6/24/2016

Lecture Topics
1. The Life of Muhammad
2. Christian-Muslim history: the great empires
3. Reading the Quran chronologically
4. Islam in Southeast Asia: Past and Present
5. From Shariah to Society: Egypt and Aceh case
studies
6. Discussion forum

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Preliminary question
Should Christians and Muslims study each
others faith? Why/why not?

CHRISTIAN BEGINNINGS

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The journeys of St. Paul Seven Churches of Asia

Minor

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Early Christian centres in

the 4th century Byzantine Empire in the 6th Century

Spread of Christianity to 325 AD and 600 AD

HISTORICAL SOURCES AND

ISLAM

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Primary Biographical Sources on Primary Biographical Sources on

Life of Muhammad (570-632) Life of Muhammad
The principal sources for his life:
The Quran (collected sometime between
ca. 630 690)
The Hadith (collected 800s)
The Sira/Biography of Muhammad
(earliest extant version dates from early
800s)

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Muhammad The Muhammad of faith

Rippin (1990:30): it is very difficult to talk
about Muhammad, in either his political or
religious guise, free from the perspective which
later Muslim tradition has imposed upon him.
= important challenge for future scholarship
Lets consider the Muhammad of faith
Rippin (1998:357): Wansbroughs
argument is that we do not know and
probably never can know what really
happened; all we can know is what later
people believed happened

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The Muhammad of faith

570AD - Muhammad born in Mecca
into dominant Quraysh tribe
Tabaris history :
The name of the Messenger of God was Muhammad, and he
was the son of Abdallah b. Abd al-Muttalib. Abdallah, the
father of the Messenger of God, was his fathers youngest
son. Abdallah, al-Zubayr, and Abd Manaf, who is Abu Talib,

MUHAMMAD: THE FIRST were sons of Abd al-Muttalib, by the same mother, Fatimah
bt. Amr b. Aidh b. Imran b. Makhzum. This information was
PHASE (570-610) given to us by Ibn Humayd Salamah b. al-Fadl Ibn Ishaq.

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Life of Muhammad Arabia Before Islam

Personal tragedy Lakhmids: centred on
Christian city of al-
Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: Shortly afterwards Hirah, reached height
Abdullah the apostles father died while his of power in 6th C.
mother was still pregnant... When he was six Ghassanids: Christian
years old his mother Amina died. [] Thus the tribes who migrated to
apostle was left to his grandfather for whom Syria in 3rd C.
they made a bed in the shade of the Kaba. [] Axum: ancient kingdom
When the apostle was eight years of age, eight identified with Queen
years after the year of the elephant, his of Sheba, declined with
grandfather died. rise of Islam

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His Context Pre-Islamic Arabian deities

Supreme deity was Allah among a Temple of 'Ilumquh
pantheon at Marib Yemen,
Sabean Moon Bull,
Significant communities of Jews,

probably dating back to Roman Incense Holder

Aksum,
expulsions from Palestine
Moon and Orb of
Also various Christian groups, often Venus Sabean wall
following unorthodox doctrines frieze.

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Pre-Islamic Arabian religion His Context

Tabari reports that Muhammad met a Syrian monk
when he was 12. : When the company halted at
Bostra in Syria, there was a monk named Bahira,
Household who dwelt in a hermitage there and who was well-
read in the learning of the Christians [Bahira]
gods/Teraphim questioned the Envoy of Allah about the things he
felt when he was awake or asleep. The Envoy of
Allah answered him. Bahira examined his back and
found the seal of prophecy between his shoulders.

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His Context
At age 25 married
Khadija, wealthy
widow
Travelled on
business,
interacting with
Arabian societies
MUHAMMAD: THE SECOND
PHASE MECCA (610-622)

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His Call The Kaba

Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: Wahb b. Kaysan told
me that Ubayd said to him: Every year during
that month the apostle would pray in seclusion
and give food to the poor that came to him.
And when he completed the month and
returned from his seclusion, first of all
before entering his house he would go to the
Kaba and walk around it seven times or as
often as it pleased God; then he would go
back to his house.

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His Call His Call

Ramadan 610AD
began to have strange dreams full of
radiance,
experienced spiritual ecstasies
regarded them as divine revelations
Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: 'Read!' and I said
'What shall I read?' He pressed me with it
so tightly that I thought it was death;
then he let me go and said 'Read!' I said,
'What shall I read?' He pressed me with it
again so that I thought it was death, then
he let me go and said 'Read!' I said 'What
shall I read?'--and this I said only to
deliver myself from him lest he should do
the same to me again. He said:

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His Call His Call

Q96:1 Proclaim! In the name of thy Lord and

Cherisher, who created
Q96:2 Created man, out of a clot of
congealed blood
Q96:3 Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most
Bountiful
Q96:4 He who taught (the use of) the Pen
Q96:5 Taught man that which he knew not.

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His Call The First Converts

Full of self-doubt, Muhammad contemplated
suicide
Tabaris History: Your humble servant is either
a poet or a madman, but Quraysh shall never say
this of me. I shall take myself to a mountain crag,
hurl myself down from it, kill myself, and find
relief in that way.
Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: Khadja . . . was the first
to believe in God and His Apostle, and the truth
of his message. By her God lightened the burden
of His Prophet. Al was the first male to
believe in the apostle of God, to pray with him,
and to believe in his divine message, when he was
a boy of ten. . . .

