The rise of Islam

The rise of Islam

Initially before the 7th century, the Sunnis and the Shi’ites who are now the major groups of Islam were all substantially the same groups.  They both believed that Muhammad was the chosen prophet of Allah for the Muslims. They both believed that Muhammad had Allah’s guidance to lead the Muslims in accordance with the Holy Book.5  The death of Muhammad which happened in the year 632 resulted in the group’s schism hence this was the start of the Sunni and Shi’ites division. This group marked the major split in the Islamic religion. The cause of the division was due to his succession by a close companion, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq.

Some Muslims did not approve Muhammad’s succession as caliph by Abu. Those who did not approve it felt affiliated to Ali Ibn Abi Talib who was a close relative of Muhammad.  The disagreement grew bigger when the family of Hussein Ibn Ali was killed under the order of the ruling caliph of Umayyad.6 Ultimately; this led to the split of the two groups. Muslims who were in support of Abu formed the Sunnis and those who became the Shi’ites were those that supported bin Ali. The Sunni is the word that is used by the Islam I reference to the Sunnis which are mainly the oral traditions that were used to refer to the interpretations of the words of Koran which is the Islamic body of the religious art that if keenly observed is almost the same to the one used by the Jewish Talmud.

In their religious belief, the Sunni believe that the existence of the Caliph I not for just admiration and is supposed to be the honor given to one by the  Islamic religious leaders and it should be not a position whereby one clinches to hold due to the direct Islamic community lineage from Mohammed.  The Shiite is a word that was derived from the word Shia which back I the Islamic religious communities was used about “the party (of Ali).” The name was referred and utilized in the communities that lived in the east and west of Iran and Iraq respectively and other minor communities that lived in the areas of Palestine.⁵

In their belief, these communities consider the Shiite as the descendants and the direct successors of Ali, and they are referred to as the first imams who are the true descendants and children of Muhammad due to their infallibility.5 Their considerations are derived from the fact that they represent Ali who was the first imam of the Islamic community and who had two sons, Hassan and Hussein who suffered their deaths in the conflict that affected the caliph and the Zawiya regions. The succession of the two sons of Ali was cut a short since their last successor, who was the 12th imam from the hierarchy of Ali went into hiding due to fear created by the conflicts 940. ⁶

The Shiite who is the strongest believers in the Imam leadership and their leader Ali believe that one day will come and the 12th Imam will come back again, and he will be referred to as the Mahdi which is an Islamic word that is used to refer to the Messiah. His reemergence will give the Shiite power to have their leadership reasserted to the entire Islamic communities in the world. On the other hand, the Ayatollahs are referred to the men of the Islamic religion who were given the responsibility and elected to serve the Messiah in the meantime as the caretakers of the Islamic faith.⁵ The Shi’ites are known of being fair since they involve everyone in case of a conflict through a consensus with a view to solving the problem. Ali had male descendants all male whom the Shi’ites were loyal and followed them.

According to the word, this is the primary meaning of the word Shi’ites apart from the commonly known meaning. Later o through the leadership of Ali, the Shi’ites were against the caliphate position and campaigned for an imamate position. They did this for the sole reason that they wanted the political and religious guidance of an Imam. According to the Koran that the Muslims believe in, an imam is an ordained spiritual leader given the divine authority to be a teacher in all matters concerning religion. Therefore the imamate position they wanted is one that implies that the humans need a religious leader who is ordained at all times to lead them. However, the Sunnis who are one of the four jurisprudence schools to acknowledge and pay regards to Ali despite them refusing to support him as the successor of Muhammad.

Despite the splitting of the two Islamic groups, the Sunnis, and the Shi’ites, both still hold mutual primary political aims whereby they aim at establishing political movements that uphold Islamic laws in their ways of governing.⁶  The two groups do not accept other laws apart from Islamic as they believe those to be secular and westernized ways of governing. They both do not accept any changes that are associated with the West such as changes on their approved and legendary women statuses. In most Muslim states, Muslims are affiliated with most political parties which have religious messages.

