Lecture 2 Handout

MELC 20040 Islamic Societies of the Middle East & North Africa

Names and Terms to remember from the previous class:

Life of the Prophet Muhammad (ca. 570 - 632 CE)

Allah

Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah

Khadija

Mt. Hira

al-Qur’an

hijra (622)

umma

Ansar (“Helpers”) - in Medina

Muhajirun (“Emigrants”) - from Mecca to Medina

Battle of Badr (624)

Battle of Uhud (626)

Treaty of Hudaybiyya (628)

Fall of Mecca (630 CE)

The Islamic World after the Prophet:

632-661: Era of the four "Rightly-Guided Caliphs;" who were close Companions of the Prophet

Caliph: from Arabic khalifa : “a Successor”

1. Abu Bakr: 632-634

2. ‘Umar: 634-44

3. ‘Uthman: 644-656

4. ‘Ali: 656-661

Circa 652: final written codification of the Qur’an.

Sunni: short for ahl al-sunna (“people of the custom [of the Prophet]”)

Shi‘a: short for shi‘at ‘Ali (“supporters of ‘Ali”)

Umayyad dynasty: 661-750 CE

‘Abbasid dynasty: 750-1258

Five Pillars: 1) shahada: profession of faith; 2) salat: prayer; 3) zakat: almsgiving 4) sawm: fasting; 5) Hajj:

pilgrimage to Mecca

Citation: administrator. (2006, September 05). Lecture 2 Handout. Retrieved January 09, 2009, from Notre Dame OpenCourseWare Web site: http://ocw.nd.edu/arabic-and-middle-east-studies/islamic-societies-of-the-middle-east-and-north/Lecture%202%20Handout.html.