The Islamic World
From Medieval Wiki
A Page By: Sir Harrison Sabella and Monsieur Xavi Donobedian
"Unlike Christianity, which preached a peace that it never achieved, Islam unashamedly came with a sword." -Steven Runciman
Contents |
Islamic Food and Drink
The food in the Islamic World was hard to come by. There were many foods that Islamic people were not allowed to eat. This food was called Haraam, (Hah-rahm). But food was not the only thing that Islam's were not allowed to eat. Alcohol was considered haraam, as well.
The animal that the Islamic people really did not like were pigs. Pigs were the most "unwanted" animal of Islamic people, next to apes. In exchange for pigs, they replaced the them with sheep and goats. Sheep and goats were a good solution, that is, until they began to destroy the forests. This eventually lead to the forests becoming bare hill sides and with very few shrubs. Jews and the Muslims hated each other, so the Muslims considered the Jews to be pigs and sometimes even apes. An important Islamic change in food was that people began growing and eating more citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, which had mainly been grown in India and China before their time. This may have helped a lot with getting enough Vitamin C, which before people had gotten from wine vinegar and cabbages mainly.
By the end of the Medieval Islamic period, many people began to drink coffee. Coffee was considered a religious experience for the Muslims and it was imported from Eastern Africa.
To learn a little more about Food and Drink in gerneral during the Middle Ages, please visit a page by Nora and Tess called Food and Drink
The Ancient Religion of Islam
The Islamic Religion played a large role in the Medieval Era, especially in the Middle Eastern countries. Islam originated from teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. Muslims believe that god, which they call Allah, (All-ahh), told prophet Muhammed the fundimentals of Islam. Then, Muhammed preached Islam to the world and "opened their eyes". Muhammad was born in an Arabian trading village called Mecca. At the time of his birth, it was about 570 BC. Later, specifically when he was 40 years of age, an angel came down to Muhammad and told him he was prophet from the line of Moses, Jesus, and Abraham. This was the biggest changing point in his life. Muhammad began to create a religion called Islam. He at once had many followers that were very loyal to Muhammad. More and more people began to convert to the Islamic religion, including many Arabic tribes. Islam quickly progressed and around 650 AD, Islam was already violently divided into two major parts. Most Muslims were Sunnis, but about 10-15% of them were Shiites. The two groups shared basic religious beleifs, but the conflicts between them were great.
The differences between the Sunni and Shiite Islamic groups are traced back to the disagreements over the successor to the Prophet Muhammad, who died in 632 AD, and over the overall nature of political leadership in the Muslim community. The historic debate centered on whether to award leadership to a qualified individual who would lead by following the customs of the Prophet or to preserve the leadership exclusively through the Prophet’s bloodline, (his family and/or relitives). The question was settled initially when community leaders elected a close companion of the Prophet’s named Abu Bakr to become the first *Caliph (Arabic for “successor”). Although most Muslims accepted this decision, some supported the candidacy of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, husband of the Prophet’s daughter Fatima. Ali had played a prominent role during the Prophet’s lifetime, but he lacked the connections within the Arabian tribal system and was passed over as the immediate successor.
The main beliefs that the Sunnis and the Shiites shared were something like these:
-Allah wanted you to only believe in him, no other God.
-Allah wanted you to pray to him five times a day, facing toward his most holy place at Mecca[1], in the Arabian Peninsula.
-Allah wanted you to give to the poor.
-Allah wanted you to make a trip to Mecca sometime in your lifetime (called the Haj).
-Allah wanted you to fast (not eat during the daytime) during Ramadan, the holy month.
Here is a link for an ancient Islamic prayer called Allahu Akbar.
All in all, Muhammad left a great impression on the Muslims and soon became one of their greatest leaders.
Discoveries and Achievements
During their reign, Muslims had many contributions and achievements.
The Muslims greatest achievements were in Medicine and Health. The words of Muhammad inspired Muslim scientists to find cures. Muhammad once said "Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease, namely old age." The Muslims also made it very important to have good hygiene. This was due to religious beliefs, such as the words of Muhammad. Kings took religion very seriously and proceeded to build hospitals through out the region. With theses hospitals being built, many of the lower class people began to seek help. The hospitals welcomed them with open arms and took very good care. Regardless of there financial well-being, hospitals did not demand money. They rarely wanted money from patients. Due to good research, the entire world benefited.
The next most valued achievements of the Muslims came in education. During the reign of the Islamic Empire, Europe went through a period called the Dark Ages, but the Muslims did not want to be effected by this. They decided to establish a period of time of greatness. It was later that it was named as the Golden Age.
Muslims began by looking at many scripts and articles written by the Greeks and other cultures. They began to translate the information. Once it was translated, The Islamic Empire began to flourish. The Muslims began to develop libraries and universities. People came from all over the Islamic World to begin studying. The knowledge of the Muslims later came to help the Europeans during a period called the European Renaissance
Wars and Battles
The Islamic Empire was envolved with many wars during their reign. One of the greatest and most important wars that the Muslims were a part of was the First Crusade.
