Research Paper Prompt

Student’s Name

World History, Andrews

Research Project & Paper

Due November 21, 2016

Original Title for your Paper

            Having selected a topic, an era and a region, please research and write a 6-page paper exploring your chosen combination.

            Your final paper should be 6 double-spaced pages in length, including Bibliography.  Margins no greater than 1 inch, please.  Please note that your final paper MUST include in-text citations and a Bibliography. Any paper that does not include these documentation items is not a research paper and will be returned unread.

            NDNU’s Librarians are eager to help you with your research, your documentation, or both.

            Due date for the paper is November 21.

1pm group essay on classical Islam

World History/Andrews

Ch9.”The World of Islam”

Walid Faqihi

Islam and the Cultural Encounter

A Four-Way Comparison

Historians have argued about whether there is “Civilization” in period from 500 AD to 1500 AD or not. But there are an obvious evidence support the claim about the existence of those civilizations. In this case we will focus on the Islamic civilization. One of the arguments will be that there was a united one faith in mass areas like North Africa, Persia, and the Middles East. Islam rapidly becomes the dominant faith which is one of the essential elements in the previous classical civilizations. Related to one faith element “Islam” which means one religion united most of the people under the state of Arabs and Muslims, of course that’s also will mean one language. Because the large group of Christians and Greek speaking population has to adopt or learn the new dominant language.*

            The Arabian Peninsula is evidence to Strayer’s argument in that it informs us of their own values and how they worshipped. How Islam became the new faith with growing numbers of conversions serves as evidence in that it is just as significant in the Classical Era. We need to know how Islam became a popular religion and what consisted of this new faith. If everyone has an accurate understanding of Islam’s growth and meaning as well as places like the Arabian Peninsula where Islam first took prominence, then everyone in today’s world will know how to handle certain issues concerning the religion Islam and its followers accordingly. There needs to be a better understanding of the practice and history of Islam and its homeland in order to deal with conflicts that exists between people of different beliefs and values in a civilized and educated manner.

Faith and religion was a great part of the classical era. It was evolving as well. The seminal thinker was Muhammad. The people in this era practiced the ulama. There was a school called the Quranic school that passed on the core teaching of the faith, but not only did the school teach about religion, the school also taught everyday teachings that a normal school would teach such as: math, philosophy, theology, etc. Religion is a piece of evidence that Islam was a part of the classical era. 

            Trades routs were so important in North Africa because it’s one of the main elements that flourished the region (West and East). Connecting them via the Saharan desert, in order to carry the basic goods of leaving. Moreover, felling the lack of products in each side that are the most needed, such as salt. However, Gold was the main natural source in that region. So, having Muslims get control of the region means that they put their hand on the heart of African trade. In which provides big profit and luxuries goods to the Islamic empire. Epically those roads are already built and designed with an important infrastructure. Indeed the new faith brought new culture, with some resistance, for instance in Africa, the African tried to Africanized Islam when they kept their ancient religion.*

After Muhammad died, Arab armies began to invade other empires in search for power. During this time they had a struggle for power over who would be leader. At the same time the people they conquered were forced give up their religion and convert to the Muslim religion. It was a hard transition for some but for others it was beneficial because they could avoid taxes. This was a complex empire that craved power, the definition of the classical empire.

            The legacy that the Muslim left in Al-Andalus (in Modern life Spain) is clearly visible with the stunning states that have been built at that time, and it was Muslims Golden Ages. Unfortunately it did not last for long. During that period freedom of speech was declared well as the opportunity for all to rise in bureaucracy of the state. Cordoba the capital of Al-Andalus was an enlightenment center. Astronomy, medicine, art, architecture, and literature flourished at that time. In the other hand, the important of agriculture in an economic and trade marketing manner. Spain’s agricultural economy was the most prosperous in Europe during that time, which was one of the essential elements of a civilization.*

2pm Group Essay on Classical Islam

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            During the Classical Era, the birth of Islam began with the seminal ideas of Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. Like Buddha and Jesus, Muhammad had a powerful and overwhelming religious experience that led him to believe that he was the messenger of Allah. Just as Buddha believed that anyone could reach enlightenment and Jesus spreading the Word of God through his teachings, Muhammad began revelations that continued over the next twenty-two years which allowed them to be recorded in the Quran as “The Word of God”. He led his people to a golden age around 610 CE, a time period where many historians believed that very little importance occurred, because of his belief that no Muslim should have superiority over another Muslim except by piety and good actions solidifying that he was a seminal thinker. Since Muhammad presented himself among previous prophets like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, he used religious revelations to inspire the start of Islam. This allowed Islam to be considered as a major religion with seminal ideas to the very day. Hence, Muhammad proved that seminal thinkers do not have to arise from western civilizations and certified Islam to experience a fully classical period from 500 AD to 1500 AD.    

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The rise and expansion of empires, the spread of religion and the tightening of patriarchy are examples that support the argument that the period 500 AD to 1500 AD was not a "post" classical period, but a fully classical period on its own. Not only did the Arab Empire rise to become a extravagant civilization, but it got there by weakening many of their unsuspecting enemies."The Byzantine and Persian empires, weakened by decades of war with each other and by internal revolts, continued to view the Arabs as a mere nuisance rather then a serious threat" (419). The majority of the major religions and cultural traditions had emerged from established empires. Islam emerged from the margins of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilizations. The spread of Islam continued into the Modern Era and by the beginning of the twenty first century 22% of the world's population identified as Muslims, second only to Christianity. Both of these religions had converted more people than any other known religions. Finally the tightening of patriarchy, especially the roles of the sexes in the Quran prove that this was a classical time. Just like it had been for women in Athens and China during their "golden age" period, "Muslim women, particularly in the upper classes, experienced growing restrictions as Islamic civilization flourished culturally and economically in the Abbasid era" (426). 

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What makes the Classical era significant is the development of trade, common language, and hospitals.  The Islamic civilization had access to the silk, sea, and sand roads which led to efficient trades with China for high in demand goods. Arabic become the common language for science medicine and philosophy, making it easier to share ideas and develop them amongst each other. Importantly, the first hospitals were created in the Islamic world. Traditions were created in medicine and pharmacology that spread to the core Europe. Worldwide, doctors and scientists are still working on finding new and enhanced treatments and diagnoses to cure diseases.