.::ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION::.

First and foremost, Alhamdulillah thanks to Allah s.w.t for giving us a smooth time while conducting this assignment. We were very delightful to present our assignment in ‘blogspot’ mode. This is due to that we can publish our works as a reference towards people all over the world. While doing this research, we relied on the kind of advice from our beloved lecturer Dr Hafiz Zakariya. Your support and encouragement have give wings to us to complete this assignment. Besides, with full of heart we would like to thanks to our family because they have supported this research by giving some financial to complete this work. Also, thanks to our classmates and friends. Moreover, our deepest thanks to our own group members who are Nor Farizan Bt Ramlie, Siti Zalikha Syazana Bt Mohammad, Nor Atirah Binti Ibrahim and Mahirah binti A Rashid. Certainly, we will be missing all the moment that we have gone through in doing this.

Here, we would like to give some guidance on how to explore our blog. For each page, we provide one posting. Therefore, you may refer to the blog archive for which title that you wish to know about. The blog archive is on your left on the screen. The sequences for the blog archive are:
a) The introduction
b) The history & origin
c) The caliphate in Baghdad
d) The scholars
e) The Mathematics
f) The Technology
g) The Physics
h) The Arts
i) The Astronomy
j) The Chemistry
k) The Medicine
l) The Geography
m) The Agriculture
n) The Industry
o) The Commerce
q) Muslim Civilization At Its Apex
r) Social Custom : Marriage and The Status of Women
s) The Decline of the Abbasids and the coming of the Turks and Mongols

We also had provided the section for you to comment on “You Talk, we responds”. Therefore, we will appreciate for the visitors to enjoy our blog and provide your precious comments for us.

Finally, we hope with the existence of this blog, all people over the world will appreciate the Islamic civilization and those people who were contributing directly or indirectly especially the scholars. With that, we end our posting with Assalamua’laikum w.b.t and thank you very much.

Regards,

Please enjoy our movie before you enjoy our blog.

.::THE DECLINE OF THE ABBASIDS AND THE COMING OF THE TURKS AND MONGOLS::.

750s

Abbasids – unable to restore the political unity of the empire they had taken over
Harun al-Rashid, the well-known caliphs also unable to force the Spaniards and the North African emirates to submit to their rule.

800s

Most of the African and Arabian became independent, leaving the Abbasids in control of only the Middle East.
Then, they depending on wild Turkish tribesmen, some of them had converted to Islam for the military power

1000s

Seljuks which is a new group of Turks blasted their way out of Aghanistan into Iran and Iraq.

1055s

Seljuks entered Baghdad as victors.
Seljuks took over the government from the Abbasid for about a century.
Finally, Seljuks fell prey to internal rivalries.

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Chingis Khan and the Mongols era.
Chingis – A minor tribal leader of the extremely primitive Mongols.
Late twelfth century, able to put together a series of victories over his rivals and set himself up as lord of his people.
Success to conquer most of central Asia and the Middle East before he demise.

<1230s

Great Khan victorious over the Russians
Few years later, the Mongols undoubtly believe that they were ready to settle accounts with the Seljuks and other claimants to the Baghdad throne.
Mongols took Baghdad with ‘slaughter and rape’ because some 800 000 people were killed.
Mongol Khanate of central Asia had full authority on the government. With that, Abbasid caliphate finally came to the end of its era.

.::SOCIAL CUSTOMS: MARRIAGE AND THE STATUS OF WOMEN::.

The Qur'an has proved that in Islam it is allowed for a man to marry up to four wives, only if he can be fair towards all of his wives. Some of the Muslims had as many as four wives and some of them still could afford concubines. If refer to www.dictionary.com, concubines can be defined as:

1. Law A woman who cohabits with a man without being legally married to him.
2. In certain societies, such as imperial China, a woman contracted to a man as a secondary wife, often having few legal rights and low social status.

The status of children of a legal wife had precedence over those from a concubine inheritance, however, the concubine's children were also given the right in law and custom if he or she is acknowledge by the father.

