History- Crusades, Black death

help me

The black plague

• killed 1/3 of the population= 33-50%

• Started in central asia (hypothesis) then spread, reaching Europe

• transmitted with one person to another/ fleas on rats

• No one knew where it came from/the origin

• falsely blamed everything on leapers, and jews

Black plague impact/problems

• population was reduced by nearly half

• trade and commerce slowed down

• economy needed to be re-built

• many peasant revolts broke out

5 pillars of islam

• Shahadah

• Salat

• Zakat

• Siyam/Sawm

• Hajj

5 pillars of islam and their meanings

• Salat (2nd pillar)

  • prayer (5 times a day)

    • Dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall

  • They pray facing Mecca (Kaaba)

• Siyam/Sawm (4th pillar)

  • Fasting during the month of Ramadan

    • Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, swearing, procrastinating

    • They spend time studying the Quran, going to the mosque, performing their prayers.

• Zakat (3rd pillar)

  • Charity

    • They pay a tax to benefit the poor and the needy

    • They have to give at least 2.5% of their wealth every year to the poor

      • They must look out for the poor/needy

• Hajj (5th pillar)

  • Pilgrimage to Mecca

    • At least once in a Muslims life, they are encouraged to go

      • not required if you are physically and financially unable

    • Finish and pray at the Kaaba

• Shahadah (1st pillar)

  • Declaration of Faith

    • “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”

    • Muslims should not only believe in God, but pledge their submission to him

How islam started/Muhammad (basic overview)

• Muhammad 

  • Born in Mecca in 570  A.D. 

  • Raised with Polytheistic beliefs- bur learned about monotheism 

  • When he was 40, in 610 A.D. the angel Gabriel appeared to him, telling him that he is the messenger of God/Allah

    •  became a Prophet

      • a proclaimer of the will of God 

  • Muhammad then received revelations from God/Allah and began to preach them around Saudi Arabia

    • Just like Jesus 

  • His words were remembered and recorded then eventually formed the Qur’an 

  • However, no pictures are allowed of Muhammad – any that you see in books/internet are deemed inappropriate by Muslims 

Hijrah and Return to Mecca

• People in Mecca became threatened with Muhammad’s teachings 

• Muhammad took his followers on a journey from Mecca to Medina 

  • (Which is now called city of the prophet) in 622 AD

• This journey was called the Hijrah 

  • (Migration)

• It was such an important moment that the Islamic calendar now begins in 622 AD/CE 

• Sometimes written as Hegria 

• After ten years, Muhammad was so popular that he was able to return to Mecca

• Turned Mecca into the central holy city and holiest site of Islan

• Regarded as the true final prophet of God

Death of Muhammad

• Dies suddenly on June 8th 632, aged 60 years old 

• Buried in 

  • Al-Masjid al-Nabawi or Prophet's Mosque in Medina 

    • Which Muhammad built and is the second holiest site in Islam, Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is third 

• After Muhammad’s death no leader of Islam, he did not have an heir- Muslims fight over leadership and split into two groups - a struggle that still exists today!

  • Sunni and Shite Muslims 

• Calips (or leaders) expand the empire in Muhammad’s name- take over Holy Land - leads to Christian Frustration and causes the Crusades…

Quran

• Described as

  • God describes his laws and moral teachings, or the “straight path,” through the Qur’an

    • Inspirs art, poetry, and literature 

  • Direct word of God 

• Beliefs 

  • Muhammad received from the angel Gabril 

• What they do 

  • Recite and memorize verses

  • Honor the spoken and written Quran 

  • They do not let the book touch the ground 

    • They handle the book in special ways

  • Some Muslims memorize certain parts of the book

    • Some may memorize the whole thing 

      • Can be recited during prayer or special occasions 

        • The verses accompany Muslims throughout their lives, from birth to death

• How it was written

  • Muhammad could not read or write 

    • Scrubs wrote down passages 

• Different versions of the Quran 

  • Caliph Uthman 

    • Asked those with different versions to destroy them

      • So there would be no confusion between those and the real edition

• Muhammad 

  • Described the Qur’an as Gods “standing miracle”

Sunnah

• Example that Muhammad set for Muslims during his lifetime 

• What Muhammad did or said in a certain situation has set a guideline for all Muslims 

• Record of Muhammad’s actions in life 

  • “Hadith” reports that comprise Sunnah 

• Second only to the Qur’an in religious authority 

• Rules 

  • Never leave the table hungry

  • Children to honor their parents 

    • “God forbids all of you to disobey your mothers.”

Sunni (Muslims)

• Sunnis 

  • Orthodox branch of Islam 

    • Refers to practices based on what Muhammad said, did, agreed to or condemned 

  • Makes up 90% of the population

    • 1.5 billion 

  • Wealthier sections of society 

  • Used the Sunnah more than others 

  • Leadership based on skill

Shia (Muslims)

• Shia 

  • Claimed that Ali was the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad as leader (imam) of the Muslim community following his death in 632

  • Three branches of Shia Islam 

    • Zaidis

    • Ismailis

    • Ithna

    • Asharis (Twelvers or Imanis) 

  • Only 10%

    • 154-200 million

  • Poorest sections of society 

  • Name derived from Ali