Page Summary
This page includes topics on the major periods of Islamic history and the Expansion of Islamic Empires, such as: the sources of disagreement between Sunni and Shi’a Islam, the growing influence of Turkish Islam after 1000, the importance of the trade routes connecting the Far East and Europe and the role of the Mongols in increasing trade along these routes (including the silk routes to China), the relationship of trade to the growth of Central Asian and Middle Eastern cities, and the sources and uses of slaves in Islamic societies in Islamic societies as well as the extent of the Islamic slave trade across Africa from 700 CE on (Summary by Abigail Bedard, 2021).
Topics on the Page
A. the life and teachings of Muhammad
- The Five Pillars of Islam
B. the significance of the Qur’an as the primary source of Islamic belief
C. Islam’s historical relationship to Judaism and Christianity
D. the relationship between government and religion in Muslim societies
- Role of women
- Famous Women in Islamic History
Special Topic page on Sunni and Shi'a Islam
Focus Question: What are the significant beliefs and concepts of Islam?
Islam is a monotheistic religion founded in 610 AD by the prophet Muhammad, who received revelations from Allah via the angel Gabriel.
- It is a religion historically connected to Christianity and Judaism, maintaining a holy land in Jerusalem and drawing on Jewish and Christian scriptures for its own development.
- The revelations received by Muhammad were documented by his followers in the Qu'ran, the most holy book of Muslims which provides messages, teachings, and laws from Allah. Just as Muhammad memorized the Qu'ran, so do followers today, and the original text has not changed in over 1400 years.
- The Qu'ran contains rules for daily living, family obligations, financial dealings, food and dress taboos, worship rituals, etc. These rules make up Islamic law, which is currently experiencing great conflict in our quickly modernizing world.
- The spread of Islam as a religion and as a set of laws sourced from the religion helped unite the Arabian peninsula and create an Islamic revolution across the Middle East.
YouTube access to the acclaimed documentary: Islam: Empire of Faith from PBS.
- A Prezi created by Rosa Torres.
Here is a link to an interactive website that helps one learn about Islam in a fun and rewarding way.
Link to a 13 minute crash course on the history and beliefs of Islam.
Click here for a Frontline Documentary from May 2002 that attempts to answer many questions, including: What does it mean to be a Muslim? How do Muslims reconcile the pressures of modern life with their Muslim traditions? Does Islam deserve its reputation as a patriarchal, authoritarian and anti-western religion? And what role does military play in the Muslim world?
Click here for a lesson plan that can go along with this Frontline Documentary.
A. The life and teachings of Muhammad 
Muhammad was born in the small trading town of Mecca in present-day Saudi Arabia, where he was orphaned at a young age and raised by his Uncle.
- He became a merchant and married his business partner Khadija at age 25. In 610 AD, at age 40, Muhammad went into a cave in the Arabian mountains to pray, as he often did.
- While Muhammad was inside the cave, he heard the voice of the angel Gabriel. Allah (God) told Muhammad through Gabriel that people had abandoned the true faith.
- Instead of worshiping only Allah, they worshiped many false gods. Allah told him that the people should submit to the one true God and obey his laws. People who accepted the teachings of Muhammad came to be known as Muslim (a person who submits). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDxKxnVZtgo <--- Full timeline on the start of Islam giving an easy to understand timeline of Islam.
Islam was appealing for its belief in universal obligation, instead of obligation to old clans or tribes.
- He built a core of young people who were committed to the worldview explained by Islam, as well as the political program affiliated with it, which led to clashes with the ruling Arab families. Before his death, Muhammad had built an army, taken control of Mecca to establish an Islamic state, and spread the religion and way of life throughout the area (Harman, Chris. A People's History of the World. pg 124-125).
Muhammad continued to have revelations from Allah until his death in 632 AD. When Muhammad spoke these revelations aloud, his literate followers compiled and wrote down the verses, which we know today as the Qu'ran or Koran (see section B).
Click here for a well-done (though slightly biased) interactive website created by the Muslim Research and Development Foundation.
- To profess that there is no one god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet; that is, a strict monotheism with Mohammed as the final prophet.
- To pray five times daily, reciting from the Koran passages in praise of the Lord.
- To give alms to the poor, and for the support of religious and good causes.
- To fast from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan.
- To make the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, required of all believers at least once in their lifetime. (quoted from Lessons from History: Essential Understandings and Historical Perspectives Students Should Acquire, National Center for History in the Schools, 1992, p. 234).
Click here for a lesson plan on Islam's 5 pillars.
Click here to watch a documentary of the Hajj.
All Muslims must believe in these six basic principles:
1. Belief in Allah.
2. Belief in Angels.
3. Belief in the books of Allah.
4. Belief in the Prophets of Allah.
5. Belief in the Day of Judgement.
6. Belief in Destiny, that all things are the work of Allah.
B. The significance of the Quran as the primary source of Islamic belief
The holy book of Islam is called the Quran.
