chapter 14 Flashcards
(14.1) ka’ba
cubed shaped shrine that is the holiest of Muslim places
(14.1) hajj
the holy pilgrimage to Mecca required of all Muslims
(14.1) jihad
Translated as “struggle” it has come to mean “holy war” obligating many Muslims to take up the sword against unbelievers who would threaten Islam
(14.1) Muhammad
founder and “true prophet” of Islam
(14.1) hijra
Muhammad’s flight to Yatrib and the starting point for the official Islamic calendar
(14.1) Muslim
Follower of Islam as “one who has submitted” to the will of Allah
(14.1) 5 pillars of Islam
The obligations of devout Muslims as the foundation of Islam
(14.1) bedouin
Nomadic people of Arabia who become Islam’s first converts
(14.1) medina
Once called Yatrib, it became known as the “city of prophet” after Muhammad took refuge there
(14.1) Quran
Holy book of Islam that contains Muhammad’s revelations
(14.1) Islam
World-wide religion requiring “submission” to Allah
(14.1) Umma
The cohesive “community of the faithful” into which Muhammad organized his followers
(14.1) hadith
Traditions of Islam including the sating and deeds of Muhammad
(14.1) dar-al-Islam
Arabic term for “the house of Allah” or all lands under Islamic rule
(14.1) Mecca
The holiest city of Islam and the center of its religion and home to its greatest shrine
(14.1) Allah
The one and only true God that rules the universe
(14.2) Sufi
effective Islamic missionaries and mystics who worked to deepen spiritual awareness through their piety and devotion
(14.2) Qadis
judges who set moral standards and resolved disputes in local communities
(14.2) Umayyad dynasty
A group of prominent Meccan merchant clans who seized power after the assassination of Ali whose rule favored Arab-Muslims
(14.2) Abu Bakr
one of Muhammad’s closest friends, he was chosen to serve as Islam’s head of state, judge, and military after the death of the prophet
(14.2) Ibn Rushd
A Muslim philosopher who tried to adapt the teachings of the Greek philosopher Aristotle to Islamic thought
(14.2) Sakk
letters of credit established during the Abbasid dynasty that helped to stimulate trade for the Islamic economy
(14.2) Abbasid dynasty
an Islamic group founded by Abu al-abbas that rejected favor to Arab-Muslims by annihilating clans of the previous rulers and welcoming non-Arab Muslims to positions of wealth and power
(14.2) Caliph
essentially lieutenants or substitutes who led the umma in the years of the death of Muhammad (deputy)
(14.2) Rubaiyat
one of Islam’s great literary works of poetic verse produced by Omar Khayyam
(14.2) Harun-al-Rashid
Caliph during the highest point of the Abbasid dynasty
(14.2) Jizya
special “head tax” levied on primarily monotheistic Christians and Jews who refused to convert to Islam
(14.2) Shia
the minority sect within Islam that believed leadership should pass to a line descended from Muhammad and Ali and divinely appointed to rule Islam
(14.2) Sharia
Islamic holy law offering detailed guidance on proper behavior in almost every aspect of life
(14.2) Madrasas
formal institutes of higher learning and educations that began to be established in the 10th century to promote Islamic values
(14.2) Sunni
traditionally, the majority sect within Islam that believed that any Muslim who followed Muhammad’s example may lead
(14.2) Al-Andalus
Islamic Spain established by Muslim Berber conquerors on the Iberian peninsula
(14.2) Ulama
Pious scholars with great “religious knowledge” who sought to develop public policy in accordance with the Quran and sharia under the Abbasids
What are the three largest monotheistic religions of the world?
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Name the founder, holy book, and god of Judaism
Founder: Abraham
Holy Book: Torah
God: Yahweh
Name the founder, holy book, and god of Christianity
Founder: Jesus
Holy book: Bible
God: just God
Name the founder, holy book, and god of Islam
Founder: Muhammad
Holy book: Qu’ran
God: Allah
What was Mohammad’s pre-prophet life like?
