The Rise and Influence of Islam: From Arabia to the World
The Birth of Islam
Islam was born in the seventh century in the Arabian Peninsula, located in the Middle East between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. This desert territory in the seventh century had great internal divisions in different fields:
Arabia Before Muhammad
- Political Field: The territory was divided into numerous independent tribes, each led by its chief.
- Economic Environment: The peninsula was inhabited by Bedouin tribes who practiced nomadic pastoralism. Sedentary populations were harbored on the coast in the area of Yemen, where agriculture and trade were practiced. In the region of Hijaz, on the northern Red Sea coast, the only two cities of the region arose: Yathrib and Mecca. These cities were at the convergence of caravan routes of overland trade and maritime commerce between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.
- Religious Ambit: Bedouins were fetishists, that is, they worshiped objects. Farmers and traders were polytheists and believed in many gods.
Muhammad and Islam
Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 into a wealthy family. In his youth, he was devoted to the caravan trade, and during these trips, he met Jewish and Christian religions. At forty, he received the revelation of God, and three years later, he began to preach his doctrine, called Islam, which means submission to the will of one God. Muslims are the submissive believers.
Muslim Teaching
The doctrine of Muhammad was compiled in the Koran, the Muslim holy book. It sets out the religious commandments and standards of behavior that believers should follow.
- Religious Precepts:
- The profession of faith.
- Prayer five times a day facing Mecca and community prayer in the mosque on Fridays.
- Alms to the needy.
- Fasting in the month of Ramadan.
- The pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life.
- Standards of Conduct:
- Prohibit polygamy.
- Prohibit drinking alcohol and eating pork.
- Prohibit gambling.
In the early days of Islam in Mecca, Muhammad had to flee the city and move to Yathrib in 622.
The Expansion of Islam
Muslim Stages of Expansion
After Muhammad’s death, Muslims formed a great empire and imposed their faith with a powerful army in which cavalry played a key role.
- Orthodox Caliphate: The successors of Muhammad were elected among relatives and friends. They lived in Medina.
- Umayyad Caliphate: Power was transferred to the Umayyad family, who implemented hereditary succession and moved the capital of the caliphate to Damascus. The Empire expanded westward through North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula and eastward to the Indus Valley and Turkestan.
- Abbasid Caliphate: This caliphate was initiated after the overthrow of the Umayyad dynasty. The Abbasid Caliphate moved the capital to Baghdad. The caliphate ended with the conquest by the Turks in 1055.
The Political Organization
The highest authority of the empire was the Caliph, who held religious and political power.
- Religious Leader: Presided over Friday community prayer.
- Political Chief: Administered justice and directed the army.
Organization of the Economy
- Agricultural:
- Farming: The main economic activity in the eastern part was practiced in the fertile valleys. They cultivated wheat, barley, rice, cotton, and sugarcane using irrigation. In desert areas, the main activity was the breeding of camels and sheep by nomads.
- Western: Muslims introduced and disseminated agricultural products from the East, such as sugar cane, rice, cotton, citrus, saffron, spinach, mulberry, certain vegetables, and eggplant. They improved irrigation with wells and channels, increasing agricultural yields with crop rotation techniques and ditches.
- Land: Land was held by their former owners, subject to the payment of taxes. One-fifth of the land was held by the Caliph, and the remainder was split between the Muslim aristocracy.
- Urban Activities:
- Handicraft: Production of cotton and linen fabrics, tapestries, carpets, ceramics, leather goods, perfumes, and metal.
- Trade: Small workshops. The geographical position of Muslim rule allowed them to use various forms of payment, such as the gold coin (dinar), bills of exchange, and checks.
The Main Social Groups
Social groups were as follows:
- Aristocracy: A small group of Arab origin who owned large estates from war booty and occupied senior positions.
- Masses: The population consisted of farmers, artisans, and traders. Those who had converted to Islam were differentiated from those who kept their religion, with the latter paying more taxes.
- Slaves: The lowest social ladder, they were prisoners of war or came from trade.
The Artistic Legacy of Muslim Architecture
- Motifs: Stylized plants, interlocking geometric figures, and inscriptions cover the entire inner surface of the buildings, leaving no empty spaces.
- Types of Buildings: Mosques and palaces were the main constructions.
The Mosque
- Courtyard: Open space surrounded by a portico.
- Prayer Room: A covered space divided into aisles by columns and arches.
The Palaces and Other Buildings
- Palace: Residence of the caliphs.
- Other Buildings: Fortifications and burials. The Dome of the Rock is a monument topped with an octagonal dome built over the place from where Muhammad ascended to heaven. It is a unique monument of Islamic architecture without comparison.
Main Features
The cultural significance lies in several respects:
- Cultural Intermediaries Between East and West: They spread Eastern inventions to the West, such as paper, the compass, gunpowder, Arabic numerals, the astrolabe, the use of zero in mathematics, and algebra.
- Own Culture: Resulted from the merger of classical cultures and peoples under the guidance of religion and the Arabic language, which spread rapidly throughout the empire.
- Center of Study: The Maktaba translated the works of great Greek and Roman philosophers.
- Scientific Contributions:
- Al-Fazani in astronomy.
- Al-Khwarizmi in mathematics.
- Avicenna in medicine.
- Practical chemistry and alchemy.
- Also Cultivated: Literature, philosophy, history, and geography.