Analysis of the Historical Characteristics of Islam before 1500 C.E.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world. As of 2000, the number of Muslims in the world was estimated to be more than 1.2 billion people or 22% of the world’s population (Strayer, 2011). Islam is gaining more adherents and spreading to various parts of the world that were hitherto considered as being exclusive to certain religions. In the United States for instance, there are more than 1,200 mosques in which more than 8 million American Muslims worship (Strayer, 2011). With such a strong presence in the world it is important to review the historical characteristics of Islam before 1500 C.E. with a bid to gain more understanding of this popular religion.
Islam was started in the early 600 C.E. in a marginal region that is in present day Mecca. The religion was founded by Prophet Muhammad (570-632 C.E) who is reported to have received divine revelations from God. He preached to people in Mecca urging them to stop polytheism (the worship of many gods) and to worship one God whom he called Allah (Strayer, 2011). The Arabian Peninsula where Islam originated was home to nomadic communities called Bedouins. These people were divided into fiercely independent tribes and clans. They worshipped a variety of gods. Mecca was a vital trading centre and Kaaba was the most revered religious shrine. The Quraysh tribe controlled both the trade and the pilgrimage. Muhammad urged Meccans to embrace brotherhood and live as one big and loving family (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009).
Islam grew by borrowing aspects from other religions. In those days, Arabia was on the edge of the Sassanid and the Byzantine empires and therefore the Arabs borrowed some practices from these empires (Strayer, 2011). These practises included Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity. Bravmann & Rippin, (2009) assert that when Prophet Muhammad began preaching he converted many Arabians to acknowledge one supreme god (Allah) whom they increasingly identified as Yahweh which means “I Am the One” .
Islam and the holy book of Quran are based on the revelations of Prophet Muhammad. The prophet who is said to have been orphaned at a young age rose to become a prosperous merchant. He withdrew from people for lengthy periods of time in order to meditate and it is then that he received divine revelations (Strayer, 2011). These revelations are recorded in the Quran. Besides urging people to practise monotheism (worship one god), Prophet Muhammad urged the people to worship in line with the pure, old religion of Abraham (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009). The Abrahamic religion was anchored on submission to God and in fact, the word Muslim means “one who submits” (Strayer, 2009).
Early Islam was also characterised by a society that is based on social justice, care for others and equality (Strayer, 2011). This was encompassed in a principle called Umma. In order to ensure compliance with the principles, the prophet came up with the five pillars of Islam. These are: profession “there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of God”, praying five times a day, fasting during the month of Ramadhan, giving to the needy and pilgrimage or visiting Mecca (hajj) (Strayer, 2011).
Islam transformed Arabia. When Muhammad started to attract crowds of people, there was opposition from Meccan elites. Muhammad migrated to Yathrib or Medina in what is today celebrated as hijra (Strayer, 2011). In Medina, Muhammad created Umma or a community of people who he referred to as Muslims. There was large-scale conversion of Judaists and people of other religions to Islam. Military alliances led to successes and the formation of the Arab empire (Strayer, 2011).
Islam grew as a strong and aggressive religion that was not characterised by persecution. Muhammad was a military, religious and political leader. Strayer (2011) asserts that there was no distinction between civil law and region and all Muslims were to follow one supreme law-sharia. This foundation led to the formation of the Arab empire which encompassed the entire or parts of Roman/Byzantine, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Persian and Indian civilizations (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009). Almost everyone in the Arab empire converted to Islam leading to a rapid spread of the Arabic culture and language.
Expansion of Islam was also characterised by the early Arabic conquests. The religion acted as a uniting factor. A “sixth” pillar of Islam, Jihad which encouraged Muslims to engage in armed struggle against what they considered evil or unbelief was also introduced (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009). Arabs conquered the Sassanid Empire in the 650s, parts of France and Spain in 700 C.E. and defeated the Chinese at the battle of Talas River in 751 (Strayer, 2011). This battle ended the quest of the Chinese to expand westwards and ensured the conversion of Turks to Islam. The reasons for conquering new areas were to acquire economic prosperity, to hold Umma together and to ensure that Islam brought a righteous government to the people (Strayer, 20110. In the period between 600-1500 C.E. Muslims were not deemed to be destructive people. Arab soldiers were confined to garrison towns while he local elites were also allowed onto the ruling of the empire to pacify the conquests (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009).
In the period before 1500 C.E. conversion to Islam was characterised by “social conversion”. Coverts were expected to show love, care and concern to their neighbours and they were not expected to undergo deep spiritual change (Strayer, 2011). There was amicable kinship between Islam and other religions which made it attractive. Islamic states provided incentives for those people who got converted to Islam. They for instance did not have to Jizya-a kind of tax, they were favoured in businesses, they could get slaves and they were generally helped to climb up the social ladder (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009).
People in certain area resisted conversion to Islam. These included the Berbers of North Africa, Persian Zoroastrians and Spanish Christians. However, in other areas people got converted in their masses! 80% of Persians got converted between 750 and 900 C.E., while Egypt, Iraq and almost the entire of North Africa and Middle East got massive converts adopting Muslim Culture and the Arabic language in totality (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009).
There were some division during the formative years of Islam. Central to the divisions was the issue of selecting a successor (Caliph) to Muhammad-. The first four caliphs were Muhammad’s companions. Caliphs Ali and Uthman were assassinated and there was a civil war in 656 C.E. (Strayer, 2011). This led to the split of Islam into two groups Sunni and the Shia. Among the Sunni, Caliphs are recognized as rightful military and political leaders who are popularly chosen by the people. Among the Shia, caliphs are leaders who should be blood relatives of Muhammad or descendants of his sons Ali and Husayn (Strayer, 2011). Over the years, Caliphs became unquestionable monarchs. Bravmann and Rippin, (2009) highlight the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750) as a strong dynasty that was characterised by hereditary rulers, Arab military aristocracy and un-equal treatment of non-Arab Muslims.
In the period prior to 1500 C. E., the identity of being a Muslim was also adequately defined. This definition was to be found in Sharia laws. The law addressed aspects of social and religious life. Strayer (2011) asserts that Sharia laws were to be taught in schools right from the time people attained cognitive age. At spiritual levels, both men and women were equals while socially, the Quran viewed women as subordinates to men (Strayer, 2011). This was especially so in marriages. The Quran, however, did grant women some control over property, limited rights to inheritance, banned female infanticide and gave women right to choose marriage partners (Bravmann & Rippin, 2009).
Islam as a faith gas been basically held together by strong beliefs and practices which are passed on from one generation to another. Towards the end of 1500 C.E., the Islamic word embraced nearly all or significant aspects of Afro-Eurasian civilizations leading to “Global civilization”. Today, Islamic civilization and culture has continued to expand and flourish.
References
Bravmann, M. M., & Rippin, A. (2009). The spiritual background of early Islam: Studies in ancient Arab concepts. Leiden: Brill.
Strayer, R. W. (2011). Ways of the world: a brief global history with sources. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins.