The First Crusade was started because of the political and religious situation of Christianity and Islam in Europe and the Middle East. The Crusaders, (soilders that fought to preserve and spread Christianity), were sent to the Muslim lands to take back what they thought was rightfully theirs.
After the battles with England and France, the Normans were stronger than ever. However, they were not satisfied. They began to ponder on the idea of recreating the entire Roman Empire. But they had even more reason for this. They wanted to take all of the power away from the Islamic Fatimids (fa-tim-ids) ruling Jerusalum. People began to think too.
In 1095, a man by the name of Pope Urban gave a speech encouraging many people to join the crusade. The speech was uplifting. The people cheered. Even women and children wanted to join the crusade. Then it began. People from all over the Norman Empire began to join the crusades. Some people were so excited, that they went before the main group was even organized. But everyone had high expectations. They believed that the walls of Jerusalem were going to be knocked down by god, so they felt no need to bring weapons or even money!
This was to much of a task for the Normans to handle. Many grew hungry and died on the way. With out any money for food or shelter, they died very quickly. One group that had gone a little later in time had heard about the deaths and stopped in Germany to fight the Jews. Thousand were killed. Finally, the main group left for Jerusalem in 1096. When they got there, they were surprised to see that things were very civilized in Jerusalem. They had many advancements such as Islamic Medicine and hot baths. But they still decided to fight. The Fatimids and the Normans both made many mistakes in there fighting. In the end, the Normans won and took over Jerusalem. So therefore, the Normans took back what they thought was rightfully theirs.
The Muslims fought in another war, the war between the Sassanids and the Romans. They fought on various sides throughout the war, and of course the Romans eventually won.
The followers of Muhammad were told to go and fight the Romans and Sassanids. They began to fight as instructed. Their goal was to convert the Romans and Sassanids to the Islamic Religion. They were very successful. Soon after the death of Muhammad, they controlled most of Western Asia. Then they proceeded to conquer Egyptsoon afterwards. These were the most successful series of wars that the Muslims fought.
But by 800 AD, the Islamic Empire began to collapse. The region became a series of smaller kingdoms or, as they called them, caliphates (kal-if-fates). The end of the Islamic Empire was officially about 1000 AD, when the Normans conquered Jerusalem.
To learn more about the Crusades, please visit this page called The Crusades by Cyrus and Conor.
The Golden Age
The Golden Age of Islam was a time of prosperity and knowledge. The scholars and scientists had many achievements during this time. The Golden Age took place from approximately 750 to 1050 A.D. There were many achievements later in time, but the Golden Age was the best period for mathematics and science. Without the Muslim achievements at this time, much of the learning from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt would have been lost forever.
Muhammad had always been a big believer in learning. He is quoted to have said "Seek learning even as far as China". Many people stuck true to this. Muhammad was also very interested in science. He once said "For every disease, Allah has given a cure,". The words of Muhammad encouraged many people, and many of them became scientists and very good students. This attitude towards learning was the reason why The Golden Age was created.
Here are some more Hadith, (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), which encouraged learning:
"He who pursues the road of knowledge Allah will direct to the road of Paradise... The brightness of a learned man compared to that of a mere worshiper is like that of a the full moon compared to all the stars.... Obtain knowledge; its possessor can distinguish right from wrong; it shows the way to Heaven; it befriends us in the desert and in solitude, and when we are friendless; it is our guide to happiness; it gives us strength in misery; it is an ornament to friends, protection against enemies.... The scholar's ink is holier than the martyr's blood.... Seeking knowledge is required of every Muslim...."
Another reason for the Golden Age was the development of paper. Paper was invented by the Chinese thousands of years before that. Paper was first produced in Baghdad. They produced the paper in factories called Paper Mills. The development of paper lead to the creation of books, making it easier to learn and write. This was one of the reasons why the Golden Age had very good education.
During the Golden Age, Islam experienced the Agricultural Revolution. With an amazing economy, the farmers were able to import many foreign fruits and vegetables. They imported things such as citrus fruits, rice, mangos, and sugar cane. They were distributed throughout the Islamic Empire. People had much more of a choice. This also helped with better health. This lead to to major changes in economy. As a result of the prosperous economy, income, population levels, diets, cooking and even into regular life. As I mentioned before, the Muslims imported sugar cane, a highly useful ingredient. The Muslims were the first to build sugar refineries and sugar plantations.
Before the Agricultural Revolution, field were only picked about once or twice a year. But during the Agricultural Revolution, things changed. Muslims introduced cash cropping and the modern crop rotation system where land was cropped four or more times in a two-year period. The Muslims developed a scientific approach to agriculture based on three major elements; sophisticated systems of crop rotation, highly developed irrigation techniques, and the introduction of a large variety of crops. This was a huge achievement for the Muslims and one of the best advancements in Medieval Technology.
