On the evening of July 14 2016, during the celebrations of Bastille day in Nice (France), a white 19 tonne cargo truck turned onto Promenade des Anglais, which was closed off to traffic at the time. The truck accelerated, building speed before plowing into a crowd of people lining the promenade. Traveling a total of 1.7km in this fashion, the vehicle finally come to a halt near the Palais de la Méditerranée. The driver, Tunisian born Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, was subsequently shot and killed by 2 police officers. Lasting all of 5 minutes, the carnage left 85 people dead and over 300 injured.

The Nice assault was the most recent of 3 large scale attacks that have occurred in France since the beginning of 2015. All 3 have similarities in the sense that they all seemingly targeted victims at random. The only binding distinction of the victims is that they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was no doubt, the goal of each was to inflict maximum carnage. The media covering the attacks, as well as the majority of news-watching individuals worldwide immediately speculated that the driver was Muslim. Not a psychopath that had gone off the rails, not a drug fueled maniac that thought he was mowing down zombies, nor even a member of an international terrorist network. It was simply assumed that the instigator of these attacks was Muslim. That assumption proved correct.

How is that this ideology has become synonymous with acts of violence against innocent citizens?

How many of us here in the West really know anything about Islam? Could a more thorough knowledge help us understand why these events are taking place and potentially realise a solution to put an end to them?As objectively as possible, I’ll do my best to condense an incredibly complex belief system into 2 relatively short blog posts.

Part 1 will cover the formation of Islam, the early advances, through to what’s referred to as the ‘golden age’. This period covers roughly half of the religions history, from 610 through to the end of the 13th century. This is a brief history of Islam..

In The Beginning..

A boy by the given name of Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim was born in the city of Mecca, 570 AD. Although no-one knew it at the time, this child would go on to shape the face of humanity, leaving a legacy that would ultimately influence the lives of some 1.5 billion people over 1,400 years after his death. The boy went by the name of Muhammad. He would grow up to become the prophet of Islam.

Little is know of Muhammad’s early life, except for a few key facts.

His father died before he was born

His mother died when he was 6 years old, followed by his grandfather a short time later. He was left to be raised by his uncle (Abu talib)

He worked as a merchant and at 25, married a 40 year old widow by the name of Khadijah

By middle-age, Muhammad had grown worried about his city of Mecca (located in modern day Saudi Arabia). He saw more sophisticated civilisations based on Christianity and Judaism and worried that the pagan tribes of his region were losing their social and cultural values (*This is an important point- Islam is seen as a reforming religion, bringing together an assorted ‘melting pot’ of pagan beliefs in the Arabian peninsula. Muhammad just so happened to believe they needed a unifying faith). It was around this time that he had begun trips up to a cave on the summit of the local Mt Hira, where he food fast and pray during the month of Ramadan.

During one of these trips, in 610, his life’s trajectory was to change ever so slightly. He was visited by the archangel Gabriel (the same one from both the old and new testaments) who introduced himself (itself?) as a messenger from above and began to recite gods word. After perhaps pinching himself a few times, Muhammad began to listen intently and memorise what he was told. There were to be several visits over a period of months before Muhammad, a reluctant prophet at first, eventually resigned himself as the chosen messenger of god. The verses spoken by Gabriel were resigned to memory and later written down by his followers. After Muhammad’s death, these written revelations would be compiled into what is now known as the Quran (“the recitation”)

*Note: One of the key differences with Islam, as opposed to Christianity and Judaism, the other great monotheistic religions, is that Islam proclaims itself as the ‘last revelation’ or gods final word to mankind. In essence, this makes the new religion somewhat unimpeachable.

*Another note- The Quran is seen as the literal word of god, written in gods own words. It was an enormous burden that was placed on Muhammad not to mess anything up.. Particularly difficult for a man that was illiterate.

Again, despite now believing himself the transmitter of god’s will, the reluctant prophet waited 3 years before he began preaching his new faith publicly. Followers were slow to come (could’ve use some tips from the Kardashians) but his preaching did eventually catch the attention of the local polytheistic crowd. This lot weren’t too keen on a singular god (Allah, the word for god in Arabic) and drove Muhammad and his followers out of Mecca.

Muhammad and a following of some 80 families made the journey from Mecca to the city of Medina in 622, officially marking the beginning of the Muslim era. Over the next 8 years there were continual battles waged back and forth between Mecca and Medina, neither side truly gaining ascendancy. Muhammad’s following also continued to grow, Islam as it was now called.

The word Islam, of Arabic origin, translates to mean ‘submission’ or ‘surrender’, presumably to God. Although it’s argued among Islamic scholars, many believe this to mean ‘enslavement’ to God.

