CHAPTER THREE -
THE SPREAD OF ISLAMIC RELIGION AND CULTURE
THE
HEJIRA
Muhammad believed that he
had been chosen as a prophet of God and he attempted to spread the
messages revealed to him to those living in
Finally, recognize that
Muhammad was presenting a whole new social/political world view to
Arabs. Rejecting traditional tribal and regional divisions,
Muhammad emphasized the unity of the umma or
Islamic community. In fact, according to Muhammad's teachings there was
only one important division - that between Muslims and non-Muslims. The only
real conflict in the world, according to this new world view, was between the House
of Islam (Dar-al Islam) and the House of War (Dar-al Harb.) One of the duties of a Muslim was to bring those
living in the House of War (non-Muslims) into the House of Islam; thus, like
Christianity, Islam was and is a proselytizing religion that emphasizes
spreading its beliefs. Initially, however, the traditional divisions and
separations between Arabs were stronger than this new unifying religious world
view and Muhammad had little success in gaining converts between 610 - 622 CE.
In 622 he left
JIHAD WITH
Based on his strength in
1)
2) By 630 CE Muhammad
emphasized the sacred nature of the Ka'aba and this
established
According to the later
teachings of Muhammad, the black stone of the Ka'aba
remained the most sacred site on the earth, however, not because it was relic
of the false Arab deities, but because the stone was linked to the first
prophet Abraham. The Ka'aba was believed to be the
"house" of Allah on earth.
Muhammad brought Islam to
**NOTE: An important
point must be made here especially given heated attitudes and responses to
terrorist actions over past years. The term jihad translates as a ‘struggle’,
a ‘striving for righteousness’. This is interpreted in
different ways by different Muslims - individuals, leaders and movements.
Many Muslims interpret it as meaning a moral or ethical struggle - striving for
what is "right" (i.e. standing up for Islamic beliefs and integrity
against corruption etc.) Some interpret jihad as a personal struggle - to
live a moral and righteous life in the face of temptation and evil. Other
Muslims interpret jihad as living a live of pro-active action taken to spread
Islam against the House of War - done through peaceful means such as spreading
the religion through missionary work, through education, through moral example.
There is also the
interpretation of jihad as the need for a Muslim to fight in terms of violence
and military action, but only in *defense* of the religion, only when
confronted with attacks or threat or invasion. And finally, there are
those who use the powerful term of jihad, religious struggle in the name of
righteousness, as justifying attacks on forces deemed evil - offensive
assaults, wars of aggression and even terrorist attacks against identified
"enemies" of the House of Islam. Recognize, a military jihad is
to be declared by someone with religious authority - it is not a term to be
used or interpreted lightly or readily. (see detailed discussion)
In ongoing and fervent
discussions within Islamic religious and academic communities, many emphasize
the interpretation of the Qur'an that stresses Muhammad's teachings that a
"true jihad" is that which honors and exalts God's word. These
Islamic scholars, refuting the image of Islam as a religion infused with goals
of war and terror, point to the fact that Qur'anic
teachings condemn as blasphemous those actions that attempt to destroy the very
basis of existence through destruction and the spread of ruin. The term
jihad, then, is a powerful and complex tradition in Islamic history and
belief. It is interpreted and used differently by believers - much
as there are differences, and conflicting interpretations, of Christian terms
such as crusade and heretic.****
During Muhammad's time, the
idea that fighting for Allah and the faith of Islam was a holy cause through
military effort and assault proved very effective in this first *military*
jihad - especially since it was led by Allah's prophet Muhammad!
Historians attribute this
rapid spread to the fact that Islam, as it was interpreted in 632, contained or
mirrored and reflected important Arabic traditions such as the timing of the
month of Ramadan and the central religious importance of
THE ISLAMIC
EMPIRE
The uniting of Arabians
under the common beliefs and structure of a shared Islamic religion was a
remarkable turning point. Although underlying divisions certainly remained
between classes, regions and tribes, Arabs were now united by a common faith.