The Muslims had many achievements in the Golden Age. It was one of the most powerful and prosperous times in history. Later, the Golden Age became known as the Islamic Renaissance.
Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad was born in the month of Rabi' al-awwal, (the 3rd month of the Islamic calander), in 570 AD, but many resent findings have led many to think that is was more like 568 AD, or 569 AD . He was part of the Banu Hashim, one of the major families of Mecca, although it seems not to have been prosperous during Muhammad's early lifetime.
Muhammad's father, Abdullah, died almost six months before he was born.
According to the tradition, soon after Muhammad's birth he was sent to live with a Bedouin family in the desert, becuase the desert-life was considered healthier for babies. Muhammad stayed with his foster-mother, Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb, and her husband until he was two years old. At the age of six, Muhammad's mother Amina died due to illness and he became fully orphaned. He was brought up for two years under the guardianship of his paternal grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, of the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe. When he was eight years-old his grandfather also died. Muhammad now came under the care of his uncle Abu Talib, the new leader of Banu Hashim. According to Watt, because of the general disregard of the guardians in taking care of the weak members of the tribes in Mecca in sixth century, "Muhammad's guardians saw that he did not starve to death, but it was hard for them to do more for him, especially as the fortunes of the clan of Hashim seem to have been declining at that time."
While still in his teens, Muhammad began accompanying his uncle on trading journeys to Syria, gaining some experience in commercial careers; the only career open to Muhammad as an orphan. According to the tradition, when Muhammad was either nine or twelve while accompanying the Meccans' caravan to Syria, he met a Christian Monk or hermit named Bahira who is said to have foreseen the career of Muhammed as a prophet of God.
Little is known about Muhammad in his later childhood, and from the fragments of information that are available, it is hard to separate history from legend. It is known that he became a merchant and "was involved in trade between the Indian ocean and the Mediterranean Sea." Due to his upright character he acquired the nickname Al-Amin, meaning "faithful, trustworthy" and was sought out as an "impartial arbitrator". His reputation attracted a proposal from Khadijah, a forty-year-old widow in 595. Muhammad consented to the marriage, which by all accounts was a happy one.
At some point Muhammad adopted the practice of meditating alone for several weeks every year in a cave on Mount Hira near Mecca. Islamic tradition says that in one of his visits to the Mount Hira, the angel Gabriel began communicating with him here in the year 610 and commanded Muhammad to recite many verses.
According to some traditions, upon receiving his first revelations Muhammad was deeply distressed and contemplated throwing himself off the top of a mountain but the spirit moved closer and told him that he has been chosen as a messenger of God. Shia tradition maintains that Muhammad was neither surprised nor frightened at the appearance of Gabriel but welcomed him as if he had been expecting him instead. The initial revelation was followed by a pause of three years during which Muhammad gave himself up further to prayers and spiritual practices. When the revelations resumed he was reassured and commanded to begin preaching.
According to the Qur'an, "one of the main roles of Muhammad is to warn the unbelievers of their punishments. Muhammad is not only a warner to those who reject God's words, but also a bearer of good news for those who abandon evil, listen to the divine word and serve God." Muhammad's mission also involves preaching monotheism: The Qur'an demands Muhammad to proclaim and praise the name of his Lord and instructs him not to worship idols apart from God or associate other deities with God.
This eventually led to the quick spread of Islam and started many highs and low for the Middle East during the Medieval times. Many new lives followed, but also many painful deaths.
Xavi and Harry's Amazing Original Drawings
Please enjoy our very own original drawings of things we felt well represent the Islamic World. We both tried to give a lot of effort!
Thank You for reading our page! If you have any furthur questions, please contact either Xavi or Harry. Feel free to use the discussion section to pose questions. Also, feel free to look at any other page that may have the information, that might save us some time.
Thanks again!
X and H.
Xavi: angusyoung1234@gmail.com
Harry: a7xguitarplaya@gmail.com
Bibliography
Websites:
-Bartel, Nick. "Medieval Islam Cultures". Horace Mann Middle School. 11/5/08
<http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Education/Education.html>.
-Carr, Karen. "The Islamic World". Portland State University. 12/5/08
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/islam/food/index.htm>.
-Carr, Karen. ""The Islamic World"". Portland State University. 12/5/08
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/islam/economy/index.htm>.
-Bartel, Nick. "Medieval Islam Cultures". Horace Mann Middle School. 12/3/08
<http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Medicine/Medicine_and_Health.html>.
Books:
Langley, Andrew. Medieval Life. New York City: DK Publishing Inc., 2004
Sourdel, Dominique. Medieval Islam. New York: Routledge, 1983.
Becchio, Bruno. "Islam". Encyclopedia of World Religions. Concord: Concord Publishing, 2006.
Articles:
Sills, David. "Islam". Gale 2005.