The faith was spread through military conquest, as would be the theme throughout most of Islams early history. Besides being the messenger of god, Muhammad was also a very capable general, commanding his army of followers to gain converts through physical force (hence the expression that Islam was “spread by the sword”). By 1930, he had conquered much of the Arabian peninsula. The city of Mecca was next. Muhammad and an estimated 10,000 Muslims advanced on Mecca and were met with little resistance. The prophet was now the most powerful man in Arabia, although there was little intention to stop there..

A Faith Divided

Muhammad’s rein over Arabia was short lived. In 632, at the age of 62, the prophet fell ill and died. This was incredibly overwhelming for the Ummah (Muslim Community). Not only had they lost the last messenger of God, Muhammad had failed to announce a successor when he was alive and no contingency plan was in place. To say this has proved divisive would be an understatement. This singular command could have saved millions upon millions of lives and spared centuries of inner-faith conflict. So history goes..

The first caliph, or successor, to Muhammad was his close companion Abu Bakr. This decision wasn’t by majority consensus, nor universally popular. Ali, the prophets cousin & son in-law (it was the 7th century..) believed he should be named the successor, as Muhammad’s closest blood relation. After numerous threats to his family, Ali relented and acknowledged Abu Bakr as the prophets first successor. Not all was hunky-dory. There would be a simmering tension for the next 24 years as Islam grew into the burgeoning empire it was to become.

Bakr only lasted 2 years before he met his maker and the 2nd Caliph, Umar, was appointed. Under Umar, the Muslims made huge military advances across modern day Iraq, Syria, Palestine and even across to Egypt. More on this in a moment. After a 10 year rein, Umar was assassinated be a Persian prisoner of war. He had already elected his successor as Uthman, the third Caliph. Muslim conquests continue under Uthman until he too, was assassinated. This time, things were a little different.

The assassination took place by supporters of Ali, believing him to be the true successor to prophet Muhammad. In 656, Ali was finally named a caliph. This did not go down well with many and led to a 5 year civil conflict know as the first Fitna (‘temptation’ or ‘affliction’). It was almost inevitable then, that Ali too would be assassinated, as he was, in 661. Although Ali’s son, Hassan, had been named his successor, it was clear that the power belonged in the hands of Muawiyah, who would become the sixth caliph.

It was at this point where Islam was forever divided and two distinct tribes began to emerge. Things get rather complicated at this point so I will forgo much of the fine detail. Essentially the first tribe, now lead by Muawiyah, declares a new Caliphate (Muslim area) and moves the capital from Medina to Damascus. This tribe are what’s know as the Sunni Muslims. The second tribe failed to acknowledge Muawiyah as their caliph, instead declaring Hassan and then his son as their leaders. These are the Shia. Today Sunni’s make up the majority of the religion, around 85-90% by all estimates, while Shia are by far the minority. This divide plays a prevalent role throughout Islamic history and I will touch on it again a number of times.

The Golden Age

I will skip ahead slightly (100 years or so) to what’s understandably called the Islamic ‘Golden Age’, which appears to begin just prior to the start of the 9th century. This was a truly glorious time in the history of Islam as the religion flourished from a largely uneducated tribal culture, into an empire, one of the largest in modern history. During this period the Muslim community established itself as a world leader in science, economics, trade, technology, education and literature. Listed below are just a few of the great achievements of this era, this post is intended to be a brief history of Islam after all.

Achievements during the golden age

Literature : Scholars, both Muslim and non-Muslim, translated the classic works of Greek, Roman, Persian, Egyptian into Arabic. Writings of authors such as Aristotle and Plato would’ve otherwise been lost forever. A ‘house of knowledge’ was established in Baghdad for this very purpose. Scholars were highly regarded, supposedly receiving pay equivalent to today’s athletes.

: Scholars, both Muslim and non-Muslim, translated the classic works of Greek, Roman, Persian, Egyptian into Arabic. Writings of authors such as Aristotle and Plato would’ve otherwise been lost forever. A ‘house of knowledge’ was established in Baghdad for this very purpose. Scholars were highly regarded, supposedly receiving pay equivalent to today’s athletes. Science : Ibn Al-Haytham is termed ‘the world first true scientist’. Al-Haytham wrote the ‘book of optics’, significantly refining the field, while his work greatly contributed to what’s know as the ‘modern scientific method’. The scientific stable of peer review also has its origins here. Medieval Muslim chemists are often referred to as the ‘founders of chemistry’, while numerous advancements were also made in biology, geography, geology and psychology. Yes, modern science owes a great deal of thanks to the Islamic pioneers of this era.

