Warm Up:How were Arab Muslims able to

conquer and rule such a large empire with a relatively small population?

III. Islamic Civilization

A. Law and Dogma1. Shari’a• The law of Islam provides the foundation for

Islamic CivilizationBased on:• The sunna, or tradition of the Prophet• Based on the hadith, the words and deeds of

Muhammad

III. Islamic Civilization

B. Converts and Cities1. Conversion• To convert to Islam, a person must state, in

the presence of a Muslim:• “there is not God but God, and Muhammad

is the Messenger of God”• Many converts initially could not speak

Arabic, read the Quran

III. Islamic Civilization

2. Urbanization• Converts often faced discrimination in their

home communities• Migrated to Arab governing centers• Capital cities and military settlements• Muslim cities grew rapidly• Non-Muslim cities stagnated or shrank

III. Islamic Civilization

3. Islamic Architecture• It is in Architecture that the greatest cultural

blending can be seen• Already existing buildings were modified by Islamic

Ideals• Islamic Features:– Multi-lobed interwoven arches– Domes– Minarets– Large courtyards

Multi-lobed interwoven arches

Domes

Dome of the Rock• Located in Jerusalem• Rock in the center is believed to be the spot

from where Muhammad ascended (rose) up to Heaven

Minarets• Towers built from

where Muslims are called to prayer 5 times a day

Large Courtyards

III. Islamic Civilization4. Mosaics• Artwork created

using tiny pieces of colored glass tiles

• Muslims use mosaics to create geometric decorations on Mosques

III. Islamic Civilization5. Arabic Alphabet• Arabic was first used

to translate the context of the Quran (The Holy Book of Islam)• Written from Right to

Left• Made up of 28 letters

III. Islamic Civilization6. Calligraphy• Art of beautiful

handwriting• In Islam, showing

living things in art was not allowed

• So artists turned to calligraphy to express themselves.

Islamic Art Project

Warm Up:What was the purpose of mosaics and calligraphy in Islamic art and

architecture?

III. Islamic Civilization7. Universities • Muhammad strongly believed in the

power of learning–This led to support of places of learning

by Muslim Leaders• Qualified physicians = treat the sick• Mathematicians and Astronomers =

Calculated times for prayer

III. Islamic Civilization

8. Science and Technology• Muslim science exceeded that of European

counterparts• Built on Hellenistic traditions and observations

III. Islamic Civilization

9. Medical• The Comprehensive

Book –• An encyclopedia of

medicine • using knowledge from

Greek, Syrian, Arabic and Indian sources of knowledge

III. Islamic Civilization

10. Math• Arabic Numbers were

adapted from India– Included the

number ZERO• Led to study of optics • which helped develop

lenses for telescopes and microscopes

III. Islamic Civilization

11. Astronomy• Determined the Milky Way lies far beyond

earth’s atmosphere• Explained why the sun and moon appear

larger on horizon than overhead

III. Islamic Civilization

C.Islam, Women, and Slaves1. Women• Muslim women were veiled and secluded • as they had been previously in the Byzantine

and the Sasanid Empires. • Women could be influential in the family, • but only slave women could have a public

role or appear in public before men.

III. Islamic Civilization

2. Women and Law• Muslim women did have rights under Islamic

law. • These rights included the right to own property

and to retain it in marriage, • the right to divorce, • to remarry, • to testify in court, • and to go on pilgrimage.

III. Islamic Civilization

4. Slavery• Muslims were not permitted to enslave their

fellow Muslims, Jews, Christians, or Zoroastrians

- except when taken as prisoners of war.• Muslims could and did hold non-Muslim

slaves, but the status of slave was not hereditary.

III. Islamic Civilization

D.The Recentering of Islam1. Effects of Fragmentation• The decline of the caliphate and factionalism

within the ulama deprived Islam of a religious center.

• During the 12th & 13th centuries two new sources of religious authority developed:

• the madrasas (religious colleges) and the Sufi brotherhoods.

III. Islamic Civilization

2. Sufi Brotherhoods • Mystic fraternities whose members sought union with

God through rituals and training. • The early Sufis were mystics who went into ecstasies and

expressed their ideas in poetry;• the Sufi brotherhoods developed into organizations of

Muslim men.• Sufi brotherhoods provided their members with spiritual

guidance and rules for everyday life.• The brotherhoods originated in the urban areas and then

spread to the countryside.