Among the wealthier, slavery was very common of their needs. Most of the slaves were placed to work in the household or shop, however not in the fields or mines. In assuring Allah's blessing, it was common for slaves to be freed at any time if they behave nicely. Many people were 'traped' into the slavery field because of usual reasons, such as:

1. Debts.
2. Bad luck.

One of the most difficult issues to be discussed in the contemporary transformation of Muslim societies is the role of women. Essential changes are taking place in the concept of male and female identity. As well as the women roles in their family, the relationship between men and women and the place of women in public life. Even our understanding of women’s roles in every aspect is still extremely limited and it is often ideological being debated. In addition to that, it is difficult for the outsiders to separate their own values from the conceptions of dignity, security and love which happen in Muslim societies.

Theoretically, men have absolute responsibility to rule or guide their family. However, in the Qur’an women were granted for many rights. It is totally different with the history in the pre-Islamic Arab society.

Harem

What is Harem?
Harem was very similar towards the inferiority of women’s status. It has the isolated part of every well-to-do Muslim house. This house was placed for them and their children. They believe, here they will not be ‘threatening’ by the insulting eyes of strangers. Wives and concubines will compete each other and occupied their time to persuade the master of the household and advance their own status and that of their children. Jealousy was the main things that play around the society.

Previously, some emirs and caliphs spent so much time in the harem. However, in later Muslim’s history, the harem system had ruinous effects on the administration and Government Empire.

Theoretically and practically, women were hard to be seen outside the house. Relative frequency of male homosexuality in the Islamic world become usual compare during ancient Greece. It was due to the ‘contribution’ of isolation of ladies and their total inaccessibility prior to marriage.

Works

Commonly, women were being employed in domestic crafts, agriculture and stock herding, the middle-class ideal was isolation from the marketplace, the bazaar, the politics and social life with men. They were prohibited to be close with men outside their immediate families.

Marriages

Usually, it was arranged by families as the bride’s parents or guardians were ultimately responsible for her welfare. A bride should move to the house of her husband and stay with him. In Islam, only men have the power to initiate divorce however, for some cases, women may initiate it too. If the divorce happens, their children with a certain age will belong to the husband.

Economics rights

Women had more rights on economic compare to the men but because of the social practice, it has restricted their opportunities to inherit properties.

Personal relations and attitudes of men and women

This type of relations must have had several dimensions corresponding to the complexity of their social roles. From a point of view, men were dominant and women cannot be thought of as an oppressed class.

Veil

Sometimes it is taken as a symbol of domination of women by men. Actually, it symbolizes the complexities of their relationships. It is very significant in terms of purity and passion, independence and dependence. Commonly, it is worn by urban and middle-class women but unanimously among Middle Eastern. Veil is also a form of social communication which sometimes it is understood as a shield, protecting women against men and many more.

Education

It is necessary to save women from idle and empty lives, fit them for employment, and train them for happiness marriages and the raising of their children. Only through education, women can fulfil their roles as mothers and educators of modern youth. It is also crucial for the freedom of the whole society. In the nineteenth-century Ottoman society, it first demands for the modernization of the position of women which is classified as monogamy in the royal household, also the isolation and elimination of the concubine and finally the greater freedom for women in their daily life including marriage and social activity. Turkish nationalists had come out with the education as their central concern. World War I, at this moment, women had to go for work. For examples in factories, banks, municipal offices and hospitals. Education became very common in Iran for the upper middle-class circles. The first public school for girls was set up in 1918. It is a result of pressure from feminist advocates.

As a conclusion, every types of confusion and law should be refers to the Qur’an, the holy book of Muslims. It is due to some people will take opportunity of what they want, both men and women, husband and wife, neo-Muslim movements and feminist people.

.::MUSLIM CIVILIZATION AT ITS APEX::.

Between 900s and about 1200s, Muslim civilization was at the peak with flourished. Later, the little original work was forthcoming, and it is no coincidence that the devastating invasion of the Mongols occurred then. The Muslim world at this moment has extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific. At this precious time, Muslim traders were found on every inch of the continent and also on the sea.

