Objectives
|
Chapter 11: Islam: 570 C.E. - 1500 C.E. Objectives |
|
Islam presents us with at least two interesting narratives. First, it is the story of the growth and spread of a world religion. On the other hand, it is the story of the disintegration of the vision of a single world society unified under one God into a group of states which are separated politically but still possess common beliefs. Your ability to explain both of these story lines is essential for understanding Islam.
Islam is rigorously monotheistic. After the prophet Muhammad relocated to Medina, he tried to establish a government which facilitated Islamic life. That effort, incorporated into the caliphate after his death, faded by stages as the result of struggles among would-be caliphs, clashes with the ulama, and pressures from outsiders.
But Islam spread outside the Arab cultural area to extend from Spain to modern Indonesia. How and why did this happen? Who carried out this growth? How did this success change Islam?
Finally, spread across the chapter, are many insights into Islam, its laws, its intellectual culture and its mystics. The ability to incorporate all of this material into a cohesive picture of Islam is valuable for understanding both the past and the present of this world religion which figures prominently in the daily news of the western world.
A Pearson Company Legal Notice |