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Ismail
Adnan
Quraiysh
Qussaiy
Abdmanaf
Abdshams Hashem
Adbelmuttalib
Muhammad Ali
EGYPT
•Medinah
•Mecca
Dynasties
of the
South
Middle East, 7th Century
• An Arabian
dynasty
An Arabian
dynasty *
Islam, 610-632
• 571 Muhammad born in Mecca.
• 610 First revelation in the Harraa cave (27 Ramadan).
• 622 “Hijra”or Escape. Muhammad and followers escape prosecution
and go to Almadinah (Yathrib).
Year 1 in the Islamic calendar
‘Missionaries’ sent all over Arabia
– building peaceful coalition
• 629 Muhammad conquers Mecca peacefully (NO REVENGE)
destroys idols in Alqaaba.
single-handedly, brings peace to war-torn Arabia
• 632 Muhammad dies in Almadinah. Unmarked grave (his will)
Islam by the death of Mohammed 632
632-661: the Four Elected Successors (Caliphs)
Abu-Bakr - 632-634
• The first elected official. Wise leader, crisis manager
Omar Ibn Elkhattab - 634-644
• A first-rate statesman. Honest, modest and just.
• Conquered the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, Persia
Damascus (9 / 635) and Jerusalem (5 / 638) surrender peacefully
– Omar’s pledge to the Jerusalemites
• A modern state: Treasury, communication, defense. Engraved currency.
Othman bin Affan - 644-656
• Collected and compiled the Quran
• Emergence of power struggle
Ali Bin Abitalib - 656-661
• Power struggle escalated to armed conflict
• Emergence of political parties
• End of democracy. Ummayah Dynasty in Damascus, Muawyia (661-680)
Islam at 644, the year Omar died
The Ummayah Dynasty, 661-750
The Quran:
• Islam’s holy book, an inspired scripture. God’s word inspired to his messenger,
• 114 Chapters (chapter = Surah), 4 to >200 verses/chapter (verse = Aiyah)
• Confirms most narratives and prophets of the Jewish and Christian faiths
Special place for Virgin Mary, the only female (the Chapter of Mary)
• Allah is the word for God used by Christian and Muslim Arabs
God = Allah (Arabic) = Eluhim (Hebrew) = El (Aramaic)
• One and only one God, no trinity
• Arabic as the language of the Quran
The 'Five Pillars' of Islam
• Warfare is always evil. Sometimes you have to fight to avoid persecution. e.g.,
the one Mecca inflicted on early Muslims (2: 191; 2: 217), or to preserve decent
values (4: 75; 22: 40)
• Muslims may not begin hostilities
"Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits;
for Allah loves not transgressors." (2: 190).
– Notice: Defensive war, fight back
• Hostilities must be brought to an end as quickly as possible, and must cease the
minute the enemy sues for peace (2:192-3; 41:34)
• ‘Martyrdom’: Those killed during fighting or while doing civic duties (martyrs) are
promised a place in heaven (several passages, e.g., 2:154; 3:169-172)
• However, suicide is not allowed; it is forbidden and condemned (e.g., 6:151,
17:33, 25:68)
• One of my favorite Hadiths
'Do not attack a temple, a church, a synagogue. Do not bring a tree
or a plant down. Do not harm a horse or a camel’
Relation with other Faiths
• Like the Torah, the Quran permits retaliation eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
But, like the Gospels, it says “it is meritorious to forgo revenge in a spirit of charity
(5: 45)
• Acknowledges Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses,
David, Solomon, Zacharia, Jesus, John the paptist, and others as the “the good
prophets of God”
• A special place for Jesus and Mary (e.g., 3:45,46; 4:156-158; 19:1-98)
• Accepts that Mary’s conception is from God’s soul.
• Rejects the divinity of Jesus (no trinity).
• Jesus was not killed (e.g., 4:155-159; 5:17-19)
Relation with other Faiths