Islam did not restrain the freedom for each person. Believers were freely to move around with the huge belt of settlements from Spain to the Philippines. Meanwhile, the travellers could proceed their journey to distant lands. In a conclusion, all Muslims had notice that they were members of great community.

Cordoba in Spain:
During the tenth century, it becomes a city of about a million people
Ruling class was from the Muslim itself; North African Berber people, however, its inhabitants included many Jews and Christians as well.
Production of East or West could be purchased in the markets of Cordoba.

Baghdad:
Similar to Cordoba but with more larger populationThe reign in Baghdad was all under caliph Harun al-Rashid and his ninth-century successors.

.::THE COMMERCE::.

According to course reader HIST 1000, Port of Canton (China) was the precious place that has been narrated by many historians. Some of them quote that there was at one time up to 850 saracen ships docked at the this port.

Camille Castorina was a historian who studied on this issue and narrates that some saracan coins were found out in Scandinavia. Also, a system of cheques and a form of letter of credit have been used even at that moment.

In another view of commerce is that it was particularly well developed in the world of Islam. The observation towards the Qur’an on the part of “honor and the honest merchant” has been take note. The Muslims believe that they saw nothing wrong in getting rich. However, in contrast to both Christian and Buddhists, faithfully they considered a wealthy man to be the recipient of God’s blessings for a good life.

It is an obligatory for Muslims to share their wealth with the poor people. In Islam, they have the terms wakaf which are very commonly included in Muslim wills.

.::THE INDUSTRY::.

It is very little history of Islamic civilization on Industry. It has been narrated by many historians that during the Islamic civilization, advancements were made in the manufacturing of fabrics, leather, glass and steel. Silk, cotton and wood are the examples of fabrics. At this moment, drugs and perfumes have been produced but with the application of chemistry. A paper-making factory was established due to their interest in learning something new. It is situated in Baghdad in 794. We have been used the bundle nowadays which previously is a term “Ream” which was previously came from the Arabic term “Resma”.

.::THE AGRICULTURE::.

Theoretically

12th century
Al-Awwam described 585 plants and explained the cultivation of several fruits.
Abul-Abbas al-Nabati and many others more muslim scientists studied on the plants while they were on long Journeys to Pilgrimage.

Practically

They improved the methods of irrigation, used organic fertilizers and developed the breeds of cattle.
Introduced the preaches apricots, cotton, rice, bananas, sugar cane.
Artificial lakes were generally places to raise fish for food.

.::THE GEOGRAPHY::.

Averros and Averossism was a book written by E.Renan when he was in Columbus in October 1948. He narrated that one of the resources which led him to assume the existence of the “new world” was the work of Ibnu Rushd. It was during the 12th century.

Muslim geographers were inspired by the Qur’an which they knew that the earth was spheric. Contrast with the western geographers who they believe that the earth was flat, for example the John Draper.

Caliph al-Ma’moon estimated the earth to be 2400 miles, a very close figure to one who estimates scientifically in most modern means today. However, the statement of Caliph al-Ma’moon was maid in the 9th century. He was the one who ordered the drawing of a large map of the world.

10th century, some of the Muslims geographers were excelled, especially al-Mas’udi. His work has been declared as the best arrangement in geographical order of an encyclopedia. George Sarton also has described him as one of the greatest geographers of all time.

Abdul Lateef (12th century) was the one who produced one of the most important to geographical works in the middle Ages. Sarton also appreciate his work.

Al-Idrisi, a Muslim geographer wrote book in the 12th century. He quotes that the earth is round like a sphere. He also stated that the water was stick firmly through a natural equilibrium.

In addition to that, Abul-Hassan al-Marakishi had produced works which contained among other data coordinates of 130 places. Sarton quote on Al-Marakishi, he said that no medieval writer has taken equal pains to explain the scientific method and instrument.

.::THE MEDICINE::.

Our group would like to share with all of you a video on Medicine in the Islamic Civilization that was created exclusively from us, we hope you will enjoy it:

.::THE CHEMISTERY::.

8th century
Muslim chemist, Jabir discovered the Nitric Acid
Jabir also explained the operations of distillation, sublimination, filtration, coagulation, and crystallization.

