Caliph Ali

This site is a study of the life of the "Fourth Noble Caliph," Ali ibn Abi Talib. Much of early Islamic history can be associated with the life of the Caliph Ali, who was also the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law.

http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/itl/denise/ali.htm

Questions for exploration:

Who were the "four righteous Caliphs?" What happened to Ali's two sons, Hasan and Husayn? How did the Kharijites, Ali's most ardent supporters, come to oppose him? What is an imam?

Islam, Sharia, and Democracy

This site reviews the evolution of the Islamic State and the split between Shia and Sunni Islam. It then examines the sources of Islamic law and the history of the relationship between Islamic law and democracy.

http://www.unn.ac.uk/societies/islamic/law/antmy.htm

Questions for exploration:

Discuss the three chief sources of Islamic law. How are Western ideas about the separation of Church and State valuable, but also flawed in the minds of some Muslims and Christians? The author says that movements toward a more Islamic state should not, but can go wrong. How can they go wrong? For example, the author argues that Christians and Jews should be protected under Islamic rule, but says that today they still may fall victim to persecution. Who are the persecutors? What are the moral strengths of a fully functioning Islamic democracy? Is there a truth here many Christians who seek a more "moral" government might find attractive? Final questions: in a democratic Islamic state, would Jews or Christians have the right to vote? Should they have that right? What about non-Muslims who are not Christians or Jews, unbelievers or individuals of conscience who do not recognize the divine authority of the state? What is their possible status?

Arabic Calligraphy, Tile and Pottery

This site offers an introduction to significant forms of early Islamic art.

http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/islam/b04/Islam_Arabic_Calligraphy.html

Questions for exploration:

What are the basic characteristics of early Arab Muslim calligraphy? What are the most common inscriptions? What is a luster painting?

The Caliph Umar I and Early Islam

This site is devoted to the examination of the Islamic World to 1600 and offers a good introduction into the key policies of the crucial Caliphate of Umar I.

http://www.ucalgary.ca/hist/tutor/islam/

Questions for exploration:

What steps did the Caliph Umar take to see that the rapidly expanding Islamic Empire was not destroyed by its own success? Where did he look for assistance in building an imperial infrastructure? What was the non-religious basis for early Islamic religious tolerance? At the time of Caliph Umar I’s death, what was the size of the Islamic Empire relative to that of imperial China?

Islamic Architecture

These two sites offer excellent introductions to Islamic architecture and its impact on the West: http://www.islamicart.com/main/architecture/intro.htm and http://www.islamicart.com/main/architecture/impact.htm

Questions for exploration:

What are some common elements or desired characteristics of a private house in the Muslim world? Trace the impact of Arab and Islamic arts on the West.

Jerusalem under Muslim rule

This site takes a look at life in Jerusalem during the early years of Muslim rule.

http://www.american.edu/projects/mandala/TED/hpages/jeruselum/muslim.htm

Questions for exploration:

What did Muslims call Jerusalem? Why is the city holy to Muslims? What Christian practice disgusted Caliph Umar when he first entered the city? What Christian practice about Jewish residency in the city did Umar abolish? The related site mentioned here provides more details of Christian life in Jerusalem from a Jewish perspective: http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Archaeology/Nea.html.

An Arab Diplomat in Byzantium

This site, a document selected from the Internet’s Medieval Sourcebook, is an account by an Arab Ambassador in Constantinople in the late 10th century.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/byz-arabambas.html

Questions for exploration

How do the discussions recorded here touch on the problems posed by translated documents? Why does the Arab envoy regard the Byzantine position as somewhat ridiculous? Do the Byzantines seem interested in a fair settlement? How does the status of the Byzantine prince in exile in Baghdad seem to the Arab negotiator to be proof of the Abbasid Empire's superior moral and practical approach to politics?

Early Christianity in an Islamic Perspective

This site offers an essay that argues that the "Trinitarian" Christianity that was established by the Council of Nicea not only widened Christianity's break with Judaism, but also acted later to widen the gulf between Christianity and Islam.

http://homepages.haqq.com.au/salam/earlychristians/truechri.html

Questions for exploration:

Who does this article allege are "True Christians?" Are these Christians consistent with the teachings of Islam? Can they be found in the Qur'an? Why would a Muslim find these Christians more to her or his liking in terms of religious theology? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this author’s arguments?