TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Muhammad's Teachings
- Some of Muhammad’s teachings had religious and socio-political content – relations between the believer and God and the believer and the rest of mankind – rise of new theological system and rise of new state as well.
- Unique, Separate and unified Islamic community – umma
- Concept of absolute higher authority
- Concept of centralisation of authority within Umma
- UMMA OR COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS – yes communities with religious ties – such as inks of tribes around Harams etc. But umma universal community of believers reflecting one universal God. Main difference monotheism - active rejection of Paganism laid clam to whole pagan population. Notion umma could and must expand to include entire Pagan population – if not mankind implicit. Conscious or unconscious acceptance of such a notion proves most supportive of an extended conquest movement with political and religious character.
- Umma intensity of grip on believer – as umma so unique in character as a monotheistic religious community breaking from it a social and religious crime. Only one so it must be evil to break from it. Sin and a crime.
- Islam intensity to stand against non-believers – “O believers, take not for your intimates outside yourselves; such men spare nothing to run you: they year for you to suffer”. Emphasis separateness leads to social and political centralisation. Umma had to transcend tribal ties – not the same Christian and Judaism – failure to do so endangered believer’s soul.
- Islamic emphasis on broader, supratribal character that enabled its expansion and most enraged Muhammad’s opponents in Quraysh.
- Political consolidation aided by concept of absolute higher authority in divine law – God’s omnipotence and omniscience – ultimate lawgiver and judge of all human action : “Judgement belongs to God, the All-high, the All-great”
- Ste of rules, some explicit, transcends tribal ties. Set of rules that transcend boundaries of tribal identity and claimed universal validity.
- Did not bring end to lex talionis or divine law – too deep rooted, but Qaran placed strict limitations – favour of blood money and only single retaliation.
- Yes retaliatory system still there but -persistent no. Divine law and RS meant feuding not to be tolerated – act added to the cohesiveness of the Islamic community. Principle higher authority stood behind and regulated retaliatory system.
- Insistence on primacy of the absolute authority in relations “No confederacy in Islam” – umma eliminate conflicting political associations. Greatly adds to cohesiveness.
- Divine lad – sets stage for orderly approach to social and political relations – eased way for state bureaucracy as idea supreme authority accept administrators representing that authority.
- Notion of centralised authority – one locus of divine power makes it easier to accept one locus of political authority. Muhammad’s claim to prophet hood only contemporary channel of communication with the divine and mundane – all religious authority radiated through Muhammad. – Absolute and all embracing law of Muhammad applied by Muhammad. From constitution of Medina “Whenever you differ about a matter it must be referred to God and to Muhammad - Muhammad in a position to claim absolute religious and political authority to the umma.
- Yes Muhammad’s charisma helped but Islam’s impetus towards centralisation real vehicle divine law and umma – heritable by Muhammad’s successor. “Those who swear fealty to thee swear fealty in truth to God”
- Set stage for great process of integration and expansion that we call Islamic conquests – Islam provided powerful ideological underpinning for rise of state institutions and for interfering with community that extended beyond the tribe. “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the apostle of God”.
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