Comprehensive Study Guide on the Foundations and History of Islam

Course Logistics and Assessment

• Islam Quizzes: There is one remaining Islam quiz. Following this, there will be a designated period of thirty to forty-five minutes on Tuesday to finalize preferences for outside religion presentations.

• Outside Religion Presentations: A sign-up list is circulating. The instructor guarantees that every student will receive at least their second preference, if not their first.

• Islam Test: Scheduled for Wednesday. The instructor describes the test as "not that long."

• Final Exam Details:

  • The final will be open notes.

  • The goal is not memorization of flashcards or specific vocabulary (e.g., the Hindu words for the eight steps of yoga).

  • The exam is designed to be open-ended, focusing on "broad trends."

  • Students are encouraged to organize their notes and review previous essays rather than creating new study materials.

• Term Paper Feedback: The instructor has reviewed most papers and will send comments via email. Most students should expect feedback later in the evening. Two main areas of focus for the upcoming presentations based on the papers are:

  1. Identifying cool issues to magnify in the presentation.

  2. Avoiding overlap in group presentations.

Introduction to Islam: The Fifth Major Religion

• The Abrahamic Connection: Islam is the fifth and final religion studied in the course. It shares roots with Judaism and Christianity.

• Abrahamic Pillars: Emphasis on charity and hospitality is central to all three faiths.

• Textual References: In Islamic scripture (the Quran), there is a significant emphasis on Abraham and Moses. Moses is famously mentioned more frequently in the Quran than in the Old Testament.

• Pre-Muhammad Context: The development of Islam is viewed as a complementary strand of monotheism occurring approximately $300$ to $400$ years after Jesus in the Arabian Peninsula.

• The Prophet Status: The lecturer addresses internal criticisms from within the Abrahamic traditions regarding Muhammad's status. While some argue that Jesus was the "last prophet," the instructor notes that prophets like Noah, Moses, and Abraham appeared at different times, and being born later is not a logical reason to discount Muhammad's status.

Islamic Art and Architecture: The Taj Mahal

• Spread of Islam: Beginning in the month of May, Islam became the fastest-spreading religion in history.

• The Mughals in India: While India had golden ages of Buddhism (Morians under Ashoka) and Hinduism (Gupta regime), a period of Indian history was defined by Islamic influence under the Mughals.

• The Taj Mahal Case Study:

  • Built in: $1632$.

  • Location: Agra, India.

  • Architect/Patron: The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

  • Cost: The equivalent of $827,000,000$ in the seventeenth century.

  • Purpose: Constructed in memory of Shah Jahan's significant other (wife).

• Stylistic Features of Islamic Art:

  • Geometry: A profound trust in simple, gleaming geometry.

  • Calligraphy: Words from the Quran turned into sensuous art.

  • Atmosphere of Paradise: A feeling of god-given perfection and divine tranquility intended to evoke dreams of the afterlife.

The Origin Story: Abraham, Ishmael, and the Kaaba

• The Patriarchs: Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (born to Hagar) are central. Ishmael is considered the patriarch of the Arabic people.

• The Construction of the First Church: According to Islamic tradition, Abraham and Ishmael built the first structure dedicated to monotheism in the desert.

• The Sacred Stone: As they reached the final corner, they lacked a cornerstone. A stone (often described as a meteorite) was sent from heaven (deposited by the Angel Gabriel).

  • Symbolism: The rock was originally bright white. It turned black after being touched by humans, absorbing their sins.

• The Kaaba Today: This rock is housed inside the Kaaba, a giant black box with gold writing in the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca. It is the most sacred spot for Muslims.

Geography and the Life of Muhammad

• Mecca as a Crossroads: Pre-Islamic Mecca was a hub for trade and paganism. The Kaaba was originally surrounded by idols and statues representing various polytheistic faiths. This environment ensured that Mecca was a "safe zone" for commerce because violence near the idols was prohibited.

• Muhammad's Early Life:

  • Born an orphan; raised by an influential uncle.