It contains messages God revealed to Muhammad, including the rules of Islam. Many Muslims appreciate it in its original language, Arabic, or believe that it can only be correctly appreciated in Arabic. Therefore, many converts to Islam learn Arabic. It puts a special emphasis on the concept of oneness of god and his concern about the spiritual and worldly welfare of man. The Holy Scripture also enlightens on the creation of the world, and, especially, of man; of good and evil spirits; man's responsibility for his actions; the Day of Judgement; the final account; and rewards and punishments.
The Quran was assembled during the reign of the caliph Uthman, as Muhammad himself did not actually write down the messages that God revealed to him. It contains both surahs (chapters) and ayas (verses). Normally it is arranged in length, from the longest to the shortest, except for the opening surah. It can also be arranged chronologically, with surahs from Mecca and Medina. The Meccan surahs tend to be more poetic, filled with imagery, and generally shorter. The surahs from Medina are longer and deal more with questions of law.
One of the main principles followed by Muslims in the Quran is Jihad, the struggle for God. This is often considered the sixth pillar of islam, unofficially. In its general meaning, the term jihad refers to the obligation of all Muslims individuals to lead a virtuous life and to spread the teachings of Islam. In doing so, it refers to two struggles: a greater and a lesser one. The greater struggle refers to the one's own struggle with virtue, perhaps, trying to overcome a personal trait like selfishness. The lesser struggle refers to one's initiative to combat social evils such as helping alcoholics to overcome their struggle or working to combat oppression of minorities in your community.
Jihad also includes the obligation to defend Islam and the Muslim community from aggression, and many terrorists and extremists have wrongfully adopted this term to justify their actions. Their use of the term Jihad has allowed its true meaning to be skewed, because their actions do not represent the values of a practicing Muslim.
Click here to hear recitations of selections from the Quran.
Translation of the Quran
primary_sources_quotes.pdf
Role of women as described in the Quran
This is a link to a website the outlines the role of women as outlined in the Quran.
C. Islam’s historical relationship to Judaism and Christianity
Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all considered Abrahamic religions, in that they derive spiritual and ancestral origins to Abraham. They are historically linked in geography and time period, sharing the holy land of Jerusalem and other areas in the Middle East. They are connected spiritually, and contain a multitude of similarities, particularly in their monotheism. Each of these religions believes in the same God, with different names. They also believe in the duality of man, in good and evil, and in angels and demons. All share similar visions of an afterlife and believe that salvation can be attained through good deeds and proper worship. Jesus is also recognized by the religion of Islam (as well as Abraham and Moses) as a prophet, or messenger of God. This seems to be a one way street, as Christianity does not recognize Muhammad as a prophet in official texts.
During the time of Muhammad and during the spread of Islam, Muslims were tolerant of the other religions. For example, when Islam overtook Jerusalem in 638, Christian churches were left unharmed and Jewish people who had been forbidden from living and worshipping in Jerusalem were allowed to return. In these Muslim occupied cities, a dhimmi (or poll tax) was initiated, and if the tax was paid by the cities non muslim occupants, they would be offered protection from violent oppression and attacks.
In contrast, in 1099 when the crusades re-established their presence in Jerusalem, they left no Muslim survivors and destroyed all Islamic shrines.
See more comparisons between the religions here.
D. The relationship between government and religion in Muslim societies
All throughout history, there has been a close relationship between the practice of law and the Muslim identity. More specifically, Sharia Law has been a guiding moral force in Muslim life, as it's literal definition means "how one lives" or "the path one takes." Non-Muslims living in a Muslim society, are not expected to follow the rules of Sharia Law.
There are four sources of law according to Sharia:
1) usul al-fiqh - meaning the roots or sources of the law
2) the Quran - the example of the Prophet
3) Ijma - the consensus of the community
4) qiyas - analogical reasoning or deduction of facts
The judges in Sharia courts, originally interpreters of the law, eventually, became restricted to the role of applying the law. This reflected the change in belief that jurists, who developed the laws, were to interpret them too. Legal decisions made in these courts are final, although ultimately, the Caliph has the final say.
However, Sharia courts were not the only system of law in operation in Muslim societies. The Sharia system proved to be limiting to the Caliph of the Umayyad Empire, as his desire for absolute power contrasted with the belief that God was the ultimate lawmaker. The Umayyad's developed Grievance Courts to deal with public law issues such as criminal law, taxation, and commercial regulation and the Sharia Courts dealt with the enforcement of family laws such as marriage, divorce, inheritance.
Click here for a video explaining Sharia law.
E. Role of Women in Islam
While modern Islamic societies are often criticized for their subjugation and mistreatment of women, early Islam attempted to move towards equality between the genders. Compared to many other societies of the time, women were given extensive rights under Islamic Law. Upon coming of age, women were afforded many of the rights enjoyed by men: they could independently own property, they had a right to a share of their parents' inheritance, they could not be forced to marry without their explicit consent, and women had a right to draw up legally binding conditions for marriage and attain a divorce if these conditions are not met. However, many of these rights were lost as time passed and the political climate within the Islamic world changed.