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Seeking asylum in Abyssinia 615 Loss of Khadija & Abu Talib

Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: Khadija and
Hisham: When we Abu Talib died in the same year [619
reached Abyssinia the
Negus gave us a kind A.D.].
reception. We safely
practised our religion
and we worshipped
God, and suffered no
wrong in word or
deed....

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Rapture to Heaven Opposition grows

al-Bukhari: When I went (over the sixth Spoke out against worship of idols
heaven), there I saw Moses So when I went
antagonised priests of Kaba
(over the seventh heaven), there I saw
Abraham Gabriel remarked, 'This is the & Meccan merchants who depended on
Islamic religion which you and your followers pilgrimage trade
are following.' Then the prayers were
enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a
day...

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Group discussion
So far our lecture has covered Muhammads
life up to the age of 52. How would you
summarise his lifestyle so far?

MUHAMMAD: THE THIRD

PHASE MEDINA (622-632)

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The Hijra Muhammad in Medina

June/July 622AD - Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: The apostle had
Muhammad & not been given permission to fight or
followers forced to allowed to shed blood before the second
flee Mecca for
Yathrib/Medina
Aqaba.* He had simply been ordered to
call men to God and to endure insult and
forgive the ignorant.

*The second pledge of Aqaba, a pledge of loyalty to Muhammad

by 75 pilgrims to Mecca in June 622 before the Hijrah.

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His Constitution Constitution of Medina 622

Muhammad consolidated the Islamic [Believers] are one

community in Medina community (umma) to
Created political and economic system the exclusion of all
Established constitution men.
Islamic fraternity took precedence over A believer shall not
other ties (e.g. family) slay a believer for
the sake of an
God and prophet final arbiter in disputes unbeliever, nor shall
Various Jewish tribes mentioned by name as he aid an unbeliever
sharing in this constitution against a believer.

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Muhammads Medinan Community

The concept of Umma
at War
Al-Adab al-Mufrad, Al-Bukhari, Book 12, Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham:
Then the apostle
Hadith 239 prepared for war in
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, pursuance of Gods
command to fight his
may Allah bless him and grant him enemies and to fight
peace, said, "A believer is the mirror of those polytheists who
his brother. A believer is the brother of were near at hand whom
God commanded to
another believer. He protects him fight. This was thirteen
against loss and defends him behind his years after his call.
back."
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His Campaigns His Campaigns

Encouraging the Battle of Uhud 625
troops at Battle of
Badr 624 : By God in Muslims defeated -
whose hand is the soul Muhammad
of Muhammad, no man wounded
will be slain this day
fighting against them Muhammad
with steadfast explained defeat
courage advancing not
retreating but God will as a divine test -
cause him to enter Q3:140-145, 152
Paradise. (Ibn Ishaq:
300)

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Defeat in the Battle of Uhud Defeat in the Battle of Uhud

Sura 3
[140] If a wound (and killing) has touched you,
be sure a similar wound (and killing) has
touched the others. And so are the days
(good and not so good), We give to men by
turns, that Allh may test those who believe,
and that He may take martyrs from among
you. And Allh likes not the Zlimn
(polytheists and wrong-doers).
Sura 3
[141] And that Allh may test (or purify)
the believers (from sins) and destroy
the disbelievers.
[142] Do you think that you will enter
Paradise before Allh tests those of
you who fought (in His Cause) and
(also) tests those who are As-Sbirin
(the patient)?

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Changing Muslim attitudes

Defeat in the Battle of Uhud
Sura 3
[143] You did indeed wish for death (i.e.
martyrdom) before you met it. Now you
have seen it openly with your own eyes.
towards Jews and Christians
Muhammads relationship with Jews
deteriorated
Initially Muslims faced Jerusalem in
prayer - 624 changed to Mecca after
Muhammad fell out with Jews

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Changing Muslim attitudes

His Campaigns
towards Jews and Christians
Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: Some Muslims Battle of the Ditch
remained friends with the Jews 627
because of the tie of mutual Beheading of Banu
protection and alliance which had Qurayza
subsisted between them, so God sent [Detail from
miniature painting
down concerning them and forbidding
by Muhammad Rafi
them to take them as intimate Bazil].
friends. [Q3:114]

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The Beheading of the Banu

Qurayza
Ibn Ishaq/ Ibn Hisham: Then they
surrendered, and the apostle confined them in
Medina ... Then the apostle went out to the
market of Medina (which is still its market
today) and dug trenches in it. Then he sent
for them and struck off their heads in those
trenches as they were brought out to him in
batches. ... There were 600 or 700 in all,
though some put the figure as high as 800 or
900.
The Triumph
Gradual subjugation of Jews of Arabia
- establishment of poll-tax system
630 - Mecca opened its doors to
Muslims
632 - Muhammad made the pilgrimage
in 632 where he delivered his farewell
sermon
632 - Muhammad died

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The Final Sermon Activity

Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: I have left you with Look for films and documentaries on the
something which if you will hold fast to it you life of Muhammad on Youtube. Some
will never fall into error a plain indication, the
book of God and the practice of His prophet, so examples are:
give good heed to what I say. History Channel - Muhammad The
Know that every Muslim is a Muslims brother, Prophet
and that the Muslims are brethren. It is only
lawful to take from a brother what he gives you BBC Two - The Life of Muhammad
willingly, so wrong not yourselves. O God, have I The Message
not told you?
Muhammad: The Last Prophet Animated
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Group discussion
Contrast the 2nd and 3rd phases of
Muhammads life, considering the statement
Muhammads life remains the foundation of
the faith he founded. (History Channel - Muhammad The
Prophet)

How could this lecture help you in forming

friendships with your Muslim neighbours?

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