I.

ARABIA AND ISLAM

Geographical Setting

 Arabia is a vast peninsula which forms a link between Asia and Africa ; the original home of the Semites
 The interior is mostly arid desert, with occasional oases. The soil is fertile and has a good climate.
 The Arabian peninsula is famous for three things:
1. Islam, religion founded by Prophet Muhammad
2. The legendary kingdom of the Queen of Sheba
3. Oil, the fabulous “black gold” beneath Arabia’s desert

The Arabs

 The Arabs are a brave and strong people, with dignified bearing, flashing eyes, and slender physique.
 Two types of Arabs:
1. The Desert Arabs – also called Bedouins, lived by pasturing camels, horses, and sheep, and by
robbing desert caravans. Their favorite animals were horses, which they used in wars, and the
camels, their beast of burden.
2. The Coastal Arabs – lived in the coastal cities and towns. They engage in agriculture and trade. They
were more civilized than the Bedouins.

Muhammad, Prophet Of Allah

 The man who gave Arabia and the world a new religion that is distinctly Arabic in flavor and universal in
appeal.
 Born in Mecca about 570 A.D.
 Muhammad means “Highly Praised”

The Hegira

 To escape the wrath of Meccan believers, Muhammad and his followers fled on the night of July 16, 622
A.D. to Medina, meaning “City of the Prophet.”
 The flight from Mecca to Medina came to be known as the Hegira, the Arab word for “flight”.
 It was an epochal event in Islam history, from which the Muslim calendar began, as the Christian calendar
began with the death and resurrection of Christ.

Muhammad in Medina

 At the time of Muhammad’s arrival, Medina was populated by a group of clans living on the desert oasis.
Herein, he organized a government which was a theocracy. He was the ruler, judge, legislator, and prophet.
 In the name of Allah, he launched the first jihad (holy war) against Mecca.
 In March 632 A.D., tenth year of the Hegira, Muhammad led a strong army against Mecca. The city
surrendered without a fight.

Death of Prophet Muhammad

 On June 8, 632 A.D., Muhammad died of a fever in Medina and was buried there. He left no male heir and
no successor.
The Teachings of Islam

 Islam – religion founded by Muhammad which means “submission to the Will of Allah (God).”
 Muslim – followers of Islam which means “one who surrenders himself” (to God’s Will).
 Muhammad said he was the greatest and last prophet of God (Allah).
 Minor Prophets are Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, etc.
 Qur’an (Koran) - means “Recitation”; compilation of teachings of Muhammad; the holy book of Islam. It
consists of 114 sutras (chapters), written in Arabic language.
 The fundamental Islamic teachings (“Five Pillars of Islam”):
1. The profession of faith(Shahada)
2. Prayer five times facing Mecca (Salat)
3. Giving alms to the poor (Zakat)
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan(Sawn)
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hadji)
 Islam is now the world’s second largest religion, with 555million members throughout the world. It also the
world’s fastest growing religion – with 235% increase in converts since 1934.

II. RISE OF THE ARABIAN EMPIRE

 Muhammad and his successors spread his religion among the pagan Arab tribes by force of arms.
 Muhammad and the Qur’an justified a Jihad against the unbelievers.

Arab Conquests in Asia and Egypt

 After the death of Muhammad, the Arab armies successfully won their war against the Byzantine Empire
and Persian Sasanid Empire.
 They Also conquered Different places like;
o Syria and Palestine and the cities of Antioch
o Damascus
o Jerusalem
o Persia
o Mesopotamia
o Egypt
o Afghanistan
o Turkestan
o North western India

 The Muslim Arabs tried to take Constantinople, but they failed, and the Christian defenders fought well
and repulsed the Arabs Attack.

Arab Conquest in North Africa and Iberia

 After their repulse in Constantinople, the Muslim continued to win other parts of the Christian World. In
North Africa they annexed Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli.
 In 711 A.D Tarik and his men destroyed the Visigoth kingdom in Spain
 A few years, Entire Iberia Peninsula, except Asturias, was added to Arabian Empire
 Arabs crossed the Pyrenees and captured the old Roman cities in Southern France (Gaul)
 In 732 A. D Charles Martel, leader of the Franks crushed them in the battle of Tours in France
 For eight century – Spain was under Moorish (Muslim) rule.

Islamic Expansion to China and Southeast Asia

 Islam reached China during the T’ang period (618-907 A.D)

 By Eight century, Many Arabs merchant were living in Canton and Hangchow.
 Islam gained much Headway during the time of Yuan and Mongol period (1280-1368)
 Kublai Khan- led the Mongol conquerors
 Islam was also introduced into southeast Asia by Arabs traders and missionaries and not by military
conquerors
 The Peaceful followers of the prophet usually married the princesses of ruling families in Java, Sumatra, and
other Islands
 By 13th Century –Islam was in Indonesia and the Malay peninsula
 In following century, it spread to Borneo and Philippines by the Spaniards who colonized the country in the
16th century
 Most of the Philippines is Christian
 Islam remained in Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan

III. RISE AND FALL OF THE CALIPHATE

 The Arabian Empire was called the CALIPHATE after its ruler who assumed the title of “caliph”.
 CALIPH – means “successor”
 Caliph was the political and spiritual head of the Islamic state, regarded himself as the successor of
Muhammad.

