Middle East and Islam

Muhammad

The final prophet, religious and political leader, the man who helped bring people into the Islamic religion and helped created new religious traditions/ beliefs (the Hajj, 5 prayers, etc.)

Abraham

The third prophet, God spoke to him and told him to travel to Canaan, Abrahamic Covenant (many descendants will inhabit his nation), his sons and the sacrifice

Issac

son of Abraham and Sarah’s son, the “special son” for Christianity and Judaism

Ishmael

son of Abraham and Hagar, he is sent away with his mother, the “special son” for Islam

Hagar

handmaiden of Sarah who was called to have a child with Abraham to fulfill the covenant, gave birth to Ishmael, was sent away when Sarah and Abraham had their own child

Angel Gabriel

in Abrahamic religion the angle that was God’s messenger; told Abraham that he had proven his faith to God and not to kill his son, spoke to Mary, etc.

The Four Guided Caliphs

Abu Bakr (632-634 CE), Umar (634-644 CE), Uthman (644-656 CE), Ali (656-661 CE) where the prophets who continued Islam after Muhammad died

Babur

He inherited a small kingdom (now Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) but his elders took it away and then swept him away. Despite that he built an army that swept down to India and set the base for the Mughal Empire. He was a “brilliant general” and defeated many.

Akbar

Babur’s grandson, his name means “Greatest One”. He was very wise in military power and political wisdom which led to his success. He was a “genius in cultural blending” and allowed other to practice their faith. He also took away the Non-Muslim tax and made allies with enemies.

Shah Jahan

He only cared about beautiful architecture and his wife (Mumtaz Mahal). When his wife died, he requested a beautiful coffin to be built which became the Taj Mahal. His country suffered because he took resources and money for his own wants/needs (such as building beautiful buildings).

Aurangzeb

Expanded but also weakened the Mughal Empire. He was very oppressive and did not respect the Hindus; he brought back the Non-Muslim tax and destroyed religious buildings which caused outrage and rebellion. He used the tax money for wars that he was getting the Empire into which declined resources.

The Prophets

Adam (Adam & Eve), Noah (Noah’s Ark), Abraham (Abraham & Sarah), Moses (part the Red Sea), Jesus (Christianity believes he is the son of God, and Muhammad

The Prophet

a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God, Muhammad

Islam

• submission to Allah

• Abrahamic religion and one of the fastest-growing religions

• in the story of Abraham and Sarah, Ishmael is the “special son”

• monotheistic religion

Allah

god in Arabic, the god of Islam, the one Muslims submit to

Muslim

• the group of people who follow the Islam religion

• the ones who submit to Allah

• they believe in the Torah, Bible, and Qur’an (the text of god)

Imam

Leader of Islam, the person who leads prayer in the mosque

Caliph

A title that means “successor” or “deputy.”

The --- following Muhamma'’s death, all had known him, used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions as guides to leadership. They are known as the “rightly guided ----”.

• Abu Bakr

• Umar

• Uthman

• Ali

Caliphate

Islamic Empire

The Caliphs used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions as guides to leadership. They are known as the “rightly guided caliphs”. Their rule was called the…

Sunni

followers of Muhammad’s example (the word means tradition)

• believed the first four caliphs were “rightly guided”

• believed the Muslim rulers should follow the Sunna (Muhammad’s example)

• claim the Shi’a have distorted the meaning of various passages in the Qur’an

Shia

followers of Ali thought a family member should be the successor of Muhammad (the caliph needed to be a descendent of The Prophet)

• believed that Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, should have succeeded Muhammad

• believed all Muslim rulers should be the descendants of Muhammad

• claim the Sunni have distorted the meaning of various passages in the Qur’an

Ka’aba

• located in the center of Mecca.

• It is a stone building standing 50 feet high at the center of the mosque Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Gold doors stand at the entrance of a bare room.

• where people can worship one god, the god of Abraham.

• People for many years have “pilgrimaged” here, which means it brings many faiths.