- Born ~570 CE to merchant family in Mecca
- Orphan
- Married wealthy widow ~595 CE
- Worked as a merchant
*Familiarity with paganism, Christianity, and Judaism as practiced in Arabian peninsula
What are the common beliefs between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity?
- Monotheistic (Single God)
- A day of judgement (heaven & hell)
- Abraham - a common spiritual ancestor
What did the Bedouins worship prior to Islam?
Elemental spirits of the Universe (Earth, Water, Wind, & Fire)
Who wee the five great prophets of Islam?
Adam
Abraham
Moses
Jesus
Muhammad
What was the “Seal of the Prophets”?
The idea that Muhammad was the final prophet, and he was entrusted with a more complete revelation
When and how did Muhammad’s spiritual transformations happen?
He started having visions in ~610 CE of the Archangel Gabriel telling him to recite Allah’s word
Why was Muhammad considered a threat to Mecca?
- Monotheistic teachings offended polytheistic pagans
- Economic threat to merchants in Mecca and the existing religious industry
- Denunciation of greed was an affront to local aristocracy
What is the first pillar of Islam?
- FAITH: the testimony of faith “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet”
- Repeated over and over during worship
What did Muhammad achieve when he returned to and attacked Mecca in 630 CE?
- Converted all of Mecca to Islam
- Destroyed pagan sites and replaced them with mosques
- Kept Ka’ba as a pilgrimage site
What is the second pillar of Islam?
- PRAYER (SALAT): Pray five times a day facing the holy city of Mecca
1) At dawn
2) At midday
3) At mid-afternoon
4) After sunset
5) At 2 hours after sunset
How is the Islamic call to prayer carried out?
- A man (muezzin) is appointed and climbs the minaret of the mosque to call in all directions
- Muslims respond to call and pray/pledge
- Muslims bring a prayer carpet when traveling abroad, rolls it out, determines the direction of Mecca, and prays
What is the third pillar of Islam?
- ALMS (Zakat): Giving gifts of money to the weak and poor
- Anonymous giving is considered to be a greater blessing
- Even the poorest must give
What is the fourth pillar of Islam?
- FAST: Occurs during Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat or drink from sunup to sundown
- Commemorates the Hijrah of Muhammad
- Exempt from the Fast are the very young, very old, the sick, or those pregnant
What is the fifth pillar of Islam?
- PILGRIMAGE: Muslims must travel to Mecca to worship at the Ka’ba at least ONCE in their lifetime
- If they cannot, they must desire to do so with all of their heart
What is forbidden by the Quran?
- Eating pork
- Gambling
- Alcohol
- Marriage to a Non-believer
- Idol worship
What is the Islamic idea of Heaven?
- If you’re faithful, you go to Paradise
- Paradise is a garden with rivers of Milk and Honey
- Dressed in silk
- Life of Eternal Ease
What is the Islamic idea of hell?
- If you’re unfaithful, you go to hell
- Wear shoes of fire
- Drink boiling water
- Eat filth
- Life of Eternal Torment
What are the marriage customs of Islam?
- A man can marry up to 4 wives (he must support all of them and with equal treatment)
- Most marriages arranged by contract
- Women may have only 1 husband
- Adultery is severely punished
- Divorce does exist
Why did Islam spread so quickly?
- Passion holy wars (Jihad) were fought for Allah
- Weak resistance - byzantine and persian empires collapse
- The promotion of Equality
- Trade led to prosperity
What customs distinguish Islam from other beliefs?
- Muhammad taught that all believers are equal - little racism
- Slavery of polytheists continued but “People of the Book” could not be enslaved
- Muslim women are equal before Allah but are restricted to the home
- No organized priesthood exists
- There is nothing between man and Allah
What was Islam’s policy toward Conquered Peoples?