  • Member of the Quraysh (Goraish) tribe.

  • Known as a successful and trustworthy merchant.

  • Married Khadija, an older, wealthy merchant woman.

• The Quran: Translated as "Read" or "Recite." Muhammad (who was illiterate) spoke the words of Allah as they were revealed to him, and his companion, Ali, recorded them.

• The Hijra: Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina (originally called Yathrib) to escape threats from merchants who feared monotheism would ruin their trade-based economy.

• The Islamic Calendar: Starts at Year $0$ with the flight to Medina. It is a lunar calendar, meaning holidays like Ramadan do not occur at the same time each year on the Gregorian calendar.

The First Mosque at Medina

• Origin: Muhammad built his house/mosque where his camel sat down. He purchased the land from two orphaned brothers.

• Structure:

  • Material: Mud bricks and palm roofs.

  • Dimensions: A square courtyard measuring $50\,\text{m} \times 50\,\text{m}$.

  • Wall Height: Approximately $10\,\text{ft}$ to $11\,\text{ft}$.

  • Function: It was a communal space used for washing, cooking, tethering animals, teaching, and prayer.

• Orientation: Initially, Muslims prayed toward Jerusalem. After a vision of Mecca, the orientation (Qibla) changed to face the Kaaba in Mecca. This is marked by a niche called the Mihrab.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahada (The Creed): The declaration: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet (pbuh)." Saying this with conviction makes one a Muslim.

2. Salat (Prayer): Praying five times a day while facing the Kaaba. Requires ritual cleansing (washing hands and face) and often uses a prayer mat.

3. Zakat (Charity): The requirement to give $2.5\,\%$ of one's total wealth (not just annual income) to the faith/church.

4. Saum (Fasting): Fasting during the daylight hours of the lunar month of Ramadan. It ends with the celebration of Eid.

5. Hajj (Pilgrimage): The obligation to travel to Mecca at least once.

   • Ritual: Circumambulating (walking around) the Kaaba seven times.

   • Scale: Logistics involve managing $2,500,000$ people. A temporary "tent city" the size of Seattle forms between Mecca and Medina during this time.

The Sectarian Split: Sunni vs. Shia

• Date of Muhammad's Death: June $632\,\text{CE}$.

• The Conflict: Muhammad left no instructions for a successor.

  • Sunnis ($80\,\%$ of Muslims): Believed the leader (Caliph) should be the most capable person. They initially followed three caliphs before Ali. Flagship country: Saudi Arabia. Notable academic center: Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt.

  • Shiites ($20\,\%$ of Muslims): Believed leadership must stay within Muhammad's bloodline (Ali and his descendants). Flagship country: Iran.

• The Tragedy at Karbala: Ali (the fourth Caliph and Muhammad's cousin/son-in-law) was assassinated in Karbala. This solidified the split. Karbala is now a major pilgrimage site for Shiites.

• Geography: Iraq is notably split roughly $50/50$ between Sunnis and Shiites. Indonesia holds the largest Muslim population in the world.

Questions & Discussion

• Casual Student Dialogue and Interaction:

  • There was a significant digression regarding a hockey show called "Off Campus" based on a book series.

  • Discussion occurred regarding a video game involving "Pick Manning" (Peyton Manning) and "Walter flipping Payton."

  • A student discussed their father's weight loss journey, noting he "locked in" to play football as an adult.

  • Mention of a $120$ milligram medication (Adderall) and being up all night.

  • A exchange regarding a student named Fatima staring at vinyl records.

  • A conversation about a pop song vs. classical music: "Classical is easier… well, have you ever written a pop song before?"

  • A student expressed fear about the teacher asking questions during their presentation: "He's gonna ask us questions… and I'm scared I'm not gonna be able to answer them."

  • Mention of local news involving a drone detonation where two American soldiers were killed trying to detonate a drone, and one died at a military base in Jordan.

  • Clarification on recent conflict: Iran's recent actions/bombings in Jordan, Oman, and Bahrain are framed as targeting countries they perceive as being co-opted by the West.