Discussion Questions
Although the Umayyads achieved great success during their reign, they never had the support of the whole empire. Cracks started emerging, especially for the newly conquered regions made up of Non-Arab Muslims. Most of their caliphs were not elected through popular vote nor were they elected by respected community leaders (Alkhateeb). Again, the Umayyads began losing the support of newly converted Muslims because of treating them differently from other Muslims (Alkhateeb). They treated them differently by imposing a tax, as though they were not converts. That was against the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, who preached equality of all the Muslims. Therefore, there was a need for a leadership that would continue with the message of equality among all the Muslims. The Abbasids took advantage of the growing discontent and organized a revolution that dislodged the Umayyads from power. They also claimed that a descendant of Caliph Ali had given them the right to rule (Alkhateeb). All these factors gave them the legitimacy required to rule the Muslim empire.
Meaning of the Term Abubakar and how it differed During the Rule of the Abbasids and the Rule of Abubakar
The term Khalifa simply means successor. However, the use of the term has changed over time. For example, Abubakar was the first Khalifa because he was Prophet Muhammad’s successor. Abubakar was recognized as Prophet Muhammad’s successor because he used to spend most of the time with the prophet. He was also someone who was well-versed with spiritual matters hence Muslim believers saw him as the Prophet’s anointed successor. With time, the term changed from spiritual leaders to political leaders. The political leaders, also known as caliphs, did not have the spiritual authority of the early Khalifas.
The issue of Prophet Muhammad’s successor divided believers into two. On the one hand, some of the believers were of the idea that the successor should be elected by the community. On the other hand, other believers were of the idea that the successor should come from the Prophet’s family. Abubakar had been elected because of spending most of the time with the Prophet. However, in the later years, that decision was faulted as some argued that the Prophet’s succession ought to be limited to the family. That was one of the factors that led to the rise of the Abbasids.
Could the Abbasid Caliphs Maintain the Religious Standards of Prophet Muhammad and the Early Caliphs?
It is not possible to rule an empire without the trappings of power. Initially, the Abbasids had promised to follow the moral standards set by Prophet Muhammad. The Abbasids had particularly criticized the Umayyads for their secular rule. Therefore, it was assumed that the Abbasids would deviate from the Umayyads by establishing a leadership that would uphold the moral standards set by Prophet Muhammad and the early caliphs. However, that was not the case because the Abbasids caliphs did not have the spiritual authority of the early Caliphs. What mattered most to them was the overthrow of the Umayyads from power. According to Al Barani, the early prophets had high moral standards because they lived at a time when the effects of Prophet Muhammad’s miracles were still visible. They could live in poverty and abstinence (214). However, if the later caliphs tried to maintain their empires following the example of Prophet Muhammad, they would not be able to manage them (Al Barani, 215). They would not be able to enforce authority by following the Prophet’s mode of dressing, and his general life (Al Barani, 215-216). It also notable that they had inherited an empire that was previously ruled by the Persians; therefore, there was no way the Abbasid rulers would maintain that empire without following some of the standards set by their predecessors.
For that reason, the Abbasid rulers could not rule without the trappings of power. They were in charge of a vast empire and some of the things they had to do in order to unite the empire could have been against the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. At some point, the Islamic rulers were destined to adopt some un-Islamic ways for the sake of the empire. For example, they had to build expansive palaces to show the might of their empire. They also had to change their mode of dressing in order to fit the status associated with being in charge of an empire. In addition, they had to make their subjects respect them and their rule, and therefore, sometimes that could be attained through intimidation and coercion.
Diffusion of Persian and Greek Culture into Muslim Civilization
Some of these things practiced by the Muslim empire had been adopted from Persian and Greek culture. With time, these cultural attributes diffused into the Muslim civilization and even beyond. A good example is the establishment of Beit El Hikma, commonly known as the House of Wisdom. This was a house that brought together many scholars, and it was responsible for generating many ideas associated with civilization.
Works Cited
Al Barani, Ziya Al di. The Dilemma of a Muslim Ruler.
Alkhateeb, Firas. "The Abbasid Revolution". Lost Islamic History. N.p., 2013. Web. 10 Apr.
2016.
Sowerwine, James E. "Caliph and Caliphate". Oxford Bibliographies Online s n. pag.
Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
