HIST 203 Lecture Outline (Fall 2015 – Week 6)

Week 6: Tuesday

The Islamic World

Chanting of Surah Rahman (22:36 min.):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hod05lHgsMg

Islamic call to prayer (8:16 min.):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAvlimEYEpQ

Beliefs shared by Islam with Judaism and Christianity include:

  • Belief in a single, omnipotent God
  • Observance of a weekly Sabbath
  • Importance of prayer
  • Importance of giving alms and being good to one’s neighbors
  • Ritual fasting
  • Belief in the sacred character of the Hebrew Bible
  • Belief in heaven, hell, Satan, and angels

Beliefs shared by Islam with Judaism (but not with Christianity) include:

  • Male circumcision
  • Dietary restrictions (ritual slaughter of meat-animals; prohibition against eating pork)

Belief shared by Islam with Christianity (but not with Judaism):

  • Belief in the sacred character of the New Testament

Beliefs distinctive to Islam (not shared with either Judaism or Christianity) include:

  • Belief that Muhammed was the messenger (or prophet) of God
  • Belief that the Qur’an (or Koran) is the word of God
  • Acceptance of polygyny (men may have up to four wives)
  • Prohibition against drinking alcohol

Look at the following maps and photographs:

Map showing the spread of Islam, 632-750 CE

The Abbasid caliphate in 771 (Note that the Umayyad emirate in Spain is not part of the Abbasid caliphate)

Two photographs (exterior and interior) of the Ummayad Great Mosque at Damascus, Syria (built 709-15)

The Great Mosque at Cordoba, Spain (built 785-6, with later additions):

Thursday:

MIDTERM EXAM