Late 8th century
Abu-Musa al-Kufi contributed extremely to the chemistry field
Many of Abu-Musa al-Kufi’s works were translated into Latin and French, even until the late of 17th century.

9th century
Abu Bakar al-Razi (Rhases) was the first to explain the properties of Sulphuric acid.

.::THE ASTRONOMY::.

As early as 3rd century, one of the earliest sciences at this moment was the astronomy. Amazingly, it has attracted the attention of the Muslims. Many achievements that have been gain by the scholars, some of them were:

- They discover the sun's epogee. It is about the points farthest from the earth in the orbit of the moon.
- They drew catalogues maps of visible stars which then they gave them the Arabic terms.
- They fixed the length of the year by correcting the sun and moon tables.
- They were the first to build observatories.
- They were the first to use the pendulum to measure time. The Pendulum was invented by Ibn Yunus, a genius in science who lived in the reign of Aziz Billah and Hakim bi-Amr-illah, the Fatimid monarchs of Egypt.
(The picture is an example of pendulum that our group found from the internet)

Sun Dial:

- Ibn Yunus also invented the sun dial. John Draper, another scholar said it was most valuable of all chronometic improvements. It can predicted sup spots, eclipses and appearance of comets.

Lunar:

- Abul-Wafa was the one who discovered a major aspect of astronomy known as the 3rd Lunar inequality.

- 1000 years later to the Danish Astronomer Tycho-Braho.

Luminaries:

- Al-Battani (al-Bategnius) was considered as the most twenty astronomers in the world.
- Al-Biruni was the one who link between the schools of Baghdad and India.

.::Ulugh Beg::.

- Ulugh Beg was the one who made a complete survey of the state of this science nearly a century before Kepler.

.::THE ARTS::.

Muslims had created many motifs and had developed an amazing geometrically exclusively for the visual arts. Garlands, plants, or geometric figures such as triangles, diamonds and parallelograms were the examples of the motifs of their panting, ceramics, mosaics and inlay work. The entire Muslim world was succeeding with this achievement. However, as included in the Qur’an, artists were prohibited to represent the human figure as the creator, Allah. It is considered as blasphemous. However, the Muslims produced no sculpture beyond miniatures and no portrait painting for a long time.

The golden age of Islamic art lasted from 750 to the 16th century, when ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles,illuminated manuscripts, and woodwork flourished. As an introduction, it is proven that the Islamic ceramics were amazing because during the Renaissance, the Italian potters or the person who makes clay pots by hand were imitating the Islamic luster-painted. Manuscript illumination developed into an important and greatly respected art, and portrait miniature painting flourished among the Persian. Calligraphy, an essential aspect of written Arabic, developed in manuscripts and architectural decoration.

Arabic calligraphy



Arabic script is the work of esthetical demands as much as the desire to communicate. It is classified as calligraphy. Is the calligraphy important towards Muslims? Yes, it was a special strength of the Muslims. During the Islamic civilization, Arabic lettering was almost involved in every form of art. Generally as quotations from the Qur’an.


Above is an example of an Arabic manuscript. It was from the 13th century arts. It is depicting Socrates in discussion with his pupils.

Books

From a storytelling form, the Arabians were developed into a high art and they even created or invented fiction which is stories told in order to entertain people. The 1001 Nights or The Arabian Nights was the most famous book of stories in history field. It was created by a greatest Baghdad caliph, Harun al-Rashid. The period was in the early ninth century.

Poetry

In addition to that, poetry was also a strongly cultivated and very popular literary art form, especially among the Persian Muslims. Omar Khayyam, the twelfth-century Persian was one of the famous person throughout the world.

.::THE PYHSICS::.

