7th Week

Islamic History

 Period of khilafat -e -rashida:

 Who were they?
The Four Caliphs were the first four leaders of Islam that succeeded the Prophet Muhammad.
They are sometimes called the "Rightly Guided" Caliphs because each of them learned about
Islam directly from Muhammad. They also served as Muhammad's closest friends and advisors
during the early years of Islam.
 The Rashidun Caliphate:
The time period under the leadership of the Four Caliphs is called the Rashidun Caliphate by
historians. The Rashidun Caliphate lasted for 30 years from 632 CE to 661 CE. It was followed
by the Umayyad Caliphate. The city of Medina served as the first capital of the Caliphate. The
capital was later moved to Kufa.
1. Abu Bakr:
The first caliph was Abu Bakr who ruled from 632-634 CE. Abu Bakr was the father-in-law of
Muhammad and was an early convert to Islam. He was known as "The Truthful." During his
short reign as caliph, Abu Bakr put down rebellions by various Arab tribes after Muhammad died
and established the Caliphate as the ruling force in the region.
2. Umar ibn al-Khattab:
The second caliph was Umar ibn al-Khattab. He is generally known just as Umar. Umar ruled for
10 years from 634-644 CE. During this time, the Islamic Empire expanded greatly. He took
control of the Middle East including conquering the Sassanids of Iraq. He then took control of
many surrounding areas including Egypt, Syria, and North Africa. Umar's reign came to an end
when he was murdered by a Persian slave.
3. Uthman ibn Affan:
The third caliph was Uthman ibn Affan. He was Caliph for 12 years from 644-656 CE. Like the
other Four Caliphs, Uthman was a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Uthman is most
known for having an official version of the Quran established from one originally put together by

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Abu Bakr. This version was then copied and used as the standard version moving forward.
Uthman was killed by rebels in his home in 656 CE.
4. Ali ibn Abi Talib:
The fourth caliph was Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali was Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. He was
married to Muhammad's youngest daughter Fatimah. He is considered by many to be the first
male convert to Islam. Ali ruled from 656-661 CE. Ali was known as a wise leader who wrote
many speeches and proverbs. He was assassinated while praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa.
 Interesting Facts about the Four Caliphs of the Islamic Empire:

 The "ibn" in the names above mean "son of" in Arabic. So Uthman ibn Affan means
"Uthman son of Affan."
 Umar was known as Al-Farooq which means "the one who distinguishes between right and
wrong."
 Uthman was Muhammad's son-in-law. He actually married two of Muhammad's daughters.
He married the second daughter after the first passed away.
 Fatimah, Ali's wife and Muhammad's daughter, is an important and loved figure in the
religion of Islam.
 Under Muhammad, Abu Bakr served as the leader of the first Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) to
Mecca.
 Umar was a physically strong and powerful man, known as a great athlete and wrestler.
 The Umayyad Caliphate took control after the death of Ali.

 Period of Umayyads:
The Umayyad Caliphate was one of the most powerful and expansive of the Islamic Caliphates.
It was also the first of the Islamic dynasties. This meant that the leader of the Caliphate, called
the Caliph, was typically the son (or other male relative) of the previous Caliph.
 When did it rule?
The Umayyad Caliphate ruled the Islamic Empire from 661-750 CE. It succeeded the Rashidun
Caliphate when Muawiyah I became Caliph after the First Muslim Civil War. Muawiyah I
established his capital in the city of Damascus where the Umayyads would rule the Islamic

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Empire for nearly 100 years. The Umayyad Caliphate was brought to an end in 750 CE when the
Abbasids took control.
 What lands did it rule?
The Umayyad Caliphate expanded the Islamic Empire into one of the largest empires in the
history of the world. At its peak, the Umayyad Caliphate controlled the Middle East, parts of
India, much of North Africa, and Spain. Historians estimate the Umayyad Caliphate had a
population of around 62 million people, which was nearly 30% of the world's population at the
time.
 Government:

The Umayyads modeled their government after the Byzantines (Eastern Roman Empire) who
had previously ruled much of the land conquered by the Umayyads. They divided the empire into
provinces that were each ruled by a governor appointed by the Caliph. They also created
government bodies called "diwans" that handled different government agencies.
 Contributions:

The Umayyads made several important contributions to the Islamic Empire. Many of their
contributions had to do with unifying the large empire and the many cultures that were now part
of the empire. These included creating a common coinage, establishing Arabic as the official
language throughout the empire, and standardizing weights and measures. They also built some
of the most revered buildings of Islamic history including the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
 Fall of the Umayyads:

As the empire expanded, unrest among the people and opposition to the Umayyads increased.
Many Muslims felt that the Umayyads had become too secular and were not following the ways
of Islam. Groups of people including the followers of Ali, non-Arab Muslims, and the Kharjites
began to rebel causing turmoil in the empire. In 750, the Abbasids, a rival clan to the Umayyads,
rose to power and overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate. They took control and formed the Abbasid
Caliphate which would rule much of the Islamic world for the next several hundred years.

