Mecca is the city near to where Mohammed

Medina is the city to which Mohammed fled and prospered.

Ali was a relative of Mohammed.

Aisha was a wife of Mohammed.

The caliph is the leader of the Moslem world.

Origins of Islam

In 610 AD, in the city of Mecca, Mohammed announced that God had told him they must worship only one God and destroy their idols.

Before Islam, most of the people of Arabia were polytheistic and worshipped idols. Many of them worshipped the Moon God.

fg The people didn’t like his message, and he fled north to the city of Medina.

In Medina, Mohammed united the local tribes, raided caravans, and raised an army.

Two years later, Mohammed returned to Mecca with a sizable force and took the city.

Mohammed and his followers destroyed the idols of that city.

Mohammed and his followers then conquered the Najd plateau and Red Sea Coast areas of Arabia.

Wherever he went, he destroyed the idols of Allat, the Moon Goddess.

He also did not destroy the black stone that the pagans had worshipped.

Some people believe that it is a meteorite.

Other early cults worshipped meteorites, like this one.

He kept, however, the crescent shape. It became the symbol of Islam.

Today, the black stone is in a temple in Mecca called the Kaaba.

A close-up photograph shows the stone mounted

in silver

The Kaaba is Islam’s most sacred site, but it is far older than Islam.

Mohammed died on Monday, 8 June 632, in Medina, at the age of 62 or 63, in the house of his third wife Aisha.

It is said that one of Mohammed’s followers, Abu Bakr, began to write down Mohammed’s teachings. His writings are called the Qu’ran or Koran.

The First CaliphSeeds of the Shia / Sunni Split

The leaders of the Moslem world are called caliphs.

After Mohammed’s death, a dispute arose over who should become caliph.

Some believed that Ali should become the Caliph, since he was Mohammed’s closest relative.

Another group didn’t want the Moslem leader to become like a king; they hated the idea of hereditary leadership. They supported Abu Bakr, who was senior among the leaders. Ali Abu Bakr

This group thought Abu Bakr was trying to muscle in where he didn’t belong.

After Mohammed’s death, the Muslims chose Abu Bakr

as the next leader.

This group became the Shia Muslims.

This group became the Sunni Muslims.

Conquests of Omar (Umar) 2nd Caliph 634 – 644 AD

Byzantine Empire

Sassanid Empire

Moslems

The Muslims fought two enemies – the Byzantines and the Sassanid.

The Muslims defeated the Byzantines and put them on the defensive.

The Sassanid would not accept any treaty, but only the defeat of one or the other.

Only two areas existed in the World: The Land of Peace (Moslem-Controlled) and the Land of War (Lands Moslems should defeat). This teaching exists to this day and pushes for

the conquest of all non-Moslem nations. The Moslems conquered Egypt and

Persia at the same time.

The Muslim leaders thought their soldiers would refuse to invade a foreign land, so they came up with a new teaching.

After conquering these nations, people that were not Muslims were not equal. Muslims passed laws that all non-Muslims had to follow:

• They had to pay special taxes.

• So they could be easily recognized, non-Muslims were forbidden to dress like Muslims.

• They could not share their faith convert anyone to their faith.

• In the case of the Ottomans, Christians had to give their boys to become soldiers to defend their Muslim conquerors.

However:

• Many conquerors of these days allowed their soldiers to loot and pillage a city for three days after conquering. This was forbidden to Moslem soldiers.

• In some cases, the special tax on non-Moslems was less than they formerly paid to the Byzantines.

• A few Christians joined in with Moslem raiders in order to get loot.

Some of the loot was human. Like the Roman Empire, the Moslems were heavily into the slave trade. They captured and sold slaves from the beginning, especially dealing in women.

They sold women from both Africa and Europe.

Part of the loot was split between the men and their leaders.

Part of the loot was returned to Medina for the poor and widows.

'Uthman 3rd Caliph 644 – 656 AD

During the reign of 'Uthman, there was little military expansion. However, conquered peoples tried to break free, he put down rebellions, often with more bloodshed than during the initial conquest.

During the reign of 'Uthman, the Quran was rewritten and the older copies were all destroyed. https://youtu.be/-RcQ7G5K4OQ?list=PLv-SNV2XmnZkJAGWGRKWTWheqEjEejQnf (9:00)

This led to accusations.

As Caliph, `Uthman appointed governors over his provinces. He appointed his step-brother governor of Egypt.

Toward the end of Caliph `Uthman’s reign, officials from Egypt came to him to complain that his brother was abusing his power.