The study of experimental physics began with Ibn al-Haytham a pioneer of modern optics, who introduced the experimental scientific method and used it to drastically transform the understanding of light and vision in his Book of Optics, which has been ranked alongside Isaac Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica as one of the most influential books in the history of physics, for initiating a scientific revolution in optics and visual perception. The experimental scientific method was soon introduced into mechanics by Biruni, and early precursors to Newton's laws of motion were discovered by several Muslim scientists. The law of inertia, known as Newton's first law of motion, and the concept of momentum were discovered by Ibn al-Haytham (Alhacen) and Avicenna. The proportionality between force and acceleration, considered "the fundamental law of classical mechanics" and foreshadowing Newton's second law of motion, was discovered by Hibat Allah Abu'l-Barakat al-Baghdaadi, while the concept of reaction, foreshadowing Newton's third law of motion, was discovered by Ibn Bajjah (Avempace). Theories foreshadowing Newton's law of universal gravitation were developed by Ja'far Muhammad ibn Mūsā ibn Shākir, Ibn al-Haytham, and al-Khazini Galileo Galilei's mathematical treatment of acceleration and his concept of impetus was enriched by the commentaries of Avicenna and Ibn Bajjah to Aristotle's Physics as well as the Neoplatonist tradition of Alexandria, represented by John Philoponus.

.::THE TECHNOLOGY::.

A significant number of prominent Muslim engineers and inventors have produce many new inventions. Some of the inventions believed to have come from the Islamic Civilization include the camera obscura, coffee, soap bar, shampoo, pure distillation, liquefaction, crystallization, purification, oxidization, evaporation, filtration, distilled alcohol, uric acid, nitric acid, alembic, crankshaft, valve, reciprocating suction piston pump, mechanical clocks driven by water and weights, combination lock, quilting, pointed arch, scalpel, bone saw, forceps, surgical catgut, windmill, inoculation, smallpox vaccine, fountain pen, cryptanalysis, frequency analysis, three-course meal, stained glass and quartz glass, Persian carpet, celestial globe.

Our group also would love to present you some pictures that related to the technology during the Islamic civilization:

a) Water Supply and irrigation

b) Water raising machine

c) Monumental water clock

d) Twin cylinder section pump of al-Jazari

.::THE MATHEMATICS::.

Among the achievements of Muslim mathematicians during this period include the development of algebra and algorithms by the Persian and Islamic mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi the invention of spherical trigonometry, the addition of the decimal point notation to the Arabic numerals, the discovery of all the trigonometric functions besides sine, al-Kindi's introduction of cryptanalysis and frequency analysis, al-Karaji's introduction of algebraic calculus and proof by mathematical induction, the development of analytic geometry and the earliest general formula for infinitesimal and integral calculus by Ibn al-Haytham, the beginning of algebraic geometry by Omar Khayyam, the first refutations of Euclidean geometry and the parallel postulate by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, the first attempt at a non-Euclidean geometry by Sadr al-Din, the development of symbolic algebra by Abu al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Qalasadi and numerous other advances in algebra, arithmetic, calculus, cryptography, geometry, number theory and trigonometry.

.::THE SCHOLARS::.

During the Islamic Golden Age, around the middle of the 8th century to the middle of the 13th century, the contribution of scholars and engineers of the Islamic world has emerged. They did contribute to the arts, literature, philosophy, sciences, and technology. They did their own inventions and innovations. It is the main reason behind the achievement blossomed during the Islamic Civilization. Therefore, our group has include this video in under this title. This video is taken from www.youtube.com. We hope, this video can act as part to make people realize the essential of scholars especially those who are ignorance towards Muslim.




1. Ibn al-Haytham (Al-Hazen)

Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham) : Muslim scientist

Name: Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥasan ibn al-Haytham

Title: Ibn al-Haytham and Alhacen

*Ibn al-Haythem made significant improvements in optics, physical science, and the scientific method which influenced the development of science for over five hundred years after his death.
*Ibn al-Haytham's work on optics is credited with contributing a new emphasis on experiment. His influence on physical sciences in general, and on optics in particular, has been held in high esteem and, in fact, ushered in a new era in optical research, both in theory and practice.
*The scientific method is considered to be so fundamental to modern science.

2. Abū Rayhān Muhammad ibn Ahmad Bīrunī

Title: Abu-Rayhan Biruni
Birth: 15 September 973 AD
Death:13 December 1048 AD in Afghanistan

*A Persian polymath scholar of the 11th century.