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 Iberian Peninsula:
One of the Umayyad leaders, Abd al Rahman, escaped to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) where he
established his own kingdom in the city of Cordoba. There the Umayyads continued to rule
portions of Spain until well into the 1400s.

 Interesting Facts about the Umayyad Caliphate:

 Umayyad is sometimes spelled "Omayyad."
 Non-Muslims had to pay a special tax. This tax offered them protection under the
Caliphate. People that converted to Islam no longer had to pay the tax.
 Some historians consider the Umayyad dynasty as more of a "kingdom" than a Caliphate
because their rulers were hereditary rather than elected.
 The Caliph Yazid (son of Muawiya I) had Hussein (the son of Ali, the famous fourth
caliph) killed when Hussein refused to take an oath of loyalty to the Umayyads.
 The borders of the Umayyad Caliphate spread nearly 6,000 miles from the Indus River in
Asia to the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain).

 Period of Abbasids:

The Abbasid Caliphate was a major dynasty that ruled over the Islamic Empire during its peak.
Like the Umayyad Caliphate before it, the leader of the Abbasids was called the caliph. During
the time of the Abbasids, the caliph was usually the son (or other closest male relative) of the
previous Caliph.
 When did it rule?

The Abbasid Caliphate had two major periods. The first period lasted from 750-1258 CE. During
this period, the Abbasids were strong leaders who controlled a vast territory and created a culture
that is often referred as the Golden Age of Islam. In 1258 CE, however, the capital city of
Baghdad was sacked by the Mongols causing the Abbasids to flee to Egypt.

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The second period lasted from 1261-1517 CE. During this time the Abbasid Caliphate was
located in Cairo, Egypt. While the Abbasids were still considered the religious leaders of the
Islamic world, a different group called the Mamluks held the true political and military power.

 What lands did it rule?

The Abbasid Caliphate ruled over a large empire that included the Middle East, western Asia,
and northeast Africa (including Egypt).

 Golden Age of Islam:

The early part of the Abbasid rule was a time of peace and prosperity. Great advances were made
in many areas of science, mathematics, and medicine. Schools of higher education and libraries
were built throughout the empire. The culture flourished as Arabic art and architecture reached
new heights. This period lasted from around 790 CE to 1258 CE. It is often referred to as the
Golden Age of Islam.
 Fall of the Abbasids:

The early 1200s saw the rise of the Mongol Empire in eastern Asia. The Mongols conquered
China and then began their march west to the Middle East. In 1258, the Mongols arrived at
Baghdad, the capital city of the Abbasid Caliphate. The Caliph at the time believed that Baghdad
could not be conquered and refused to meet the Mongols' demands. The leader of the Mongols,
Hulagu Khan, then set siege to the city. In less than two weeks Baghdad had surrendered and the
Caliph was put to death.
 Rule from Egypt:

In 1261, the Abbasids reclaimed the Caliphate from Cairo, Egypt. The real power in Egypt was a
group of former slave warriors called the Mamluks. The Mamluks ran the government and the
armies, while the Abbasids had authority over the Islam religion. Together they ruled the
Caliphate from Cairo until 1517 when they were conquered by the Ottoman Empire.

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 Interesting Facts about the Abbasid Caliphate:
 The sacking of Baghdad in 1258 is considered to be the end of the Islamic Caliphate by
many historians.
 The Mamluks were once the slave warriors of the Islamic Caliphate. However, they
eventually gained power of their own and took control in Egypt.
 The Abbasids got their name from being descendents of Abbas ibn Abd al.Muttalib.
Abbas was an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad and one of his companions.
 The first capital city of the Abbasids was Kufa. However, they founded and built the city
of Baghdad as their new capital in 762 CE.
 Historians estimate that around 800,000 people were killed during the sacking of
Baghdad by the Mongols. They killed the Caliph by wrapping him up in a carpet and
trampling him with horses.

