ASR100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Hijri Year, Deakin University, Gabriel
Deakin University ASR100 Trimester Two 2017
Week Ten: Islam I - History, Beliefs and Practices
Overview
• The youngest of the world religions
• Second largest religion in the world: 24.1% (2015), on the rise
• Isla eas suissio o suede
• Allah is the Arabic word for God
• Followers of Isla ae alled Muslis liteall oe ho suits to Allah
• Continues the Abrahamic tradition: monotheistic religion - strict monotheism
• Ke figue is Pophet Muhaad, ho is elieed to e the fial pophet seal of the
pophets
• the last of the series of prophets sent by God, who included Adam, Abraham, Moses,
and Jesus
• Idea that Allah sends down a different prophet for different ages/communities; we
are in the age of Muhammad
• Language: classical Arabic
• Tets: Qua, Hadith
The Life of Muhammad
• Born 570 CE in Mecca, Arabia
• From a respected/noble merchant family, but orphaned and illiterate, raised by an uncle,
became a merchant then married a wealthy widow, Khadija
• Meccans were mainly polytheists and animists or totemists
• 610 CE meditating in a cave on Mt Hira he has the first of a series of revelations – the Night of
Poe
• The angel Jibreel (Gabriel) appears and commands him recite iaa = recite, read) the
words Allah delivers
• He does ot see God o hea Gods oie, athe he spontaneously recites words from God
Read! In the name of your Lord who created -created man from a clot. Read: for your
Lord is Most Bountiful, who teaches by the pen, teaches man that which he knew not.
(96: 1-5)
• The experience of revelation leaves Muhammad fearful and confused
• ‘ole of Khadija ad Khadijas ousi
• Muhammad starts preaching a new monotheism in Mecca:Allah is the only God, the dead will
resurrect, and Allah will judge all. This is pool eeied ad his ule potets hi fo
hostility. Exile.
• Revelations continued frequently for the rest of his life, these are soon after written down as
the Qua: ‘eited ad eoised his opaios ad itte do
• Hijrah – 622CE Muhammad invited to become ruler of Yathrib (Medina), so flees Mecca and
migrates to Medina.
• Muslim calendar AH, anno hegirae – ea of Hijah. Pesetl it is AH. “ept is e
year.
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Deakin University ASR100 Trimester Two 2017
• Pivotal event as it marks the emergence of Islam as a community that is a political-religious
entity under God, the Ummah.
• The Medinans were a mixture of Jewish and Christian: Seen as natural allies (and some
convert), but also some conflict
• Muhammad attacks and takes Mecca with a Medinan army, and by his death in 632 CE most of
Arabia is Islamic
• Muslims understand Muhammad as fully human - not divine - and the ultimate role model of
living to please God and benefit humankind
Caliphs
• Caliph = successor or leader; caliphate = territory
• Muhaads sos died i ifa ad ol a daughte Fatia suied he fathe
• The community selets a lose fied of Muhaads ad fathe of his seod ife Au Bak
as the first caliph (632-634). Islam expands beyond Arabia at this time.
• The next 3 caliphs (634-661 CE) were also friends or both friend and relative to Muhammad
• Ali was the 4th caliph 656 and 661 CE. Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad
• The caliphate then becomes hereditary rather than elected or agreed by the community
• The caliphate existed in a series of dynasties for nearly 1300 years
• Last caliph Abdülmecid II; position abandoned in 1924 upon dissolution of Turkish Ottoman
Empire.
Sunni and Shi'a
• “ui ad “hia ae the ajo deoiatios of Isla
• The two split over succession in the early caliphate:
• “hia Muslis do ot eogise the legitia of the fist aliphs, as they held that only a
blood relative of Muhammad could be his rightful successor – i.e. Ali
• The majority of Muslims (85%-90%, about 950 million people) are Sunni
• Sunni Muslims are the majority in most Asian, African and other Muslim communities
• Indonesia has the largest number of Sunni Muslims in the world (followed by Pakistan)
• “hia is doiat i Ia ad Ia
• There are major theological differences between the two, differences of practices, traditions
and customs (particularly on Islamic law) as well as considerable conflicts between the
communities
The Qur'an
• The sacred text of Islam
• Liteall the eadig o the eitatio, held to
eapsulate Gods ill fee of distotio
• Unalterable, eternal, absolute, irrevocable
• The Qua eeied Muhammad is believed to be
a op of the eteal Qua isied i heae
• Written down / compiled in the reign of the first caliph
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Document Summary
Week ten: islam i - history, beliefs and practices. The life of muhammad: born 570 ce in mecca, arabia. Po(cid:449)e(cid:396)(cid:863: the angel jibreel (gabriel) appears and commands him (cid:862)recite(cid:863) (cid:894)(cid:862)i(cid:395)(cid:396)aa(cid:863) = recite, read) the words allah delivers, he does (cid:374)ot see god o(cid:396) hea(cid:396) god(cid:859)s (cid:448)oi(cid:272)e, (cid:396)athe(cid:396) he spontaneously recites words from god. In the name of your lord who created -created man from a clot. Arabia is islamic: muslims understand muhammad as fully human - not divine - and the ultimate role model of living to please god and benefit humankind. Islam expands beyond arabia at this time: the next 3 caliphs (634-661 ce) were also friends or both friend and relative to muhammad, ali was the 4th caliph 656 and 661 ce. Cousin and son-in-law of muhammad: the caliphate then becomes hereditary rather than elected or agreed by the community, the caliphate existed in a series of dynasties for nearly 1300 years.