*He was a scientist and physicist, an anthropologist and comparative sociologist an astronomer and chemist, a critic of alchemy and astrology, an encyclopedias and historian, a geographer and traveler, a geologist, a mathematician, a pharmacy it and psychologist, an Islamic philosopher and theologian, and a scholar and teacher.

3. Muhammad ibn Musa Khwarizmi

*His contributions not only made a great impact on mathematics, but on language as well.

*The word algebra is derived from al-jabber, one of the two operations used to solve quadratic equations as described in his many of his book .


4. Ibn al-Nafis AL-KINDI

Full name: Abū Yūsuf Yaʻqūb ibn Isḥāq al-Kindī
Birth: c. 801, Kufa, Abbasid Caliphate
Death: c. 873, Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate.

*works on psychopathalogy and psychological treatment and circultory system.

.::THE CALIPHATE IN BAGHDAD::.

Abbas took the power from the Ummayads, and then the capital has been transferred to the new city of Baghdad in the 760s. In a sudden, the city became one of the major cultural centres of the entire world, as the Abbasid decorated it with every form of art and encouraged its educational establishments with money and personal participation. Also, the Ummayad institutions of government were developed. In Baghdad, governing powers were exercised by an elaborate, mainly Persian bureaucracy. Vizier, a kind of prime minister was the one who headed for the caliphs and had enormous power. In the administrative division, the emir or governor was the key or crucial person. His responsibility to collect tax was very important to the Baghdad government. The independent-minded emirs were those who always led the rebellions during this reign.

Ulema or high court for the religious issues was the major institutions of the central government. Diwan (financial board) and Kadi (local judge) were those who had jurisdiction in all disputes which incriminate even a Muslim. The sacred law which was based on the Kalamullah, al-Qur’an was operated in a manner by the ulema. It is shari’a. It includes more than religious or doctrinal matters. The decision of ulama’ with the applications of shari’a almost affects the all aspects of public matters and even the private affairs. Al-Qur’anul Karim, the Muslim’s sacred book has been remained as the basis of all law, all administration and government eventhough in a very late date. However, in Modern times and even until today, the Qur’an was still found as the basis of all legal knowledge.

In the Abbasid era, Muslim army was very international in composition. Most of the soldiers were slaves which were taken from all conquered peoples. Most of them were especially from Africans and Egyptians. Their commanders came to have increasing political power as the caliph became weaker. Both the soldiers and commanders were well trained people. The army’s size were incredible large which running up to hundreds of thousands in the field at one period. Still, there is a little doubt that the Abbasid forces were the most impressive of the era and far overshadowed the European’s feudal levies and the Byzantines’ professional soldiery. Abbasid raids into Afghanistan and western India established footholds that were gradually expanded by later Muslim forces.

.::THE HISTORY&ORIGIN::.

Outside of the Latin world, in Spain, Sicily, and North Africa, and surrounding Byzantium in Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, was the world of Islam. For centuries, Islam has both a threat and the source of new ideas to the Greek East and Latin West. Between the 7th and 12th centuries, Islam became the center of a brilliant civilization and of a great scientific, philosophic, and artistic culture. Although its language was neither Greek nor Latin, Islam was produced a great deal of Greek culture which managed to preserve for the Latin West. Generally, it can be said that Islam absorbed and added its culture to the heritage of Greece, Rome, Judaism, Christianity, and the Near East.

In the beginning of Muslims era, there were both open and cautious. They borrowed and integrated elements of other cultures into their own. The new religion of Islam in a moment was adopted elements of Christian, Jewish, and pagan religious beliefs and practices. The Muslims tolerated religious minorities within territories whom had conquered so long as these minorities which recognized Islamic political rule, paid taxes, and did not become an apostate among Muslims. On the other hand, Muslims were careful to protect the purity of their religion, language, and law from any foreign influence. Even though there have the crisis of the passage of time, and with increased conflict with both eastern and western Christians, this protective instinct is still become stronger. Moreover, Islamic culture did not penetrate the west in the same way that Germanic culture did, but it would remain strange as well as threatening to the West.

