HIST 112:

EARLY ISLAM.
Lecture 8 and 9
10.07.2023
 LEARNING OUTCOMES.
At the end of this lecture students should be able
to;
a) Critically examine the rise and development of
Islam.
b) Discuss the event that marks beginning of the
Islam calendar .
c) Explain the teachings of Prophet Muhammed.

Department of History, SOA Slide 2

d) Understand and explain the meaning of Sharia
law.
f) Evaluate the 5 pillars of Islam and understand
why they are so important.
e) Identify and discuss the achievements of
Islam in terms of philosophy, science and
history.

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 Key terms
• Hadith, Hajj, Ka’ba, Muruwah, Jihad, Caliph,
Quran, Ramadan, Hijra, Sharia.

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 Geography of Middle East.
• The region encompass broadly defined areas:
Persia, Mesopotamia, the Levant, Asia Minor
and the Arabian Peninsula.
• The Middle East straddles 3 Continents
including Asia, Africa, and Europe.
• Promoted cultural diffusion by facilitating the
spread of peoples, ideas, and goods along
these trade routes.

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 Background:
The Rise of Islam.
• Legend traces the Arabs back to Isma’il (the
son of Abraham and his Egyptian maid
Haga).
• Link that would later help legitimize Islam by
connecting it to the Hebrew tradition.
• In reality, Arabs inhabited the pre-Islamic
Arabian peninsular and shared socio-linguistic
commonalities with other Semitic-speaking
peoples like Hebrew, Assyrians, Amhara etc.
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• Ka’ba or black cube – holiest place which
contained many of the traditional Arabian
religious images including many Christian
icons.
• So important that polytheistic tribes of
Arabia negotiating a truce lasting one month
for safe pilgrimage to the shrine.

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• The Arabs first domesticated the camel (3000
and 1000 BCE).
• Camels instinctively remember the locations
of important life-sustaining oases.
• So important were these beasts of burden that
the tribes that controlled the camels controlled
the trade.
• Quraysh Tribe of Mecca commanded many of
the camels.
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• Therefore they commanded much of the trade.
• Life centred around the tribe - which consisted
of a group of relatives who claimed a shared
ancestry).
• Tribal traditions found meaning in the poetic
concept of Muruwah – represented the notion
of the tribal man.

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• This uniquely Arabian brand of chivalry
focused on bravery, patience, persistence in
revenge, generosity, hospitality and protection
of the poor and weak.
• In the absence of a formal government, tribes
offered physical security to its individual
members.
• Tribes mitigated violence and theft.

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• Prior to Islam, tribal traditions began to break
down.
• No longer were the dominant members of
society adhere to the principle set in
Muruwah.
• Into this evolving cultural milieu Muhammed
(c. 570 – 632) was born in the city of Mecca,

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• Muhammed father Abdullah died just prior to
his birth and his mother passed away when he
was six years old.
• Taken care by his uncle Abu Thalib.
• These early privations influenced
Muhammed’s later desire to take care of those
who could not care for themselves.
• In his youth, he found employment in the
caravan trade.
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• His upright character soon attracted the
attention of a wealthy merchant known as
Khadija – hired Muhammed to manage her
caravans.
• Muhammed had been concerned about the
direction of society (concept of Muruwah no
longer being held).
• He thought that the ‘People of the Book’
might have answers.
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• He travelled to Christian Syria to even seek
answers.
• In this context, the Angel Gabriel appeared to
him at a cave nearby in Mecca in 610 BCE.
• The voice told him to recite what he was
hearing.
• This revelation became – Quran.

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• Muhammed believed that Allah had already
revealed himself through Moses (Musah) and
Jesus (Issah).
• BUT he believed that the final revelations of
Allah were now been given to him.
• Muhammed’s revelations were eventually
written down in the Qur’an – the holy
scriptures of Islam.

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LECTURE 9
 The Religion of Islam.
• As a religion of the Abrahamic faith Islam
holds much in common with Judaism and
Christianity.
• Islam grew out of the Judeo-Christian tradition
– a link helped to legitimize the new religion.
• In fact Muslims believe in the same God
(Allah in Arabic), as Jewish and Christian
God.

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• Although, Muslims trust that ‘People of the
Book’ (Jews and Christians) had received the
word of God.
• They believe that it had become distorted
overtime.
• So God sent Angel Gabriel to deliver his word
to Muhammed – ‘the seal of the Prophets’ or
Khatam an-Nabiyyin.

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• For Muslims believe that he represented God’s
final word to man.
• Muhammed never claimed to be founding a
new religion, rather he served as the long line
of God’s messengers.
• Beginning with the Hebrew prophets and
including Jesus Christ.

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• Islam means ‘peace through submission to
the will of Allah.’
• Muhammed tried to convince the people of
Mecca about the truth of his revelations.
• Most of the people of Mecca did not accept
his message, so he and his followers moved
to Yathrib.
• Yathrib was later renamed Madinah – which
means city of Prophet.
Department of History, SOA Slide 20
• The journey of Prophet Muhammed and his
followers to Madinah is known as the Hijra.
• The journey took place in 622 A.D.
• The year became year one in the official
calendar of Islam.
• In 630 A.D. Muhammed returned to Makkah,
the city surrendered and he died in 632 A.D.