7th Week
Social System Of Islam

1. Basic concepts of social system of Islam:

“The foundations of the social system of Islam rest on the belief that we are all equal and
constitute one single fraternity.”
An Islamic society is the society whose members has “Iman” (faith) in Islam, apply its laws in
their life and performing religious duties and abstaining from doing what is unlawful.
In a true Islamic society, drinking of alcohol, injustice, giving or take bribes, practicing usury,
dressing immodestly, deceiving each other, violating others rights, are all avoided and
prohibited.
A society cannot be considered an Islamic society if the people discard Islam and commit
unlawful acts publicly without the slightest feeling of shame. What matters is the lifestyle and
system they adopt, not the name they call it.
 Some Principle of Social System In Islam:

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The social System in Islam is based on creating a strong bond and learn how to live together as
good Muslims. They include:
 Faithfulness:
Islam requires all its followers to be faithful and helpful and to share each other’s sorrows and
happiness. It enjoins them to establish a strong relationship in which one can depend upon the
other for help. A true Islam society is to keep loyalty and faith among themselves.
 To respect the rights of others:
In an Islamic society, one has to respect the rights of others and conduct good duties towards
each other. Although Islam places great emphasis on the strong bond, it only wants it to remain
intact as long as it is founded on the sweetness of love or there exists at least the possibility of
lasting companionship
 Islamic society is built on justice and mutual kindness:
Mutual respect and kindness towards each other creates close relationship and good morals in
society.
Allah, the most merciful says:
“Surely Allah bids to justice, benevolence and giving to relatives, and He forbids indecency,
evil and transgression. He exhorts you so that you may remember.”

 Create a strong bond and co-operation:

To co-operate in acts of goodness and righteousness and not to co-operate in acts of sin and
injustice.
Allah, (SWT) says.
“Cooperate with each other for righteousness and cooperate not in sin and enmity.” In every
aspect of life, the members of an Islamic society cooperate kindly with each other. For
example, in building mosques and schools, helping the needy, fighting oppression,
establishing economic, social and cultural associations, are all forms of co-operation within
the society.
 Keeping good morals:
This is another significant principle of the social system in Islam. Honesty, faithfulness,
respecting neighbours, love, mercy, sacrifice, sympathy, keeping ties with near kin, and being

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kind and humble to others, are factors which consolidate a society and gladden its members.
They become serene and free from worries and pressures.
It is our duties and responsibilities to form an Islamic society and keep it safe from subversive
and corrupt elements by means of enjoining good and forbidding evil.

2. Elements of Family:
 What does Islam say about family life?

Families are considered to be at the heart of every Muslim community. Family life was created
by Allah to keep society together and Muslims should follow the example of the Prophet
Muhammad, who was married and raised a family.

The traditional Muslim family is an extended family. It usually includes parents, children,
grandparents and elderly relatives. Most Muslims believe that extended families mean greater
stability, continuity, love and support for each other.

 Roles of men and women:

Islamic law and practice recognise the differences between the sexes, resulting in different roles
and obligations for men and women. However, many Muslims believe that men and women
complement each other. The Qur'an states:

O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and
tribes, that you may know one another.Qur'an 49:13

In many Islamic societies, the woman's role is in the home and the man's role is in the public
realm of the working world.

The Qur'an and the Hadith refer to the biological differences that mean men are generally
physically stronger than women. Men, therefore, are regarded as protectors of women and
families, and providers of financial support. Women are expected to have children and to fulfil
the role of wife and mother.

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 Protection and nurturing:

Many Muslims believe that family life is the foundation of human society providing a secure,
healthy and nurturing environment for parents and growing children. The best place to pass on
and develop human virtues such as love, kindness, mercy and compassion is in a family.

The family unit should encourage the individual to see themselves as part of a wider community
and should discourage anti-social behaviour. Many Muslims believe that these values are not just
for the benefit of individual families, but also the worldwide Islamic community, the Ummah.

 Caring for the elderly:

Muslims treat the elderly with dignity. Many consider it to be an honour and a blessing from
Allah to be able to look after their elderly relatives and give them care with kindness, patience
and respect. It is also a duty.

 Parenting and children:

Muslim parents have a responsibility to care for their children physically and emotionally. Their
goal is for their children to grow into self-disciplined, independent adults. Parents are expected to
teach their children right from wrong.

