The Muslim World

Chapter XIV
Section 1
Page 345-352
 Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Wrote Jungle Book
I keep six honest serving-men
(they taught me all I knew);
There names are What
and Why and When
and How and Where and Who
 Arabia
 Peninsula
 Southwestern Asia
 Desert
 Scattered Oases
 Irrigation
 Bedouins – nomadic herders
 Clans
 Mecca
 An Oasis Town
 A crossroads of Caravan Routes
 Arabia to Syria
 Arabia to Palestine
 Home of the Kaaba
Holy ka'ba during changing its cover
Historical picture of ka'ba taken 1880
 Muhammad
 Born in Mecca 570
 Orphaned at 6
 Educated
 Bedouin Shepherd
 Caravan Leader
 Successful Merchant
 Married Khadija, a wealthy widow - 595
 The Call of Muhammad
 Age of 40 (610)
 Spiritual Seeking
 Cave
 The Voice of Gabriel
 Islam – “submission”
 Allah – “god”
 The Hijra
 622 Hijra from Mecca to Yathrib
 Threatened by Merchants
 The first year on the Muslim Calendar
 Welcomed in Medina
 God’s Prophet
 Ruler & Lawgiver
 Arab Unity
 632 Death of Muhammad
The Al-Masjid al-Nabawi is Islam's second most sacred site;
the Green dome in the background stands above
Muhammad's tomb
 Islam
 Montheistic
 Quran (Arabic)
 God is all-powerful & compassionate
 People are responsible for themselves
 Individual, final judgment
 Heaven & Hell
 No Priests (Imams)
 Five Pillars
1. Declaration of Faith
 There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is
the messenger of Allah.
2. Daily Prayer
 Facing Mecca
 Five Times Daily
 Mosques
 Five Pillars
3. Charity
4. Fasting
 Sunup to Sundown Ramadan
5. Hajj
 Pilgrimage to Mecca
 Visit the Kaaba
 Jihad
 Possible Sixth Pillar
 Struggle for Service to Allah
 Interpreted in Different Ways
 Spiritual Effort
 Terrorism against Non-Muslims
 The Quran
 The sacred word of Allah as revealed to
Muhammad in the Cave
 The final authority for Muslims
 As written in Arabic
 Converts must learn Arabic
 Sets harsh penalties for crimes
 Muslim Perspective
 One god
 Islam, Christianity, Judaism
 One revelation
 Quran, Bible, Torah
 “People of the Book”
 Islamic Culture
 Sharia
 Commentaries on the Quran
 Moral Conduct
 Family Life
 Business Practice
 Government
 Unity
 No separation of “church and state”
 Other Sacred Writings
 Hadith
 Quotes from Muhammad
 Events of his life
 Commentary on the Quran
 Less Authoritative
 Social & Legal Guides
 Biographies of Muhammad
 Commentaries
 Women and Islam
 Spiritual Equality
 Greater protection under Islamic Law
 Consent to Marriage
 Inheritance
 Education
 Veiling & Seclusion
 Especially upper class women
 Expansion
 Caliph – successor to Muhammad
 Abu Bakr
 First Four Caliphs
 Syria & Palestine
 Damascus & Jerusalem
 Persia
 Egypt
 North Africa
 Expansion
 711 Crossed the Strait of Gibraltar
 Spain & France
 732 Defeated at Battle of Tours
 Charlemagne
 Byzantine Empire
 Constantinople
 Imperial Policies
 Initial Toleration
 No religious hierarchy
 No priests
 Emphasis on Arts & Sciences
 Architecture
 Literature
 Music