To take a look at the role of women in Muslim societies check out this PBS page and this Oxford Islamic Studies page.
What the Koran Really Says About Women
- How women have been interpreted throughout history as well as modern struggles on the rights of women in the Islamic world.
Famous Women in Islam (from Women in the Middle East, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, 1998).
- Khadijah, Muhammad's wife and first convert to Islam.
- Aisha, a later wife of Muhammad who gave advice on religious matters to men and women.
- Rabia al-Adawiyya, born in 717, often referred to as The Mystic and considered a saint by the Sufis.
- Huda Sharawi, born in 1882 who founded only the second school for girls in Egypt in 1910 and was an activist in opposition to British control. was began a magazine advocating education for women, equal job opportunities, establishment of orphanages and women's centers.
- Jamilah Buhrayd, born in 1937 and a national hero in the Algerian struggle for independence from France.
- Nawal al-Saadawi, born in 1931 was an Egyptian feminist writer who denounced women's sexual and economic oppression.
Video of the status of women under Sharia Law.
This link contains 5 things you need to know about the relationship between women and Islam
F. Subdivisions in Islam
The two largest sects of Islam are Sunni and Shi'ah, both of which are further subdivided.
- Sunni Islam is made up of followers who believe that the successor to Muhammad could be elected from his followers, and so they adhere to the decisions and authority of Abu Bakr, the first Islamic Caliph, as well as his followers and successors.
- Shia Islam is the smaller of the two sects, and is made up of Muslims who believe that power should have passed from Muhammad directly to his cousin Ali bin Abu Talib.
The core differences were essentially political, but over time became more linked with spiritual differences as a result of different laws. As of today, around 90% of the world's Islamic population consider themselves Sunni.
Here is a timeline showing the chronological development of the different sects in Islam.
Along with the timeline above, this video from Khan Academy does a sufficient job in explaining the division of these sects.
Islam and LGBTQ Rights
Information on the stance of Islam towards homosexuality from Human Rights Campaign.
Resources and information on LGBTQIA rights and Islam
Here is a personal example of dealing with homosexuality in Islamic culture, which seems to be trending in the progressive direction, but there are many obstacles to overcome.
Check out The Islam Project for some helpful and interesting lesson plans.
For dealing with Stereotypes, Discrimination, and Hate Crimes in this tumultuous time, check out this lesson plan from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Other Resources:
http://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/index.html
http://www.al-islam.org/glorious_quran/9.htm
http://www.quranexplorer.com/
Bibliography
Arberry, A.J. Translated (1996). Man and the Sacred Rituals, Oracles, Prescriptions, Devotion. Retrieved February 15, 2007, from Man and the Sacred Rituals, Oracles, Prescriptions, Devotion Web site: http://alexm.here.ru/mirrors/www.enteract.com/jwalz/Eliade/122.html
Bartel, N (11/01/2003). Medieval Islamic Cultures. Retrieved February 15, 2007, from Medieval War, Warfare, Weapons, Armor, and Castles Web site: http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us-war
Bartel, N (11/01/2003). Medieval Islamic Cultures. Retrieved February 15, 2007, from Part V: New Weapons of the Muslim Armies Web site: http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/War/Weapons2.html
Beck, Black, Naylor & Shabaka, Roger, L., P., & Dahia Ibo (1999). World History. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell Inc.
Professor Broadbridge, September 28th, 2006 class notes. University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Denny, Frederick. An Introduction to Islam. Macmillan Publishing Company: New York.
Harman, Chris (2008). A People's History of the World. Verso Books: New York. Print.
Hassan, Ronnie (2003). Haddith and Sunnah: Two Different Concepts. Retrieved Feb 17, 2003.
http://www.understanding-islam.com/articles/sources-of-islam/hadith-and-sunnah-two-different-concepts-186
“Issue 24.” Islamic Bulletin. http://www.islamicbulletin.org/newsletters/issue_24/beliefs.aspx. Accessed Feb 18, 2013.
Johnson, Toni and Lauren Vriens. “Islam: Governing Under Shariah.” Council on Foreign Relations. http://www.cfr.org/religion/islam-governing-under-sharia/p8034. Accessed Feb 18, 2013.
The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, (1999). The Religion of Islam. Retrieved February 15, 2007, from The Religion of Islam Web site: http://www.iad.org/
Transl. Arberry, A.J. (1996). Man and the Sacred Rituals, Oracles, Prescriptions, Devotion. Retrieved February 15, 2007, from Man and the Sacred Rituals, Oracles, Prescriptions, Devotion Web site: http://alexm.here.ru/mirrors/www.enteract.com/jwalz/Eliade/122.html
Spielvogel, Jackson J (2005). Glencoe World History. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
“Understanding Islam.” Islamicity. http://www.islamicity.com/education/understandingislamandmuslims/. Accessed Feb 17, 2013.
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