: Ibn Al-Haytham is termed ‘the world first true scientist’. Al-Haytham wrote the ‘book of optics’, significantly refining the field, while his work greatly contributed to what’s know as the ‘modern scientific method’. The scientific stable of peer review also has its origins here. Medieval Muslim chemists are often referred to as the ‘founders of chemistry’, while numerous advancements were also made in biology, geography, geology and psychology. Yes, modern science owes a great deal of thanks to the Islamic pioneers of this era. Institutions : Public hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, public libraries, degree-granting universities, and astronomical observatories can all trace their roots to this period of Islamic history.

: Public hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, public libraries, degree-granting universities, and astronomical observatories can all trace their roots to this period of Islamic history. Economy: Muslim trade led to significant globalisation during this period, as regions previously unknown to each other were now connected by Islamic merchants. Trade networks extended from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Indian Ocean and China Sea in the east. The Islamic empire was the leading economic power of the time. Ibn Khalid is credited with the inception of sociology and economic theory.

Muslim trade led to significant globalisation during this period, as regions previously unknown to each other were now connected by Islamic merchants. Trade networks extended from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Indian Ocean and China Sea in the east. The Islamic empire was the leading economic power of the time. Ibn Khalid is credited with the inception of sociology and economic theory. Technology : Check out some of these inventions attributed to the Islamic Golden Age: vertical axle windmill, hookah, water raising machine, early torpedo, guitar, lute, camera obscura, stained glass and perhaps most impressive of all: coffee. Yes you can thank Islam for that delightful substance that keeps you powering through a rough day.

: Check out some of these inventions attributed to the Islamic Golden Age: vertical axle windmill, hookah, water raising machine, early torpedo, guitar, lute, camera obscura, stained glass and perhaps most impressive of all: coffee. Yes you can thank Islam for that delightful substance that keeps you powering through a rough day. Mathematics: There may no contribution more impressive than what Islam has done for mathematics. The numbers 1, 2, 3.. those are Arabic numerals, first created during this period. Algebra, trigonometry and geometry can all trace their origins to the golden age.

It’s difficult to overstate the developments that were made during the Golden Age. For a period of some 6 centuries, the Islamic empire was undoubtedly the most advanced civilisation on Earth. The way was paved for Europe’s enlightenment and Renaissance which has created the world as we know it today.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end…

The End of an Era

There is no particular date that is widely accepted to mark the end of the Islamic golden age. Although a few suggest it lasted right through to the 16th century, it seems most likely the period of significant innovation was over in the mid 13th century, as the Mongols sacked Baghdad and executed the last Abbasid caliph. I’ll run with this. So the key question then; what happened?

The hub of innovation during the middle ages provides such a stark contrast to Islam in the modern day. Despite a modern population of 1.6 billion, the Muslim world has only contributed 2 Nobel prize winners for science. 46 Muslim nations contribute just 1% of scientific literature. If ‘golden age’ Islam was the world leader in scientific thought, modern Islam is the exact opposite.

The Mongol invasion during the 13th century certainly cut deeply into the Islamic empire, burning libraries, killing leaders and often razing entire villages. Similarly, the crusades took of the land in Southern Europe and north Africa. These two events sent Islam into territorial and economic decline, but it appears the intellectual decline was already well underway.

What seems to have been the real downfall of scientific and philosophical advancement, was the rise of the anti-philosophical and anti-rationalist Ash’arism school among Sunni Muslims, who comprise the vast majority of the Muslim world. Ash’arites believed that God is the ‘only cause’, so that the world is a series of discrete physical events each willed by God. With that belief, it’s almost entirely unnecessary to study the natural world as though the act of science itself were to challenge God’s will. This also resulted in a more literal and strict interpretation of the Quran and movement away from secular thought.

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali was one of the leading practioners of the Ash’arism school of thought. He believed that reason, because it teaches us to discover, question, and innovate, was the enemy. This is undoubtedly a widely held few among the fundamentalist teachers of Islam today.

Unfortunately, this Ash’ari belief has continued through to this day in a large portion of the Muslim world. As a result, Islam has never been able to reach the lofty heights previously achieved during it’s golden age. If Islam had maintained it’s ability to promote reason and critical thought, one has to to wander at how much further along the timeline of advancement would we be as of 2016. I’m almost certain we would be looking at the Muslim World in a different light.

Stay tuned for part 2 of A Brief History of Islam, covering the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the division of the Middle East and the causes of terrorism in the Islamic World.

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