The Orthodox Caliphs

 The first four caliphs, who were companions of Muhammad, were elected by the majority of the
Muslims.
 Abu Bakr (632-661 A.D) – He was the first caliph and also the father-in-law of Muhammad. He was
also the first Muslim ruler to assume the title of “caliph”.
 Omar (634-664 A.D) – second caliph who conquered Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Persia, and Egypt. He
established the new Islamic Calendar.
 Omar was followed by Uthman and Ali, both sons-in-law of Muhammad. Ali transferred the capital
from Medina to Kufah.

The Umayyad Caliphs

 Mwawiyah, Arab – He was the Governor of Syria and a member of the prominent Ummayad(Ommiad)
family in Mecca.
o He became the new caliph after the Ali’s death.
o He established the Ummayad Dynasty and made Damascus in Syria the capital.
Henceforth, the office of the caliphate became hereditary.
Break-Up of the Caliphate

 Factions arose in the Islamic World:

1. Shiites – He backed up the claim of the Ali family to the throne.
2. Kharifites – He believed that the Caliphate should be ruled by a council of state and not by a
caliph.
3. Abbasids – supporters of Abu-al-Abbas, a descendent of the Prophet’s uncle. The Abbasids
defeated the Ummayad forces and captured Damascus in April 750 A.D

The Abbasid Caliphs (750-1055)

 The Abbasids ruled the Muslims in Asia for more than 300 years. They moved the capital from
Damascus to Baghdad.
 During their reign, Baghdad grew into a magnificent city, the largest and richesr in the Islamic world.
 “City of Peace” – official name of Baghdad.
 Harun al-Raschid (Harun the Just) – He was the most renowned of the Abbasid caliphs whose reign
(786-809 A.D) marked the height of Islamic glory.
 The dazzling splendour of his court was immortalized in the fabulous stories of the Arabian Nights (also
called A Thousand and One Nights).
 The power of the last Abbasid caliphs declined.
 1055 – Seljuk Turks captured Baghdad and overthrew the Arabian Caliphate rule.

IV. ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

Muslim Society

 The family head was permitted by the Qur’an to have up to four wives. The wives lived in the Harem.
 Islam are obliged the men to be kind to their wives. (“The Best of you is he who behaves best to his
wives” –Prophet)
 Women enjoyed few rights. They live in seclusion at home and were given little education.
 They wore veil in public to cover their faces.
 Slavery and Polygamy was permitted by Islam.

Recreation
 Poetry and Music are the favourite forms of recreation.
 The Muslim had also outdoor sports such as archery, hunting, horse racing, polo, falconry and fencing.
 Their chief indoor games are chess and dice game but Qur’an prohibited them to bet in the dice game.

Economy
 The farmers and gardeners in the Islamic world practised fertilization, grafting, and punning which the
Christian people of Europe imitated.
 The Muslims excelled in Manufacturing Industries like glassmaking, perfumery, ceramics, leatherwork,
manufacture of weapons and waving.
 Their textiles were famous around the world such as damask (from Damascus), Muslim from (from
Mosul), baldachin (from Baghdad), grenadine (from Granada) and graze from Gaza.
 Cordovan leather goods Toledo steel blades, and Moroccan leather book binding were the objects of
admiration and envy of European craftsmen.

Philosophy
 Muslim philosophy was derived from the writings of Greek philosophers, the teachings of the Qur’an,
and the precepts of the oriental sages.
 Averroes (1126-1198) – the most famous Muslim philosopher. He was called the “Prince of the
Philosophers”. His commentaries on Aristotle were highly appreciated.
 They believed that the best philosophy was a blend of reason and faith.
 Accordingly, they influenced the scholastic philosophers of Medieval European particularly, Thomas
Aquinas.

Literature
 Muslims excelled in both prose and poetry.
 Arabic stories of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Sinbad the sailor have not been surpassed by
Western storytellers.
 Rubaiyat – (written by Omar Khayyam, a Persian astronomer-poet, in the 12th century). It was the most
famous masterpiece of Muslim Poetry. It is now one of the classics in the world of literature.
 Islamic scholars produced good works in biography and history.
 The first known biography of Muhammad the Prophet was written by Ibn Ishak who died in Egypt in
767 A.D.
 Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) – He was the best known Muslim historian.
 Qur’an (Koran) - It is the holy book of Islam, consisting of 114 chapters. It was the greatest
contribution to the world literature.

Arts
 They expressed their artistic talent in Architecture.
 They build beautiful mosques and palaces that have been acclaimed by Western writers as “miracles of
beauty”.
 The Muslim architectural style was called “Arabesque”.
 The gems of Muslim architecture are the famous Alhambra in Granada, the Mosque of Omar (also
called Dome of the Rock) in Jerusalem and the Great Mosque in Candova.

Sciences
 The mariner’s compass, originally invented by the Chinese, was introduced by the Muslims to the
Europeans.
 The word “chemistry” comes from an Arabic word.
 They discovered alcohol, nitric acid and other chemical compounds.
  The greatest Muslim chemist was Jabir Ibn Hayyan
 Al-Razid’s Book of Secrets became the basis of European chemical studies.
 Significant developments in Mathematics and Physics were also achieved by the Muslims.
 Algebra and Spherical trigonometry were likewise Arab inventions.
 Omar Khayyam made a calendar which only leads to an error of one day in 5000 years.

Medicine
 They were the first to study and treat such contagious diseases as measles, smallpox and tuberculosis.
 The most famous book on medicine in the 11th century was Medical Canon by Avicenna, who was
called the “Prince of Physicians” because of his vast medical knowledge.