- Favorited Arab military rulers, causing discontent among non-Arab Muslims
- Limited social mobility for non-Arab Muslims
- Jizya (head tax) on non-Muslims
- Umayyads’ luxurious living caused further decline in moral authority
Who fell under People of the Book?
Christians, Zoroastrians, and Jews
How did Islam’s treatment of Conquered people differ between Monotheists and Polytheists?
Monotheists:
* People of the Book were allowed to live in peace but were often very highly taxed
Polytheists usually had three choices:
* Convert to Islam
* Be enslaved
* Be killed
How did Muhammad die?
After his farewell pilgrimage, he suffered with fever, head pain, and weakness before dying on June 8, 632 CE in medina
What are some characteristics of the Umayyad Dynasty ?
- Lasted from 661-750 CE
- From Meccan merchant class
- Brought stability to Islam
- Capital: Damascus, Syria
- Associated with Arab military aristocracy
What was the great turning point in islam?
- When non-Arab Muslims outnumbered Arab Muslims in Islam for the first time
- Abbasid dynasty (non-arab muslims) overthrow Umayyad dynasty (750 CE)
What are some characteristics of the Abbasid Dynasty?
- Lasted 750-1258 CE)
- Diverse nature of administration
- Militarily competent, but not bent on imperial expansion
- Content to administer inherited empire
- Continued growth of dar al-Islam
What was the Court of Baghdad?
- The official residence of the Abbasid court
- The center of banking, commerce, crafts, industrial production, cultural activity
How did the Abbasid decline?
- Civil war between the sons of Harun all-Rashid after his death
- Provincial governors asserted regional independence
- Dissenting sects, heretical movements
- Neglectful Abbasid caliphs, puppets of Person nobility
- Later influence of Seljuk Turks whose sultans became true source of power
What are some common bonds uniting people of the Muslim world?
- Single religion (Islam)
- One legal system (Quran)
- One language (Arabic)
- Similar governments
- Trade and commerce
What were the classes in the Muslim world?
Upper class: Muslim at birth
Second class: Converts to Islam
Third class: “People of the Book”
Lowest class: Polytheists of slaves
How were women in Islam treated in the beginning?
- Women could own land, inherit money, and run a business
- Access to education
- Men and women considered equal by Muhammad and Islam
How did the equality between men and women change in Islam?
- The Quran outlawed female infanticide, decided that Brides (not husbands) claimed Dowries
- Male dominance preserved
- Patrilineal descent
- Polygamy permitted, polyandry forbidden
- Veil adopted from ancient Mesopotamian practice
How did the economy develop in the early Islamic world?
- Food and industrial crops spread from trade routes from India to Spain
- Adapted western diet
- New crops adapted to different growing seasons
- Cotton, paper industries developed
- major cities emerged
What was the formation of a hemispheric trading zone?
- Was a historical precedent of Arabic trade
- Camel caravans and Maritime trade
- Dar al-Islam extended over Silk roads
- Summer weekly ice exports from the mountains of Syria to Egypt (10th century)
What were Islamic values perpetuated by?
*Uniformity of Islamic law
*Establishment of madrasas
*Importance of the hajj
Who did sufi missionaries create tension with by spreading asceticism and mysticism?
Orthodox Islamic theologians
What were some advances in the Muslim world (art)?
- Calligraphy
*Arabesques - Intricate geometric designs
- Ban on the representation of Living things
What were some advances in the Muslim world (Architecture)?
Arched ceilings
Domes
Mosques
Minarets
What are examples of some popular Islamic literature?
- The Quran
- The Rubaiyat
- 1001 Arabian Nights
- Shahnama
What did Islam introduce/contribute to Math?
- Algebra
- Geometry
*Trigonometry - Calculus
- Introduction of Arabic numerals
How did islam contribute to medicine?
- Encyclopedia of Medical knowledge called “The comprehensive book”
- Al-Razi’s “Treatise on Smallpox”
- First hospitals
