Rise and Spread of Islam Class 7 icse Notes
Prophet Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Islam is one of the three major world religions, along with Judaism and Christianity that profess monotheism or the belief in a single god. The word Islam is a Arabic word which means ‘surrender’. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim or Mohammedan which in Arabic means, ‘one who surrenders to God’.
•Birth of Islam
Around the year AD 570 Muhammad, the founding prophet of Islam, was born in Mecca. He belonged to the Hashim tribe. Some 40 years later when he was meditating in a cave near Mecca in what is now Saudi Arabia, he experienced a vision of the archangel Gabriel who declared Muhammad to be the prophet of God. This is known as the First Revelation. After the Revelation Muhammad started preaching a new religion, Islam, which constituted a marked break from the existing moral and social codes in Arabia. The new religion of Islam taught that there was one God, and that Muhammad was the last in a series of prophets and messengers. These revelations were complied in a book the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam.
As Prophet Muhammad went about preaching Islam, all the tribes who earlier quarrelled with one another, became united by their belief in Allah. However, the Prophet’s preaching upset his enemies who thought him to be dangerous and plotted to get rid of him. So in AD 622, Muhammad had to leave Mecca and flee to Medina along with his family and a band of faithful followers.
This flight from Mecca to Medina was called the Hijrah in Arabic, meaning ‘migration’. All Muslims use AD 622 as the Year One of their calendar.
During the ten years between his arrival in Medina and his death in AD 632, Muhammad laid the foundation for the ideal Islamic state. A core of committed Muslims was established, and a community life was ordered according to the requirements of the new religion. Foremost among these were the five pillars of Islam, the essential religious duties required of every adult Muslim who is mentally able. The five pillars are each described in some part of the Koran and were already practiced during Muhammad’s lifetime. They are :
• The profession of faith (shahadah),
• Prayer (salah),
• Alms giving (zakah),
• Fasting (sawm),
• Pilgrimage (hajj).
• The profession of faith (shahadah),
• Prayer (salah),
• Alms giving (zakah),
• Fasting (sawm),
• Pilgrimage (hajj).
•Pillars of Islam
1. The absolute focus of Islamic piety is Allah, the supreme, all knowing, all-powerful, and above all, all-merciful God.
2. The second pillar of Islam is Salah, the requirement to pray five times a day at fixed times during the day.
3. Zakah, or alms – is the third pillar of Islam. All those who have the means are required to give alms to the poor as a way of serving God.
4. The fourth pillar of Islam is sawm, or fasting. The Koran prescribes fasting during the month of Ramadan, the 9th month of the 12-month Islamic Lunar year. The month of Ramadan is sacred because the first revelation of the Koran is said to have occurred during this month.
5. The fifth pillar requires that Muslims who have the physical and financial ability should perform the pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.
To Muslims, the Koran is the word of God, in which God expresses his will for mankind. The word Qur’an comes from the Arabic word meaning recitation. It governs the whole of a Muslim’s life, as it describes and tells how a Muslim is to live his life. It sets out the duties of parents towards their children, of masters to their servants and of the rich to the poor.
•Central Teachings of Islam
• Belief in one God who is the creator of the entire universe. He is the only one all powerful, all-knowing God.
• Belief in God’s messenger, Muhammad – the last of the messengers of God.
• Forbids idol worship and manifestation of human or animal figures.
• There will be a Last Judgment during which all humanity will be raised to life and appear before Allah to be judged.
• Belief in God’s messenger, Muhammad – the last of the messengers of God.
• Forbids idol worship and manifestation of human or animal figures.
• There will be a Last Judgment during which all humanity will be raised to life and appear before Allah to be judged.
• Denounces consumption of alcohol and pork.
•Muhammad's Successors
After Muhammad’s death in 632 AD, no one could legitimately claim to be the next prophet of Islam. Relying on ancient tribal custom, the Muslim community elected as their leader Abu-Bakr, a loyal friend of Muhammad. In 632, Abu-Bakr became the first caliph a title that means “successor” or “deputy”.
“Rightly Guided” Caliphs Abu-Bakr and the next three elected caliphs – Umar, Uthman, and Ali – all had known Muhammad. They used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions as guides to leadership. For this, they are known as the “rightly guided” caliphs. Their rule was called a caliphate.
Abu-Bakr invoked jihad to encourage and justify the expansion of Islam.
The word jihad means “striving” and can refer to the inner struggle against evil. However, the word is also used in the Qur’an to mean an armed struggle against unbelievers.
The word jihad means “striving” and can refer to the inner struggle against evil. However, the word is also used in the Qur’an to mean an armed struggle against unbelievers.
When Abu-Bakr died in 634, the Muslim state controlled whole of Arabia. Under Umar, the second caliph, Muslim armies conquered Syria and lower Egypt, which were part of the Byzantine Empire. They also took parts of the Sassanid Empire.
•The Ummayyads
The Umayyads was the first great Muslim dynasty to rule the Empire of the Caliphate (AD 661-750), sometimes referred to as the Arab kingdom.
