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Islam: Early History

Islam: Early History. Organization of this unit. Organization of this unit: 1. Origins to Revolution of Monotheism: The Prophet Muhammad & the Nature of Allah 2. Roots of Islamic Pluralism: Shia and Sunni split 3. Lawfulness: The Quran, Jihad, and Shariah, and Judgment Day

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Islam: Early History

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  1. Islam: Early History

  2. Organization of this unit • Organization of this unit: • 1. Origins to Revolution of Monotheism: The Prophet Muhammad & the Nature of Allah • 2. Roots of Islamic Pluralism: Shia and Sunni split • 3. Lawfulness: The Quran, Jihad, and Shariah, and Judgment Day • 4. Islamic Pluralism and Practice • 5. Islamic Mysticism

  3. We need to travel back to the world of the Prophet Muhammad To the city of Mecca… And the religious world of ancient Arabia.. Islam: origins

  4. Deserts. Home to 2 types Nomadic Arabs= Bedouins Bedouins And sedentary Arabs, who established home in Oases To survive hot desert, had seasonal migration cycle June-Sept: Waited for summer heat to wane. Rain in October. Then, for 8 months, roam the desert with camel, for grazing Also, when trade was most active Arabia, before Islam…

  5. Trade stimulated by conflict between 2 powers: Byzantium kings Persian/Zoroastrian Empire Both empires used Bedouins to acquire valuables– from each other—using the “middle-men” Bedouins

  6. A R A B I A Pre- Islam R E L I G I O U S World of Christian Heretics (Nestorians) in Persia, as well as Jews escaping Byzantine Hanifs: ancient Monotheists, who were dominant near Hijaz Yemen Syrian Orthodox and smaller groups of Christians were to be found among Bedouin and in monasteries that dotted the northern Hijaz.

  7. The Arabs were polytheistic, totemistic, animistic • Different regions of the Arabian Peninsula often had their own “patron deity”, which usually hadits own shrine. • Arabs often embarked on pilgrimages to different shrines throughout Arabia (right before the rainy season) • The Arabs, were polytheists and humanists • They valued human life for the duration of its time on earth, and they did not subscribe to a belief in any sort of afterlife. Many Arabs rejected Christianity for that reason - the belief in Christ's resurrection was inconceivable. They believed in the human world, and the prayers they offered to their gods pertained to that world, not to salvation or redemption

  8. Most Arabs were ancient totemists and animists • Idols were an important feature of their belief and rituals • Belief: spirits inherent in totems would keep them safe in the harsh desert environment • Ritual: sacrifice for idols, to appease the sprits. • Yearly pilgrimage to an important city- Mecca- to renew their idols, within the ancient cube/shrine (Ka’ba) • Yearly pilgrimage also an important economic feature of Mecca. Pilgrimage offered opportunity for trade, celebration, and other commerce. • But there was an undercurrent of Monotheism– and Monism. Hanifs, Christianity, Judaism • Also Zoroastrian dualism… • So, an interesting Cosmological environoment: • Monotheistic Colomology + Cosmic Ecosystem, with a bit of dualism thrown in!!

  9. In this environment, Muhammad, of the Hashim clan, and Quraish tribe is born in 570CE Quraish tribe’s main role in Mecca? Father: Abd-Allah, died before Muhammad was born Mother, Amina, died when he was 6. Abu-Talib (Paternal Uncle, raises Muhammad, important Meccan merchant) Muhammad=orphaned at 6, raised in a merchant environment. Marries Kadija in ~595 CE Traveled Caravan routes extensively. Kadija’s trade network and wealth helped expose Muhammad to the world around him Stimulus for questions he had about religion, God, and Reality Enter, Mohammad…

  10. Unlike other Arabs, Muhammad was most likely inclined, like the Hanifs: Monism and Monotheism Belief in oneness of creation, one God In contemplation at Mount Hira, during the Month of Ramadan, he received a visit from Angel Gabriel… “Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, created Man of a blood clot. Recite: And thy Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the Pen, taught Man what he knew not Muhammad’s first revelations What does this mean? What is Angel Gabriel referring to?

