Succession
Death
of the Prophet 632
Muhammad is the last Prophet
Muhammad is the leader of the umma
Muhammad died 632
Who will lead?
Competing visions: Competence alone; or
connection first?
I. Khalifa
("Caliph"): Successor, deputy [of Muhammad]
Abu Bakr
632-634
Seal of the
Prophets?
Ridda ("apostasy")
Wars
Organized
and channeled the conquest
"Commander
of the Faithful": military
leader of ideal community
Conquered
Fertile Crescent, massive
migration of Arabs
- 635 Damascus
- 638 Jerusalem
(Church of the Holy Sepulchre)
- 651 Final defeat
of Sasanian empire in Persia
What
to do with
Christians? Ahl al-kitab-- "People
of the Book"
System of distributing booty:
one-fifth to
state, rest
according to diwan (treasury, adapted from Persian empire)
(distribution:
More to earliest converts; also Arab Christians included)
In
Medina, the community
created state structures in accordance
with Islam. What to do in newly conquered territories?
Army of Occupation? Assimilation?
Garrison
Towns:
- Provide
infrastructure for Muslim life
- No
interest in conversion of non-Arabs
- New
temptations: ‘Umar responded with
insistence on piety;
marriage/adultery/concubines; no alcohol or luxury
III. `Uthman
644-656
- Single
standard collection of Revelations
imposed: resented by many
Qur’an reciters
- Dissatisfaction
with Diwan treasury
system controlled from Madinah
(Biased against new converts)
- Arabs
isolated, converts only as clients (mawali)
adopted
into Arab tribes: Hierarchical system denied basic equality of believers
- Nepotism:
former Quraysh opponents and
allies as governors
(Ansar in Medinah opposed)
Equality/Privilege
Murder of ‘Uthman: Egyptian soldiers
Legitimate, or in need of punishment?
1. Response to the murder of ‘Uthman
2. Responsibility of the ruler, just
rule, and the right to remove unjust
IV.Ali
656-661
Fitnah
(discord, division,
temptation; i.e., civil war):
A.
`Ali
and Partisans (Shi`at Ali, Shi`is) in Kufah
B. Mu`awiya (family of ‘Uthman) in
Damascus
`Ali recognized in most places except Syria
Battle of Siffin 657
`Ali agreed to
arbitration, did
not
insist on his
right to rule
Mu`awiyah declared
Caliph in
Jerusalem 660
`Ali murdered by Kharijis
(seceders)
661
- Any pious man can
be leader of the community
- Make war on anyone
not meeting their rigorous standards
Shi`is: `Ali as just and heroic leader,
intimate ties to the Prophet
Noble person
brought down
by
brute force
Symbol for
later Muslims of
injustices
Others:
Importance of
community
Mu`awiyah 661-680 Beginning of new
Dynasty
Took on style of Byzantine court
Continued expansion
Effort to create dynasty
Accession
of son Yazid contested by Kufans, who invite
`Ali's son Husayn
- Husayn murdered at
Karbala 680 by Yazid
- Former becomes
symbolic martyr; latter becomes symbol of forces of mundane
and oppressive power
Karbala (now in Iraq)
center of Shi'i scholarship and pilgrimage
Anniversary (10 Muharram,
`Ashura) becomes important in politics
and
religion
Mu`awiya
Yazid
Umayyad
al-Shafi`i