By the time their conference finished, it seemed that they had solved the problem. Caliph `Uthman agreed to replace his brother.

On their way back to Egypt, the delegates noticed a suspicious character who seemed to be traveling in the same direction.

When they searched him, they found a letter telling the governor to execute them immediately!

Outraged, they returned to Medina to confront `Uthman. They were locked out.

When one of them was shot by an arrow from `Uthman’s palace, they burst in and beat `Uthman to death.

Ali and Aisha – Moslem Civil War 4th Caliph vs. 3rd wife of Muhammed 656 to 661 AD

It now seemed that it was Ali’s turn to become caliph.

Abu Bakr

Since the time of Abu Bakr, Ali’s men had remained loyal to him, considering him the only legitimate successor to Muhammed.

Ali’s opponents spread the rumor that his men were among those responsible for `Uthman’s murder.

Ali

Among his opponents was Aisha, the third wife of Muhammed. He had married her when she was only nine years old.

Aisha now called for war in revenge for the murder of Caliph `Uthman. However, no one knew who actually had done it.

Some believed that Aisha was less concerned with revenge for `Uthman and was more interested in establishing a power base.

Ali

Aisha

While the two leaders met to discuss peace, their armies starting fighting on their own. Aisha was captured and Ali was victorious.

Ali moved the capital to Kufa, which angered those living close to the Mediterranean. Kufa had been part of the Persian Empire, their traditional enemies.

Ali was assassinated.

The Moslem Empire permanently split.

The Moslem world remains split to this day.

Review

Between 622 and 750 AD, what religious group seized control of the Middle East,

and then rapidly conquered landswest across North Africa

and east across the Iranian Plateau?

A Muslims

B Protestants

C Catholics

D Buddhists

E Orthodox Jews 7-W3.2.1 Identify the beliefs of the five major world religions.

Who founded the religion of Islam?

Ali Abu Bakr

Mohammed Aisha

What title do Moslems give to the leader of Islam?

Sunni Caliph

Shia Medina

What is the name of is the majority Muslim group that believed the leader should be chosen?

Sunni Shia

Medina Caliph

In what city did Mohammed announce that God had told him the people must worship only one God?

Jerusalem Constantinople

Medina Mecca

What is the name of the minority Muslim group that believed the leadership should be inherited?

Sunni Shia

Mecca Medina

Who was a relative of Mohammed and had many followers who thought he should be caliph?

Ali Aisha

Abu Bakr `Uthman

To what city did Mohammed flee, unite the local tribes, raid caravans, and raise an army?

Jerusalem Constantinople

Medina Mecca

In what city is the black stone?

Jerusalem Constantinople

Medina Mecca

Chronological Order

Earliest

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Sixth

Mohammed flees Mecca to Medina and builds an army.

The murder of the Caliph `Uthman begins fighting between Ali and Aisha.

Mohammed tells people he has heard God’s word in a cave.

Moslem Civil War leads to permanent division into Sunni and Shia.

Omar’s Conquests lead to the new teaching: Land of Peace; Land of War

Death of Mohammed leads to the First arguments over Caliph – Abu Bakr vs. Ali

Remember that the murder of `'Uthman sparked the civil war.

Who won the civil war?

`Uthman Abu Bakr

Aisha Ali

How was Islam spread across the Middle East?

Women and the poor were attracted to its ideals of

equality.

Missionaries converted kings, who then converted their

subjects.

The Muslims conquered non-Muslim nations.

Islam spread as its believers migrated to new lands.

Please turn to page 358 in your textbook.

Mecca is the city near to where Mohammed Medina is the city to which Mohammed fled and prospered. Ali was a relative of Mohammed. Aisha was a wife of Mohammed.

3.2.1 Identify the beliefs of Islam.

4.1.2 World Religions – Using historical and modern maps and other documents, analyze the continuing spread of major world religions and describe encounters between religious groups

12-1 The Roots of Islam

After victory, people non-Muslims were not ______________. equal During the reign of 'Uthman, the ____________ was rewritten and the older copies were all destroyed. QuranIn this civil war, __________ was victorious. Islam divided into two groups, the ___________ and the ____________.

the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy. 4:101

Allah said, ‘No Prophet before Muhammad took booty from his enemy nor prisoners for ransom.’ Muhammad said, ‘I was made victorious with terror. The earth was made a place for me to clean. I was given the most powerful words. Booty was made lawful for me. I was given the power to intercede. These five privileges were awarded to no prophet before me.’” — Ishaq:326