Children are expected to respect their parents. The child's duties to its parents are second only to
its duties to Allah. Commandments from the Qur'an, and also the sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad, talk about the respect children should have for their parents.

Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to your
parents. If one of them or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of
disrespect… and act humbly to them in mercy.Qur'an 17:23-24

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 Children and spiritual development:

The mother is at the heart of the Muslim family and is responsible for teaching children
about halal and haram in the home. The father is responsible for taking the children to
the mosque.

Muslim children are born into a state of fitrah, meaning purity and awareness of God. The
parents have the responsibility of developing their spirituality. This may be achieved through
teachings and daily life, but also by enrolling a child at a madrasah.

3. Ethical Values of Islam:

 Islamic Ethics:
 Islamic Ethics – Introduction:
When it comes to Islamic ethics, S. Parvez Manzoor makes it clear, “There is no division of
ethics and law in Islam.”
Because of the linkage between Islamic ethics and law, this article touches briefly on certain
elements of Islamic ethics. A study of Islamic ethics is more fruitful when done in conjunction
with a study of Islamic law.

 Islamic Ethics – Muhammad as Exemplar:

Historically, Muslims derive their Islamic ethics from the Qur’an and the Hadith. The Qur’an
contains several commands Muhammad’s followers must obey. The Hadith presents Muhammad
as the exemplary human whom Muslims must imitate in all respects. “Muhammad was only a
mortal being commissioned by God to teach the word of God and lead an exemplary life,” writes
Hammuda Abdalati. “He stands in history as the best model for man in piety and perfection. He
is a living proof of what man can be and of what he can accomplish in the realm of excellence
and virtue.”
Ram Swarup explains how the actions and judgment of Muhammad recorded in the Hadith are
perceived by Muslims:

 The Prophet is caught as it were in the ordinary acts of his life—sleeping, eating, mating,
praying, hating, dispensing justice, planning expeditions and revenge against his enemies.

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 The picture that emerges is hardly flattering, and one is left wondering why in the first
instance it was reported at all and whether it was done by admirers or enemies. One is also
left to wonder how the believers, generation after generation, could have found this story so
inspiring.
 The answer is that the [Muslim] believers are conditioned to look at the whole thing through
the eyes of faith. An infidel in his fundamental misguidance may find the Prophet rather
sensual and cruel—and certainly many of the things he did do not conform to ordinary ideas
of morality—but the believers look at the whole thing differently. To them morality derives
from the Prophet’s actions; the moral is whatever he did. Morality does not determine the
Prophet’s actions, but his actions determine and define morality. Muhammad’s acts were not
ordinary acts; they were Allah’s own acts [i.e., acts empowered, guided and approved by
Allah].
It was in this way and by this logic that Muhammad’s opinions became the dogmas of Islam and
his personal habits and idiosyncrasies became moral imperatives: Allah’s commands for all
believers in all ages and climes to follow.

 Islamic Ethics – Moral Absolutes

The Islamic view of ethics, like the Christian view of ethics, affirms ethical absolutes. Whereas
the Bible grounds morality in God’s essential character, the Qur’an teaches that God cannot
ultimately be known. Certain actions are good not because they derive from God’s character, but
because God chooses to call them good. God could have decreed a different set of moral
principles. Therefore, Muslims know moral goodness by God’s decree. Islam and Christianity
agree to some of the same moral standards although significant differences exist.

Hammudah Abdalati summarizes Islamic morality as follows:

The concept of morality in Islam centers around certain basic beliefs and principles. Among
these are the following: (1) God is the Creator and Source of all goodness, truth, and beauty. (2)
Man is a responsible, dignified, and honorable agent of his Creator. (3) God has put everything
in the heavens and the earth in the service of mankind. (4) By His Mercy and Wisdom, God does
not expect the impossible from man or hold him accountable for anything beyond his power. Nor
does God forbid man to enjoy the good things of life. (5) Moderation, practicality, and balance
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are the guarantees of high integrity and sound morality. (6) All things are permissible in principle
except what is singled out as obligatory, which must be observed, and what is singled out as
forbidden, which must be avoided. (7) Man’s ultimate responsibility is to God and his highest
goal is the pleasure of his Creator.

 Islamic Ethics – Conclusion:

When viewing Islamic ethics, Muslims see Muhammad as the exemplary human being, the one
all people should seek to imitate. Along with more general virtues, the Five Pillars of Practice
form a core of Islamic ethics. In addition to many motivations for ethical behavior, anticipation
of final judgment is the strongest.

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