Islamic Caliphate Review

Caliph

The chief Muslim civil and religious leader - the successors of Muhammad

Caliphate

• An islamic state ruled by a religious political leader (the caliph)

• A democratic theocracy - the religious leaders and democratic parties coexist

• Sometimes elected officials can make decisions but they must be approved by the religious leaders

• The Caliphates ruled in Baghdad until 1258 when the Abbasid Caliphate ended

Order of the Four Righty Guided Caliphs

Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali

Abu Bakr

First caliph, a close companion to Muhammad (and one of the first to accept Islam), unified the Arabian Peninsula through conquest, and complied the Quran into one volume

Umar

Father in law of Muhammad, second caliph, known for expanding the Islamic Empire significantly into the middle east and implementing various systems, specifically the Jizya, was assasinated.

Umar was the first Islamic ruler to use what title?

Commander of the faithful

Uthman

Third caliph, standardized the Quran (doesn’t want word of Allah to be lost through translation), not a powerful leader; assassinated in his own house by rebels (men who worked for Ali)

Ali

Fourth caliph, cousin and son in law of Muhammad. Declares himself Caliph without permission from the Umma - reason for the Sunni-Shia split. He tried to keep the Caliphate united, but faced significant opposition and part of civil war (the First Fitna). He was assassinated.

Why did Ali declare himself Calpih?

• He believed it would prevent a power vacuum after Uthman’s assassination

• It would prevent the Umayyads from gaining power

• Felt a sense of duty to take the position (divine right as a relative of Muhammad)

Order of the Caliphs/Caliphates?

Four rightly guided caliphs, the Umayyads, the Abbasids.

Why was the Abbasid Caliphate considered a golden age?

There was a long period of stability, where there was a lot of trade with other regions. There were large centers of trade which became wealthy centers of learning and innovation. (Baghdad, Mecca, and Cairo).

Where did Muslim scholars draw inspiration from?

Various civilizations; Ancient and Classical Greece and Rome, India and China (they translated them, and further developed their findings).

What is the Ka’aba?

The cube shaped structure located in the Grande Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Sharia

The Islamic Law

What was the Hajj?

The pilgrimage to Mecca every Muslim must take if they are able

What are the five pillars of Islam?

Pilgrimage to mecca, declaration of faith, fasting during Ramadan, donation, 5 daily prayers

What is a Dhimmi?

A non-muslim living under the protection of an Islamic state and given certain rights in exchange for payment of the Jizya (status usually reserved for people of the book)

Who do the Shi’a think the first caliph should have been?

Ali: they believe this because he was related to Muhammad:Islam should be led by an imam who is originally descended from Muhammad or Ali

Who do Sunnis think the caliphs should be?

Accept Abu Bakr; believe it doesn’t have to be a descendent (leader chosen through communal consensus instead)

What were minarets?

A architectural feature of mosques where the call to prayer is announced from

What was the House of Wisdom?

A major intellectual center in Baghdad during the Islamic golden age; founded under the Abbasid Caliphate.

it was a hub for translating, developing, and preserving knowledge from Greek, Roman, and Persian scholars.

Led to significant advances in math, science, and medicine.

Effects of the Camel?

Allowed people to travel across far distances easily; camels are strong and can carry goods, do not need much water, and do well in the desert.

Impact of paper

Allowed books, like the Quran, to be easily mass produced and led to the spread of ideas, building of great libraries, and spread of Islam/islamic culture

Math developed during the Islamic Caliphates

Algebra

What was their Ideology of Conquest?

To spread Islam and the word of God in the areas/people they conquered.

Jizya

A tax paid by non-Muslims living under.a Muslim state in exchange for protection, rights, and freedom of religion.

What were Sakks and why were they beneficial?

They were a form of check; large sums of money didn’t have to be carried, caused the creation of a sophisticated banking system, and innovated trade greatly.

What were oases?

A place you could find rest and shelter, located in the desert, made it possible to travel further distances of difficult terrain.

Status of women under the Islamic Empire

Some women were allowed to be scribes and other similar jobs, but in general women’s status was largely the same as in other parts of the world; didn’t have much power.

Class Structure

Caliph and their court

Religious scholars, priests, and the military

Dhimmis

Common people or slaves

Cultural Diffusion of Islam

• Islam didn’t spread immediately, it took longer for the culture to take hold

• Diffused through trade, missionaries, and pilgrimage

• Fusing of cultures as different groups share their ideas

What was the Hijrah?

The journey that Muhammad and his 266 followers took from Mecca to Medina in 622. They did this to escape persecution; this even marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

What civilizations were weak and couldn't resist Muslim rule?

The Byzantines and the Persians