• It is the “exclusive domain” of Muslims. This is the center of Islam, where they can worship the one god.

• built by Adam then rebuilt by Abraham

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Jamarat

ritual stoning

• God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son but the devil challenged Abraham not to; he whispers doubts in Abraham ears.

• One of the stories says that Abraham threw stones at the devil three different times to get him to go away; now three pillars mark where Abraham stood against the devil. People throw stones to take out temptation and evil out of their lives.

• People acknowledge there is good and evil and people want to get rid of the evil.

Ihram

A pure state where people get into the right mindset after changing into the white cloth/their clothes. 

People get in the right mindset to undergo the Hajj rituals and have patience during the whole thing because it can be extremely overwhelming. People can not groom themselves, argue, participate in sexual affairs, or do other things. 

Shari’a

Islamic law

* a series of principles that are interpreted, negotiated, and debated by legal scholars and adapted in the lives of Muslims in order to bring their actions in line with God's vision for a just and good life.

Umma

it is commonly used to mean the collective community of Islamic people. In the Quran it typically refers to a single group that shares common religious beliefs, specifically those that are the objects of a divine plan of salvation.

Koran (Qur’an)

the word (text) of Allah (God) dictated to Muhammad by Angel Gabriel

* it has 114 chapters

Umayyad Empire

a family that came to power after Ali

• moved the Muslim capital to Damascus where they built the Great Mosque of Damascus

• established a rule where a governor was voted for by the public

• created the Non-Muslim tax, were not like for it

• the society enriched science, language, and math

• murdered (poisoned) by the Abbasids and only one (Abd al-Rahman) escaped to Spain and set up the ---- caliphate

Abbasid Empire

came into power in 750 CE after murdering all except for one Umayyad

• moved the capital to Baghdad, Iraq

• this allowed them access to better trade goods, gold, and intel

• the created a strong government with many parts

• they were conquered in 1258 CE when the Mongols took siege to Baghdad but before that they had consulted religious leaders and failed to keep control of their vast territory

Ottoman Empire

an empire that collapsed a century ago (from 1299-1923 CE)

• dealt with its neighbors by sending people out to create political alliances and ten to military affairs

• valued political and military utility over ethnic or religious affinity

• Janissaries were their military elite force that was trained (made up of young Christian boys)

• the allowed religious freedom to Non-Muslims but there was a tax (Jizya)

• the growth and emergence of this empire led to new eras of development in Europe

• generally tolerated minorities, a cultural blending of language, trade goods, and architecture

• gave women more rights than what was typical during the time

• declined due to sons of leaders being raised without education or other worldly knowledge

Mughals

Muslim dynasty of Turkic-Mongol origin that ruled most of northern India. The 8th century began with a long, bloody clash between Hindus and Muslims in India. For almost three centuries the Muslims were only able to advance as far as the Indus River valley. Around year 1000, well-trained Turkish armies swept into India and established themselves as ruler of an Empire. The rulers were:

• Babur

• Akbar

• Shah Jahan

Dome of the Rock

Arabic Qubbat al-Ṣakhrah, a shrine in Jerusalem built by the Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān in the late 7th century CE. It is the oldest extant Islamic monument.

* has a huge golden roof

Al-Andalus

also called Muslim Spain, Muslim kingdom that occupied much of the Iberian Peninsula from 711 CE until the collapse of the Spanish Umayyad dynasty in the early 11th century

5 Pillars

1. Shahada:  Declaration of faith, only follwing Allah, no other God

2. Salat:  the 5 Prayers that happen through the day

3. Zakat:  oblatory tax

4. Sawm:  Fasting from dawn till dusk during Ramadan

5. Hajj:  Pilgrimage to Mecca see the Ka’aba

House of Wisdom

also known as the Grand Library of Baghdad, refers to either a major Abbasid public academy and intellectual center in Baghdad or to a large private library belonging to the Abbasid Caliphs during the Islamic Golden Age.

• many new ideas were created here

• many languages and texts resided here

• taught many people and came up with new innovation/philosophies/ideas