The reason behind this is not only because of the general religious way of the Muslims but also because the Muslims believe that such leaders will lead and tackle day to day political problems in a religious point of view.  The Shi’ites did not choose Shah who was vying to be their leader since he had mixed his Islamic policies with secular once. Unlike the Shi’ites however, the Sunnis have always upheld their religious policies. The split of the two Islamic groups, directly and indirectly, led to the spread of Islam. The religion spread so fast in a span of fewer than 70 years. During his era, the Islamic faith spread so quickly since by the end of these years it had already started spreading to Europe and China. The Islamic faith had broken the record since it was spreading at a rate that no religion had at that time. The two groups led to its spread through the conquering of Roman empires among others.⁵

The two groups through some different and similar factors led to the spread of Islam, politically, economically and also socially. Unlike what most people especially non-Muslims believe that Muslims spread so fast since they used force. In general, however, the two groups, Sunnis, and Shi’ites owe the fast spread of Islam to their prophet Muhammad who lead them into adhering to the disciplines of Islamic law. Despite the Muslim’s commitment as followers of Muhammad and later Ali, the success of the spread of the religion was also propelled by other external factors.⁶ The Arab Muslims, the Sunnis and the Shi’ites after their separation, they went to different countries to settle for example Iran including non-Arab Muslim countries.

Abu Bakr, the caliph among others, did not engage themselves in the war with other countries unless they were attacked which means they did not force other non-Muslims to join their religion. For instance, Abu Bakr was more into fighting hose hat were against the caliph position, the Sunnis. After the spread of the Sunnis and Shi’ites to other countries, their leaders found their way in the political posts in those countries. The Islamic leaders introduced Islamic laws in these countries although they did nit force the people to follow the religion the people were required to pay taxes. However, non-Muslims did not resist practicing the Islamic faith since the Muslims were not associated with any bad reputation or did not uphold values that were not by the social values.

Most non-Muslims leaders and the educated who wanted to maintain their position politically in Arab Muslim countries had willingly embraced the Islamic religion. Another reason that led to the spread of Islamic faith after the separation of the sunniest and the Shi’ites was that the Muslims were found that hey promoted equality among all groups of people. Both the Sunni’s and the Shi’ites brought about revolution under their different leaders.⁵

The various Islamic teachings surpassed all levels of equality and bound all Muslims together. In countries where the slaves and women were discriminated and not held with value, were pleased by the religion even before the religion reached their countries.⁶ Once they had ye chance to change their beliefs, they embraced Islamic faith either as Sunni’s or Shi’ites’ since in both these minority groups acquired their power. Islamic religion liberated the poor by attracting the wealthy in the community by promoting equality hence improving the living standards of people. Islam principle of peace, sharing and fairness drew a lot of individuals since the wealthy could not deprive the poor of what they had.

The Islamic religion, therefore, was conducive for most of the individuals in the region hence the fast spread. The Sunni and the Shi’ites formerly occupied an urban area; hence they were economically and financially knowledgeable. The surrounding countries based on feudal structures were more of agricultural countries than they were economical. Since the Islamic country was commercially grown, they, therefore, were very progressive regarding the spread of their activities. Countries such as Mecca, for example, had involved business and social events. As a result of these developments, the Islam society due to the commercial and tribal advantage over other countries spread faster than the agricultural societies.

The Arab nations were a bit knowledgeable regarding Islamic laws hence found it easy to adapt to the religion. Essentially, the equality value upheld by the Arabs and Muslims did away with the concept of hierarchies since everyone was deemed equal despite their material wealth.⁵ As a result, his factor majorly propelled the value of Islam among other countries and non-Muslims. In the Islamic religion, only the good values mattered hence most people especially non-Muslims in dictated leadership embraced Islamic religion.

Before the seventh century and before the history of Islam among Arabs, the political, economic and social conditions were not the same as after the rise of Islam. Before the rise of Islam, there were no existing political parties. What this means is that there was no politics among Arabs before Islamic religion. The only Arabic country that had a ruling government was Yemen. The only reliable power that existed among the Arabs was that of different chiefs based on the various tribes. Due to lack of authority, and any law enhancing body, the Arabs relied on their tribes for protection. The spirits of their clans proceeded over crimes committed against each other. As a result, the Arabs were often subjected to warfare due to the lack of ruling body.⁵

War to them was not seen as a bad thing since they often were at war. However, the economy of the Arabs before the rise of Islam was excellent. The reason behind this is because the Arabs were magnificent at farming among other economic activities. Slaves too were traded and bought among Arabs so as to work on the farms. The slaves were held with little dignity before the rise of Islam.6 Creditors who mainly loaned money, and the Arabic capitalist was the highly organized people in the society among Arabs. Socially, Arabs were male-centered. Women in Arab countries have been conducted with no dignity or value.

The males would marry as many women as hey pleased, and when a man died, it was okay for his son to take over his family including the wife as his. In addition to this Arabs found it useful and honorable to bury their daughters alive once they were born. The reason behind this is because the female was treated as the minority in the society.  It is clear that the Arabs led miserable lives with very low standards except economically before the rise of Islam.⁶ Therefore, the rise of Islam brought about the revolution among the Arabs in all aspects.

Bibliography

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