Under Abd al-Malik (reign 685-705), the Umayyad caliphate reached its peak. Muslim armies overran most of Spain in the west and invaded Mukran and Sind in India, while in Central Asia, they conquered Bukhara, Samarkand, Fergana, and Tashkent. In an extensive programme of Arabization, Arabic became the official state language; the financial administration of the empire was reorganized, with Arabs replacing Persian and Greek officials; and a new Arabic coinage replaced the earlier coins. Communications also improved with the introduction of a regular post service from Damascus to the provincial capitals, and architecture flourished.
Umayyads : The Umayyads was the first great Muslim dynasty to rule the Empire of the Caliphate (AD 661-750).
•Abbasid Dynasty
Islamic culture started to evolve under the Umayyads, but it grew to maturity in the first century of the Abbasid dynasty. To solidify power, Abbasids moved the capital of the empire in 762 to a newly created city, Baghdad, in central Iraq. The location on key trade routes gave the caliph access to trade goods, gold, and information about the far-flung empire. The Abbasids developed a strong bureaucracy to conduct the huge empire’s affairs. A treasury kept track of the money flow. A special department managed the business of the army. Diplomats from the empire were sent to courts in Europe, Africa, and Asia to conduct imperial business. To support this bureaucracy, the Abbasids taxed land, imports and exports, and non-Muslims’ wealth.
Under the Abbasid rulers, there was a significant growth of new towns and great wealth. These towns flourished due to trade in the seas. The Arab ships known as Dhows carried goods from Asia to Europe and Africa. All the profit got from trade was used to construct beautiful buildings, mosques, hospitals and schools. There was increase in handicraft production. In the cities artisans made furniture, glassware, jewellery and beautiful carpets which were exported.
Within a short span of 110 years, Islam had spread right from the Byzantine empire on the north east of the Mediterranean far into Spain and beyond.
Abbasid : An Arabic dynasty (750-1258) that expanded the Muslim empire. It was named for al-Abbas (566-652), paternal uncle of the prophet Muhammad.
•Spread of Islam Trade
After the 7th century AD, Arabia became the centre of trade and exchange of goods. Through these contacts, the Arabs came in touch with the cultures of Persia, Egypt, Romans, Greeks and Mesopotamia. Baghdad, the Arab capital, became a highly rich city. The Abbasids controlled the trade-routes through the Mediterranean sea, which linked Europe with India and China. Later, the Ottomans imposed many restrictions on the Europeans for trade. Until 1453, trade remained fully in the hands of the Arabs. The items traded included honey and furs from Russia, slaves and ivory from Africa and silk, jewels and spices from the East. All these were traded through the Arab routes. Through these trade contacts also Islam was introduced in the countries with which the Arabs and Turks traded.
•Impact of Islam on Literature
As Arabic became the official language, it replaced Greek throughout the middle East and Persia. Persian language also came to be associated with Islam. It continued to retain its hold.
Amongst the first, passionate patrons of learning may be counted the names of Abbasid Caliphs. They got translated the Greek and the Indian literary works of religion, science, philosophy and medicine into Arabic. In this process, the Indian decimal place notation system and '0' (zero) passed into the Arab hands. This was later on fully developed and used by the Europeans. Thus, the concept of zero and the decimal system and the numerals were learnt by the world from India through the Arabs.
•Islamic Architecture
Islamic architecture has a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures within the sphere of Islamic culture. It is quite different from that of the Romans and the Greeks.
The principal architectural types of Islamic architecture are ; the Mosque, the Tomb, the Palace and the Fort.
• Islamic buildings are characterised by tall, wide archways, pointed onion domes and spacious well-lit rooms.
• The Muslims introduced minars, minarets, arches, domes, geometrical patterns, window screens and
the impressive half-domed portals.
• They also introduced the use of concrete and mortar.
• They also used white marble liberally along with the red stone.
• Natural scenery, creepers, trees, beasts and birds were painted on the buildings to beautify them.
• Gold, silver, diamonds, jewels and stones of various colours were set in the walls and mosaic work.
• The Muslims introduced minars, minarets, arches, domes, geometrical patterns, window screens and
the impressive half-domed portals.
• They also introduced the use of concrete and mortar.
• They also used white marble liberally along with the red stone.
• Natural scenery, creepers, trees, beasts and birds were painted on the buildings to beautify them.
• Gold, silver, diamonds, jewels and stones of various colours were set in the walls and mosaic work.
• The Muslims planted beautiful gardens around their tombs to make them attractive.
• They also started raising minarets in the mosques.
• Islamic architecture borrows heavily from Persian architecture.
• The Taj Mahal (also "The Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic architectural styles.
• Calligraphic design is omnipresent in Islamic art, and is usually expressed in a mix of Quranic verses and historical proclamation.
• Islamic architecture borrows heavily from Persian architecture.
• The Taj Mahal (also "The Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic architectural styles.
• Calligraphic design is omnipresent in Islamic art, and is usually expressed in a mix of Quranic verses and historical proclamation.
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