Department of History, SOA Slide 21

 The teachings of Muhammed.
• Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is
monotheistic.
• Muslims believe that Allah is the only God, who
created the universe and everything in it.
• The teachings of Muhammed is derived mainly
from the Qur’an, the Hadith (sayings) and the
Sunnah (deeds).
• Islam stresses the need to obey the will of Allah.

Department of History, SOA Slide 22

 The Five (5) Pillars of Islam.
• Belief in oneness of Allah and in Muhammed as his
prophet (Khalimat Shahada)
• Standard prayer five times a day and a public prayer on
Fridays at midday (salat)
• Giving alms, such as food, money etc to the poor
(zakat)
• Observance of the holy month of Ramadan, including
fasting from dawn to sunset (Sawn)
• Pilgrimage to Makkah, once in a life time (hajj).
Department of History, SOA Slide 23
 Sharia.
• Islam is not just a set of beliefs but also a way of life.
• After Muhammed’s death, Muslim scholars drew up a
set of laws to regulate daily life.
• These laws are called the sharia.
• Much of the shari’ah is taken from the Qur’an.
• Muslims are expected to follow strict guidelines for
behaviour.
• In addition to the five Pillars, Muslims are forbidden
to gamble, eat pork, drink alcohol

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or engage I dishonest behaviour.

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 The Arab Empire & Its Successors.
• The death of Prophet Muhammed left his followers
with a problem.
• He had never named a successor.
• After his death, some of his followers chose Abu
Bakr to be their leader.
• He was a wealthy merchant and Muhammed’s
father-in-law.
• He was named caliph or successor to Muhammed.
Department of History, SOA Slide 26
• Under Abu Bakr, the Islamic movement began to
grow.
• Abu Bakr used the Arabic custom of raiding one’s
enemies to expand the movement, the Qur’an called
this activity ‘struggle in the way of Allah – jihad.
• In 636, the Arab army defeated the Byzantine army
and by 642, Syria, Egypt and other northern Africa
had been added.
• By 650, the Arabs had conquered the entire Persian
Empire.
Department of History, SOA Slide 27
• Conquered people were not forced to convert to Islam.
• They were only required to be loyal to Muslim rule and
pay taxes.
• After Abu Bakr death, it was not clear who should be
his successor.
• The first two caliphs who ruled after his death were
assassinated.
• In 656, Ali was chosen to be caliph, he was
Muhammed’s son-in-law. He too was assassinated,
after ruling for 5 years.
Department of History, SOA Slide 28
The Umayyads, Abbasis & Fatimid
Dynasties.
• In 661, the general Mu’awiyah became caliph.
• He was also a governor of Syria and one of Ali’s chief
rival.
• He made the office of caliph, called the caliphate,
hereditary.
• By doing this, he established the Umayyad dynasty.
• He also moved the capital of the Arab empire from
Madinah to Damascus, in Syria.

Department of History, SOA Slide 29

• Around 710 A.D., the Berbers and the Arabs invaded
Spain.
• By 725, most of Spain had become a Muslim state
• However, in 732, Arab forces were defeated at the
Battle of Tours in Gaul.
• Arab expansion into Europe ended.
• Hussein, the second son of Ali, led one important
revolt, it was crushed which led to splitting of Islam
into two groups;

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• The Shiite Muslims and the Sunni Muslims.
• The Shiite Muslims accept only the descendants of
Ali as the true caliph whiles the Sunni Muslims
accept only the descendants of the Umayyads as
caliphs.
• This split continues today.
• Resentment against the Umayyads grew
• In 750, Abu al-Abbas overthrew the Umayyad
dynasty and set up the Abbasid dynasty.

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• The dynasty lasted until 1258.
• In 762, the Abbasids built a new capital city at
Baghdad, on the Tigris River – it was a caravan route
from the Mediterranean to central Asia.
• A new dynasty under the Fatimids was established in
Egypt in 973 A.D.
• One group in the army was the Seljuk Turks
• In 1071, the Byzantines attacked the Turks, but the
Turks defeated them and took over Anatolian
peninsula.
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 Achievements.
• Preservation of Knowledge: Arabs translated the
works of Plato and Aristotle into Arabic. The
translations were put in a library called the House of
Wisdom.
• Philosophy, Science and History: Ibn Rushd, wrote
commentary on nearly all of Aristotle’s work.
• Islamic scholars also made great contributions in
mathematics and science. In Europe, it became
known as the ‘Arabic’ system.

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• Islamic scholars also set up an observatory at
Baghdad to study stars.
• Muslim scholars developed medicine as a field of
scientific study, one scientist, Ibn Sina, wrote a
medical encyclopaedia.
• Islamic scholars also took an interest in history. The
most prominent historian was Ibn-Khaldun. He wrote
Muqaddimah (Introduction to History)
• Literature: Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and the 1001
Nights (also called The Arabian Nights).
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• Art and Architecture: Islamic art is a blend of
Arab, Turkish and Persian traditions.
• The greatest examples of Islamic art and
architecture are the Muslim mosques eg; is the
minaret.

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Thank you so much for listening…

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