  11. First Muslims • Hadithof Aisha, recounts that Muhammad was shaken by this experience, and rushes home to tell Kadija, who provides comfort and confidence in what he experienced. • He tells cousin Ali and best friend, Abu-Bakr. They encourage him to believe in the truth of his experience. They all believe in his revelation. • So, Kadija, Ali, Abu-Bakr= first Muslims

  12. More Revelations • Muhammad continues to receive revelations thereafter. Often accompanied by: • Ringing bells, in his ears • Breaking out of sweat • Also, revelations came through dreams

  13. A word about sources of knowledge about early Islam • Quran: God’s word • direct transmission from Allah, through Jibril (Gabriel) to Muhammad. From the mouth of Muhammad, but the source was Allah. • Sunnah= The Prophet’s actions • all the customs and habits of the Prophet, including his everyday life practices, that are not considered by the sharia as obligatory. Hence the term Sunna is often used in the sense of recommended or good practice. • Hadiths=The Prophet’s sayings • Hadith literature means the literature which consists of the narrations of the life of the Prophet and the actions approved by him. • However, the term was used sometimes in much broader sense to cover the narrations about the Companions [of the Prophet] and Successors [to the Companions] as well

  14. Muhammad preaches to fellow Meccans (after 3 years of private preaching) the message, revealed from Allah, through Angel Gabriel Nature of his message? 1. Honesty, kindness, support the poor and weak 2. God is One and there is only One God– all idols are to be destroyed A REVOLUTION of MONOTHEISM!!! 3. Collecting interest on loans is forbidden Mecca quickly become anti-Muhammad. Why? 1. Families defined themselves through idols. Also, pilgrimage to Mecca was idol based. Also a boost for the economy 2. Collecting interest, basic custom amongst all caravan owners 615 15 Meccan families flee for refuge in Yathrib (Medina). Muhammad stays, to face the scorn of his tribe, and other Mecccans Muhammad “goes public” with the Message

  15. 619: Year of Tragedy -Kadija dies -Abu-Talib dies 620: Muhammad’s faith in Allah and his Role as the last messenger confirmed. He experiences the “Night Journey” (Mi’raj) Muhammad experiences being carried to Jerusalem (visits Dome on the Rock); from there he ascends to Paradise; carried by angel Gabriel As he ascends through different layers of heaven, he sees Adam, Jesus and key prophets of the Judeo-Christian tradition He is also blessed with the presence of Allah Transformative moments…

  16. Depiction of Miraj from Ottoman Period Notice, the face of the Prophet is blank. Why?

  17. 622: Hijra • Migration from Mecca to Medina (Yathrib) • Central event in Islam • 1. Marks the point when Muhammad’s message is finally, favorably, received • 2. Start of the first true Islamic community (Umma)

  18. The Nature of Allah • lā ilāha illā-llāh, wa muḥammadan rasūlu-llāh • There is no god (ilah) but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God." • Monotheism • But notice, not a pluralist Monotheism LAST

  19. 622-632 Important years of Islamic growth Revelations continued, contextually Wars, miracles, spreading of the faith 632 Rededication of Ka’ba Prophet’s death Problematic? For what reason 10 years of Islamic Growth

  20. Historical Questions • As with other historically based religions.. • Questions have been raised about the sketchy, no-religious historical sources, of the early days of Islam • Meaning? • If the main sources about the Prophet, are Quranic, • Then Quranic sources are the main source of evidence about the early transmission of the Quran • Circular reference • Non-Islamic scholars have traditionally dated the earliest Hadiths to the 2nd C, C.E. • Islamic scholars, assert the earliest Hadiths, dated to no earlier than ~650BCE • The silence between 632-650 is worrisome to some

  21. Holes in Early Islamic History? • Counter arguments? • Wars between 632-650 (after the Prophet passes away) didn’t leave much time for Hadiths collection • Oral Tradition, the main source of transmission before writing was necessary • Very important idea!!!! • Remember the importance of oral tradition in Judaism? • Oral tradtion was also the key source of “Gospel” before the writing of them, nearly 50 years after the cruxifiction of Jesus • So with Islam. Oral tradition was key, amongst sedentary and Bedouin Arabs

  22. Historical questions • Difficulty in raising questions about history? • Quranic verses, mandate belief in the history described within it.

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