a nation in flux #7

the 7th century

The Rise of islam

• Muhammad b. 570 in Mecca, a trade town on the Western coast of Arabia.
• While he was a person, his followers are

Muhammad's birth

• Orphaned at a young age, grew up an illiterate shepherd and worked for a time as a merchant.
• Married at age 25 to a 40 yr old widow Hadija.
• By late 30s, early 40s, he began to have visions of the angel Gabriel telling him the divine word.

MUHAMMAD's arabia

• Dozens of warring tribes, with no central leadership and many skirmishes and raids.
• Jewish population in Mecca taught Muhammad the basics of Judaism.
• Proclaims himself the final prophet in a line including the Old and New Testaments.

Beginnings

• Began preaching in public 613CE
• His preachings were recorded by his followers as the Quran. 6000 verses, 114 chapters (sura).
• Includes history, law, suffering on non beleivers
• Ordered 3 prayers a day facing Yerushalayim, fast on yom kippur, circumcision, Shabbat observance.

Early islam

• Monotheistic in nature, not classically idolitory
• Jews in Arabia rejected him, and he turned on them
• Yitzchak is exchanged for Yishmael in the Quran
• Refers to Jews as people of the book
• Speaks of Israel as the Land of the Jews

Jews in the quran

• 2:96: "And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life "
• 3:112 "They shall be humiliated wherever they are encountered."
• 3:181 "and We will say, “Taste the torment of the burning.”"
• 4:96 "Allah has cursed them on account of their unbelief"

the night journey

• 622: Night Journey - Gabriel took out Muhammad's heart and purified it with the waters of the Zamzam well
• Traveled to Al Aqsa on Al-Buraq
• Fled to Medina - The Hijrah

In MEDINA

• Inhabited by 3 Jewish tribes
• 624 & 627 Expelled two of those tribes from Medina
• 627: Battle of the Trench

Conquest of mecca

• Haj back to Mecca. Treaty of Hudaybiyyah with Quraysh broken in year two
• 630: Conquest of Mecca, captured the Qaba, the rock upon which Yishmael was offered, next to the Zamzam well, the place that Yishmael was given water.
• 632: Muhammad Dies

split in islam

• Muhammad did not designate a successor, and had no son
• Abu Bakr, friend and father in law takes over as Caliph. Ruled for three years, succeeded by Umar. These are the Sunnis
• Others appointed Muhammad's son in law, Ali. Shia Muslims. They believe that leadership should be family.

Jerusalem

• 680: Hussein, son of Ali is beheaded by Sunnis in the battle
• 637: Umar invades Yerushalayim, builds the Al Aqsa mosque as well as the mosque of Umar
• He allowed Jews to return to Yerushalayim, and his entry was celebrated by the Jewish community

Dimhi

• Muhammad conquered Hadbar, and created a Jewish tax
• No riding horses, no walking on same street, wearing a yellow star
• This was known as Moslem Tollerance
• Within 2 decades, most Jews were under Islam.

Bavel

• Umar conquered extensively, including Babylon.
• Within 2 decades, most Jews were under Islam.
• 637: Umar befriends Jews in Bavel, and appoints a new Reish Galusa

Reish Galusa

• Harosa II tried to eradicate the Jewish community, killing the Reish Galusa (Rav Chaninai).
• He has a dream of chopping down fruit trees, when a man with red hair hits him in the forehead before cutting the last tree.
• The child grew up as Bustenai

BUSTENAI

• When Umar conquers Bavel, he take one of the kings daughters for himself and gives the other to Bustenai
• Rav Shereira Gaon writes that he is not a descendant of Bustenai, and still is a decendant of David

CONFLICT

• Early Muslims were more interested in conquest than governance.
• Reish Galusa is reinstated, and they would grow to argue with the heads of the Yeshiva.

Sibling rivalry

• The main yeshiva relocated back to Pumbedisa
• Bustenai dies in 670, succeeded by Chisdai, who tried to discredit his half brothers.
• Rav Chaninai ruled that they were Jewish, leading to conflicts.

Beginning of responsa

• 660: First questions are being sent.
• Tefillin on Tisha Be'av?
• Distribution of Marital property?
• Jews and commerce = Jews in Torah