Lost Islamic History

Synopsis

Over the last 1,400 years, a succession of Muslim polities and empires expanded to control territories and peoples stretching from southern France to East Africa and South East Asia. Yet many of the contributions of Muslim thinkers, scientists and theologians, not to mention statesmen and soldiers, have been overlooked. The bestselling Lost Islamic History, now in a new updated edition, rescues from oblivion a forgotten past, charting its narrative from Muhammad to modern-day nation-states. From Abbasids and Ottomans to Mughals and West African kings, Firas Alkhateeb sketches key personalities, inventions and historical episodes to show the monumental impact of Islam on global society and culture.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Cradle of Civilization

* Summary: The book argues that Mecca, not Uruk in Mesopotamia, was the cradle of civilization. Archaeological evidence supports the presence of an advanced culture in Mecca 4,000 years ago.
* Example: The Kaaba in Mecca is believed to have been built by Abraham and Ismail around 2,000 BC.

Chapter 2: The Lost Tribes of Israel

* Summary: The author proposes that the exiled tribes of Israel lived in Arabia and influenced the development of Islam. Hebrew and Arabic share linguistic similarities, and Islamic rituals resemble Jewish practices.
* Example: The Arabic word "Quraysh" may derive from the Hebrew word "Korah," the leader of the Korahites in the Old Testament.

Chapter 3: The Hanifiyya Movement

* Summary: The Hanifiyya was a pre-Islamic monotheistic movement led by Prophet Muhammad's great-grandfather, Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. This movement emphasized the unity of God and preached against idolatry.
* Example: Muhammad's father, Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, embraced Hanifiyya and married Amina, a woman from the Banu Zuhra tribe who was also a Hanif.

Chapter 4: The Birth and Childhood of Muhammad

* Summary: Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570 AD to Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. His father died shortly after his birth, and his mother passed away when he was six.
* Example: Milk came from Muhammad's mother and Halima Sa'diyya, a Bedouin woman who nursed him for two years.

Chapter 5: The Call to Prophethood

* Summary: At the age of 40, Muhammad experienced a divine revelation from the angel Gabriel in the cave of Hira. He was commanded to preach the oneness of God and became known as a prophet.
* Example: The first words revealed to Muhammad were, "Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite, and your Lord is the most generous."

Chapter 6: The Early Meccan Period

* Summary: Muhammad began to preach his message in Mecca, facing opposition from the Quraysh tribe. He gained a small group of followers but was persecuted for his teachings.
* Example: Muhammad's uncle Abu Talib protected him from the Quraysh, even though he did not share his religious beliefs.