The success of Arabs in
creating an empire is credited to a number of factors. Historians point to the
impressive military abilities of Arab warriors, especially the Bedouin.
Centuries of fighting to survive had resulted in the development of remarkable
mobility and military skills. These were now turned against their wealthier
neighbors. Arabs were also fueled by the possibility of riches and
material gain, a strong motivation for a civilization that had been relatively
poor and struggling for centuries. But most important was the role of
Islam. This religion unified the Arabs, and gave them a powerful motivation and
sustaining force in battle. They believed they were fighting a holy war, a war
for Allah against those in the House of War - a powerful motivation!
Between 630 - 751 CE
Islamic Arab forces and their allies swept across the
To the East, Islamic troops
spilled out of Arabia, conquered the territories of the Near East including
Syria, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Persia (Iran), modern day Afghanistan and expanded
all the way to the Indus River (the region that is today Pakistan)! (see map)
Driving north into
EFFECTS OF
EMPIRE
What took place after this
massive expansion was the transplanting of Islamic religion and culture into
these regions. In some instances, conquered subjects were forced to convert -
especially peoples who worshiped many deities. The fervent monotheism of Islam
allowed for no tolerance of polytheistic beliefs. For many,
however, the conversion to Islam took place over time as a result of exposure
to Islam's compelling promises of Heaven, the belief in a compassionate god,
and structured and clear laws to frame the society. Islam continued to
spread into neighboring regions through trade connections. For example although
Islamic leaders only controlled the North African coast, Islam filtered deep
inland into Saharan Africa through trading connections.
It should be noted that for
Christians and Jews living in these conquered territories, there was usually a
relative degree of tolerance. Jews and Christians were treated as
"protected people" since these groups were monotheistic and followed
the teachings of earlier prophets. However, these "protected peoples"
were legally treated as second class citizens in comparison to Muslims and
often paid high taxes for the privilege of maintaining their religion.
Recognize, when we discuss
the spread of Islam, it does not just mean that peoples' religious beliefs
changed. In areas that became predominantly Muslim, laws were based on the
Qur'an - a legal tradition referred to as the Shari'ah
; economic interactions reflected the strictures and lessons of the Qur'an.
Islamic beliefs also impacted relations between men and women. Women, in the
emerging Islamic tradition, did have economic power and under Islamic
law had the right to own and control property. In family and social relations,
however, women were seen as subservient to men and were increasingly isolated
or shut out of social interactions. (see discussion of women in
Islam)
Arabic, the language of the
Prophet Muhammad, was (and is) the shared language throughout the Islamic
world. Thus the regions conquered in the 7th and 8th
centuries was tied together by religion and the Arabic language;
these links will remain even after the political unity of the Arab empire fell
apart. This growing and inter-connected Islamic world produced brilliant
achievements in scholarship and intellectual pursuits. This was in part because
of the textual emphasis of Islam on the Qur'an and other scriptures -
which resulted in a highly literary culture and thus active scholarship.
Such scholastic brilliance was also a result of the Arabic empire and the
absorption of, and links between, sophisticated civilizations from Southern
Europe to Central Asia - centered in the
Building on the brilliance
of earlier Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Hellenistic and Roman cultures,
Islamic scholars and institutions soon rivaled
Thus, as a result of empire
building, cultures as far East as Afghanistan and as far West as Spain absorbed
Islamic ideas and Arab influences, visible in social patterns, art, literature,
language and politics. In Spain, for example, the long period of Islamic
influence (often referred to as the Moorish influence) deeply and visibly
impacted the culture, philosophy, architecture, arts and even the language of
the developing Spanish civilization, and these influences were then further
spread into all areas impacted by Spain including the Americas centuries later!
(Several Spanish words - part of American vocabulary today - are Arabic in
origin.)
The growth of this Islamic
empire also had dramatic effects on the home region of
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
Interesting Related Web Sites
Internet Course on Islam
Islamic Arts and
Architecture - links
GO TO CHAPTER FOUR