The most fundamental in Islam was its religion itself and it is true for the medieval west as well. However, by knowing more about early Christianity could make others know more better about early Islam. The reason is because Christianity was produced by a literate culture while Islamic religion was formed largely in an illiterate and nomadic culture. The Arabian Peninsula was considered as the home of Islam. The Peninsula is predominantly deserts and the tribes who inhabited this area were nomadic. They were traveled from place to place. Politically, Islam was not a unified territory also did not have any centralized government.

The great unifying agent in Islamic civilization was clearly defined by our prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He was born at Mecca and raised by moderate family. His father had died in the year of his birth and his mother died when he was 6 years old. At the time of prophet Muhammad's birth, Mecca was one of the most prosperous caravan cities. However, Mecca was still tied to the traditional social and religious life of the Arabian world. In other words, it was governed by the tribal societies of the desert. Membership in the tribe was determined by blood descent. In such an order, the interests of the individual were always subordinate to those of the group or tribe. Each tribe worshipped its own gods in the form of objects from nature (moon, sky, dog, cat, ram) but all Arabs worshipped one object in common: the Kaaba, a large black stone enshrined at Mecca. It was the Kaaba that made Mecca significant as a place of worship and pilgrimage.

As a youth, prophet Muhammad worked as a merchant's assistant, traveling the major trade routes of the Peninsula. When he was 25, he married the widow of a wealthy merchant and became a man of means. He also became a kind of social activist, critical of Meccan materialism, paganism, and the unjust treatment of the poor and needy. Prophet Muhammad worked hard at his career, and like so many "saviors" and prophets, he also was bother by doubts. Because of the problem, he left Meccan society and lived a life of isolation in the desert. In 610, and at the age of 40, he received his first revelation and began to preach. He believed his revelations came directly from God, through the angel Gabriel, who recited God's word to him gradually. These revelations grew into the Qur’an which his followers compiled between 650 and 651. The basic message prophet Muhammad received was a command to all Arabs to submit to God's will or in other word is knowledge of tauhid. As far as tauhid is concerned, Islam means the "submission to the will of God.". The basic beliefs of prophet Muhammad's religion were

(1) God is good and omnipotent

(2) God will judge all men on the last day and assign them their place either in Heaven or Hell

(3) Men should thank God for making the world as it is

(4) God expects men to be generous with their wealth

(5) Muhammad was a prophet sent by God to teach men and warn them of the day of judgment.

It ought to be clear that many of these beliefs are similar to those of the Judeo-Christian tradition. However, Muhammad's religion was not a mere copy. Instead, Muhammad's religion grew as a result of the social and economic conditions of Mecca itself. One other difference ought to be noted. Christianity was produced in an urban environment while the faith of Muhammad was fashioned from his life in the desert. For Muhammad, there were also five obligations which were essential to his faith:

(1) the profession of faith – there is no God but Allah and Muhammad was the last prophet

(2) prayers had to be uttered five times daily

(3) the giving of alms, or charity

(4) fasting

(5) the pilgrimage to Mecca. These laws are recorded in the Qur'an, a book which contains all of the revelations of Muhammad.

.::THE INRODUCTION::.

Islamic civilization took place during the reign of Abbasid dynasty. It was in 750 C.E. The Mongols and then the Ottoman Turks took over the leadership of Islam and continue it with a new enthusiasm nearly after a complete breakdown of the unity of the Baghdad caliphate in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

During the civilization of Islam, the conflicts with other civilization and cultures happen such as with the African, Chinese, Hindu and Christian. However, it sharpened the Muslim’s sense of what was proper and necessary for a life pleasing to God and humans.

Islamic civilization was the envy of the Christian, its neighbour and enemy. It is because of the achievements that have been made during the renaissance of Islam in sciences and arts also.

Our group also would like to present you a video that we took from www.youtube.com. Please enjoy =)

1. This video is about "Our Great Islamic Civilization" created by Dr.Ayman Mosallam and Mohamed El-Sheneky