World History Lecture: Beginnings of Islam and Early Spread

Introduction

• Focus on Muhammad, the beginnings of Islam, and its early spread
• Coverage up to the Abbasid Empire

Life of Muhammad

• Birth and Upbringing
  • Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, around 570 CE
  • Wealthy trading family, but orphaned at a young age
  • Diverse religious exposure: Christians, Jews, Animists
• Marriage and Early Career
  • Married a wealthy older woman, started to manage her business
  • Achieved wealth and stability
• Spiritual Crisis
  • Questioned the materialistic life at around age 40
  • Visited a cave in the mountains near Mecca for contemplation
• Revelation
  • Visited by the Angel Gabriel (Night of Power)
  • Declared as Allah’s last prophet, tasked to spread the word of God
  • Built on existing monotheistic beliefs (Judaism, Christianity)
• Spread of Islam
  • First converts were family and friends
  • Formulated the core of monotheistic faiths alongside Judaism and Christianity

Core Beliefs of Islam

• Holy Books
  • Quran and Hadith are central texts
  • High literacy demanded as Muslims need to read and understand the Quran
• Five Pillars of Faith
  1. Public declaration of faith: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet"
  2. Pray five times a day to maintain a continuous connection with Allah
  3. Give to the poor and be charitable
  4. Undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) at least once
  5. Fast during Ramadan from sunrise to sunset
• Jihad
  • Internal struggle against sin; can also mean holy war

Expansion and Political Structure

• Early Spread
  • Initially spread through family, friends, and later followers
  • Resistance in Mecca led to Muhammad’s migration to Medina (Hijra)
  • Unified Arabian tribes, began conquests
• After Muhammad’s Death
  • Four Rightly Guided Caliphs led initially
  • Division into Sunni (majority) and Shia (minority) factions
  • Political leadership (Caliph) separate from spiritual prophecy

Islamic Society and Impact

• Social Structure
  • Muslims at the top, people of the book (Jews, Christians) in middle, others at the bottom
  • Jizya tax for non-Muslims
• Role of Women
  • Rights initially high, influenced by Byzantine and Persian practices (veiling, male chaperoning)
  • Legal protections against infanticide
• Legal and Language Influence
  • Sharia law based on the Quran
  • Arabic language spread with the religion

Expansion and Division

• Umayyad Dynasty
  • Rapid expansion across North Africa into Spain and India
  • Continued religious tolerance for "people of the book"
• Sectarian Split
  • Shia: Leadership should be related to Muhammad
  • Sunni: Acceptance of Umayyad leadership
  • Sufi: Mystical branch focusing on spirituality and missionary work

Conclusion

• Next lecture will cover the Abbasid dynasty and further cultural and trade developments.