The Critique of Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah Nathan Provost History of the Middle East

The 1320’s may sound like a countless number of years ago, but that period of time was a critical part in the history of the Islamic World. The 1320’s were much more advanced than we thought it was. There was global trade that connected three continents together and triggered the trade in luxury goods and the exchange of ideas. Thus, knowledge was spread by Islamic scholars, building major universities in well-known towns. The people of the Islamic World were civilized, having achieved many noble deeds and maintaining peace with the world.

Beginning with Muhammad’s age from the start of 7th century Islam, Islamic culture and politics have gone a great many events and occurrences. Throughout all of its years, it has boasted both a rich culture and technological/intellectual advancements. The preservation of the Quran, developments in mathematics, and the continued emphasis on respect and charitable nature are just some examples of Islamic achievement. However, as with any growing civilization, Islam has evolved beyond what it originated as. The cultural and political life of Islamic civilization beginning in the 7th century to the end of the Abbasids of the 13th century underwent many changes such as the deteriorating view of women in society and the shift from elected caliphates to dynastical caliphate. But, one aspect that persisted were the religious beliefs and traditions followed by the Islamic people.

The best historians are the ones who write the strongest arguments. To make strong arguments, it's very important to use strong sources. Sources are either primary or secondary. The primary sources are the original ones, which date back to the events of that time period. Secondary sources are the arguments of other historians or anything that talks about primary sources. Choosing the best sources means understanding what the source is saying and using accurate information to make your own argument.

History is one subject that most people choose to believe blindly and not question. We learn from textbooks the proclaimed “truth” of the whole world. As said by Winston Churchill, a British politician and Prime Minister who led Britain to victory during WW2, “History is written by the victors” (“Winston Churchill Quotes”). He is suggesting that history is not always exact and that it is possible that history cannot be necessarily trusted. The novels The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima and A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas use their essential episodes, dialogue, and characters to epitomize the theme that history is written by the victors.

The role of Prophet Muhammad, as both a temporal and religious leader was undeniably an important factor in the success of the Arab conquests. These events took place between 622 and 750, first involving the establishment of a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula, then leading to a Muslim Empire which stretched from central Asia to North Africa and was one of the largest the world has ever seen. This overwhelming success merits explanation, yet this is difficult to establish with certainty, due to the small number and poor quality of surviving sources. Muhammad’s main role was to provide a unifying influence, both during his lifetime when he united a

The analyzed source document entitled The Accounts of The Arab Conquest of Egypt, 642, was written around the tenth century by Sawirus ibn al-Muqaffa, a Coptic Bishop located in al-Ashmunein in upper Egypt. The piece recounts a dream by Roman Emperor Heraclius (c. 575-641), the movement and eventual occupation of the Muslim army in Egypt, the battles fought, the posture of Islam with regard to the predominant Christian presence, the conquest of Alexandria and, the subsequent outcomes. The compilation and timeline of events in the Coptic piece provide the historical community a record to compare and contrast to other records. The context shows how the occupation of Egypt unfolded, who were the major influences –both religious and official – and attempts to demonstrate humanity and respect levels in times of war beyond the face of the battles.

“O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Indeed, Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (Quran 5:67) Prophet Muhammad PBUH, was born to a branch of Quraish family. He was born to Abdullah Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib and Amna Bint Wahab in the year 570 C. He received his “call” which is the message from God carried by the angel Gabriel to deliver the truth about God to his people. Prophet Muhammad PBUH, died in the year 632 C due to fever after that the Umma was in the hands of the Caliphate, which was then passed

The question of “What is History?” is answered through philosophical questions. This led to many tangents which could confuse readers and retract from the strength of the thesis. Furthermore, the concept of history being based on facts almost seems to be refuted as the author states that facts are not always concrete. An example of this is when the Carr mentions that articles are seen as a form of fact, however, that documents only tell what the author of the document believed had happened. Such a rebuttal causes confusion on whether to trust historic “facts,” as all as they seem to be all

In post-classical history, Islam was recognized for its loyalty to Allah and its precise rules of religion. Muhammad, founder of Islam, was born from a nomad-merchant class, giving a pulse to the traveling trait of Islam and its literal veins of expansion throughout the Eurasian borders. While keeping the classic code of Muhammad’s original law underway, Islam’s expansion during 600- 1200 C.E. introduced advanced authority and systems of economic control.

The Muslim Empire grew to encompass a wide range of territory. Their empire included India, Greece, and Rome in addition to many other places. The Muslims were much more advanced than other nations because of their tolerance of other cultures. This enabled them to adopt many of the developments and innovations of the people whose land they conquered. They were able to attain intelligence at the highest level of the time from a specific area they conquered whose main focus of study was that field.

using Ibn Khaldun 's model to explain the history of the Umayyad dynasty and Abbasid dynasty.

The book that we have chosen to review is titled “Lost History, the Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers and Artists”. The author of the book is Michael Hamilton Morgan. The book was published in the year 2007 and also holds the same copyright date. The book is a non-fiction. The main subject matter of the book is the history of the Islamic civilization from the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Many of the problems in the Middle East today are a direct result of actions undertaken in the region 's colonial past. I will argue that both imperialist ineptitude, deliberate meddling and outright deceit by colonial powers have sown seeds of distrust that linger in the Middle East today towards the West. I will claim that artificial boundaries, government structures and societal schisms created in colonial times have entrenched animosities and created internal structural instabilities in the area that are still being resolved. The imposition of Israel into Palestine, I will argue, remains an unresolved product of colonial rule. I will discuss how the discovery of oil and the regions importance as a trade route caused the World Powers to remain engaged in the area and oppressive in their demeanour. Finally I will argue that perhaps the greatest ongoing legacy of colonialism in the Middle east is an imperialist attitude by the west which continues to this day.

Historians, specifically American historians of the 21st century have demonstrated an interest in the Middle East in Islam, due to Americans frequent contact with the Middle East in the early 1960s. Islam and the Middle East have played a remarkable role in Americans discussion and reaction to the events that took place on September 11th, 2001. During this time Americans were beginning to regard the Middle East, Muslims, and Islam as one entity. Americans and the world regarded the Middle East as Islam and Islam as the Middle East. Thus, this correlation between the two made Muslims say Muslim Americans and Muslims in America as less western and more of another, but they were also seen as untrustworthy individuals. Additionally, prior to the September 11th, attacks and an after effect of September 11, was that Muslim men were violent and Muslim women as oppressed individuals. Thus, the perception of Islamophobia and the threat it brings to western society has impacted the discussion of Islamophobia in America.

The history of the Islamic world has been one of weak state institutions and state underperformance, coupled with a high prevalence of violence, both by the state and by individuals. A major reason for these negative trends has been the role of political Islam in privileging homogeneity over diversity, in stifling dissent in public and private life, and the societal stagnation that follows such rigid controls. Malaysia and Indonesia have been notable exceptions to the underperformance of Islamic cultures.