The Favorability of the Social and Religious Situation in Arabia around 600 AD Toward the Rise of Islam
At first glance, the chances of unifying Pre-Islamic Arabia under one
religion looked so remote, it could almost be declared impossible, in
the opinion of Patricia Crone, a studier of Pre-Islamic Arabia and the
rise of Islam. The people of Arabia had such weak inter-tribal
relations that the region was not even unified under one governing
body, and its people were divided up into tribes which consisted of
only a few families. However, upon closer examination, one can find
some factors of society which were favorable to the rise of one
religion, and several of the Christian tribes living in the region
were fairly certain that within a few centuries the whole of the
region would become Christian (Crone). It was not Christianity that
succeeded in unifying the region but an entirely new generation. Yet
according to other sources, such as the historian Phillip Hitti, the
region could not have been a more favorable region for the birthplace
for Islam.
Firstly, to understand the reason that the Arabs chose to live under
Islam rather than any other religion, we must first understand that
these people were not ones open to foreign ideas. The region was
difficult to penetrate due to its harsh climate and the isolation of
the different tribes; the Sassanians and the Byzantines, the two
prevailing hegemonies of the time, could not have conquered it even if
they were interested. The Arab was not open to foreign ideas due to
the fact that very little foreigners were able to penetrate the harsh
climate upon which the Bedouins had adapted to. So the Arabs would
have only trusted an idea that came from their own people, from inside
their own region. The Prophet was one of their tribesmen and he
understood their culture and way of life, and that was a factor which
played to his benefit. To the Bedouin, a kinsman was of his same
blood, and that relationship was highly praised in which a man
The town of Mecca was the birthplace of Islam, at first the leaders of the city refused the changing of this new religion and forced Muhammad to leave. Muhammad returned and preached to the people about what he had heard, that there is only one god. Islam spread quickly for two main reasons they are the message and military conquest.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, no one imagined that the next great world power would emerge from Saudi Arabia. Especially, because ancient empires thought that the land was worthless but they didn’t know that it had great trade routes. Trade brought them in connection with other civilizations and that’s how the city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia became known. The city of Mecca was a mix of religious beliefs, they used to worship many gods and had their own rituals. The world of Islam took place in Mecca where Muhammad was born in 570 CE. He became known as “the Prophet,” he was meant to be God’s final prophet. The main two groups of Islam are the Shia and Sunni; which they were created after Muhammad’s death. The Islam religion as
Although there are many religious in history, Islam is one of the quickest spreading in the Middle East. According to Document A, cultural diffusion helped advance the religion of Islam. For example, the city of Mecca was the center of trade, which meant there were many trade routes connected to Mecca. Some trade routes travelled farther away, like to India or China and Islam's culture and religion grew from all the trading. Document B explains that Islam spread so quickly because the laws from their God appealed to many. In other words, the laws of the Muslim community were fair, wanted people to be kind not evil, told followers their property would not be stolen or destroyed and also promised them afterlife in paradise. People that were not
There are few events that have affected world history as profoundly as the battles and expeditions between 632 and 720, and everyone lives with those consequences to the present day. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the death of Islam was very possible. The Arab conquests were remembered merely as one of the history’s more improbable “might-have-beens”. It may easily have been the end, if not for the decisive action taken by the early Muslim leadership, notably by the first two caliphs (or successors of the Prophet). Like Muhammad himself, they were from urban commercial backgrounds, but they saw clearly that the Muslim community had to expand or break up.
4. Hitti, Philip K.. Capital cities of Arab Islam. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1972. [Document 2]
Hilāl, ʻAlī Al-Dīn. Islamic Resurgence in the Arab World. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print.
Burns, Thomas J. "Islam." Religion and Society. OU Campus' Dale Hall, Norman. 14 Apr. 2014. Lecture.
The Muslim Empire began to expand vastly under the Umayyads, with the empire becoming so large many people were converting to Islam religion. The Umayyads were the second of the four major caliphates after the death of Muhammad. The Empire used many different ways to spread the Islamic civilization consisting of war, classes, and appeal. The Islamic civilization spread so strongly because of the way it allured the common man.
In contrast to the imperial world, Arabia was primarily pastoral, pagan, home to camps and oases, and politically fragmented. The Byzantines and Sasanians interventions in Arabia connected the region furthermore to the empires. The “diffusion of Judaism, Christianity, and Gnosticism in Arabia” made the region part of the Hellenistic empires (A History of Islamic Societies, 26). Commerce brought economic competition, social conflict, and “moral confusion.” Commercial activities intensified social stratification on the basis of wealth and “morally inassimilable discrepancies between individual interests and clan loyalty” (A History of Islamic Societies, 31).
The culture of Islam has its positive aspects, as well as its negative aspects. Islam bestowed many unfortunate people the opportunity to gain more knowledge about their surroundings, and the adversities that they may face on a daily basis. Islam also created alliances, and trade contracts with other surrounding countries, allowing them to receive resources that other religions and groups could not envisage. However, to gain these privileges, Islam had to first fester the lives of many civilians that dared step in its path. Islam not only ruined the lives of people, but it ruined whole kingdoms. Many people felt an...
Islam is a major world religion. Its origin can be traced back to 610 CE in Arabia. The basis of this religion is the revelations to the prophet Mohammad. Dissatisfied with his life, he traveled to deserts, hills, and the wilderness surrounding Mecca, where he lived, to meditate and reflect. He became a new man through his revelations, which many of his followers believe Allah transmitted to him through his angel Gabriel. Islam was originally an Arab religion, but many different beliefs and practices were added to it, making it extremely popular and aiding in its rapid spread. This new religion spread to many different areas surrounding Arabia, both under Mohammad and after his death. The Muslim Empire grew to encompass Spain and the Eastern Roman Empire as well Persia and Africa. Many different practices and methods were used to spread Islam. The religion itself was appealing to, in addition to the inhabitants of Arabia, other people in the surrounding areas because of its distinct religious beliefs and practices, such as the five pillars, as well as the humility and prayerfulness of the Islamic people. They fought cruel, vicious wars with their enemies. Many different things motivated the warriors to expand, but above all, the riches they would gain from the people of the Fertile Crescent encouraged them to expand.
The world you once knew is falling to ashes and food is become such a scarcity that people are fighting over a few pieces of bread. The political class is too busy fighting among themselves to care for anyone else. Children are roaming the streets and begging for work to feed their dying, hungry stomachs. This is not a scene from a horror movie, but rather the reality of the beginning of post classical era. In these times of hardship the people turned to a higher power, which resulted in a religious boom. The main religion during the post classical era that had the greatest impact on people was Islam due to Muhammad, trade routes, the Black Plague, conquests and Islamic culture.
The Fatimid’s had been rumored to be tolerant, compassionate and focused on unifying Islam; however, it has been proved that this was not always the case. Orientalists have acknowledged their contribution towards the advancement of Islam and claim that the Christian and Jewish communities excelled during this time; but it did not come without its deceptions and deviations from Islamic norms and rules. This historiography will explore whether the Fatimids were actually the tolerant Muslims whose actions, belief systems and practices evidenced the growth of Islam and tolerance of other religions, or if they were merely politi...
Lane, Edward William. Arabian Society in the Middle Ages. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1971.
During Muhammad’s time, he united many areas in Arabia and was able to establish a religious communi...