The Bamberg Introduction to the History of Islam (BIHI)

The Bamberg Introduction to the History of Islam (BIHI) provides an overview of the history of Islam by Prof. Dr. Patrick Franke across 14 chapters. Franke utilizes this material as the foundation for his lectures at the University of Bamberg. As an Open Educational Resource, however, it can be used by other educational institutions or for self-study purposes. The text, which is updated regularly, features links to enlargeable illustrations, maps, digitized materials, selected Wikipedia articles for further reading, and Qur'anic quotes, and thus giving it an interactive character. Questions and tasks at the end of each chapter are designed to assess the level of knowledge.

Please be aware that not all linked Wikipedia articles meet scholarly quality criteria. Articles supervised from an academic perspective are exclusively those included in the Bamberg Encyclopedia of Islam. Please also observe the citation guidelines provided there.

Please note that this page is a translation of Professor Franke’s course, originally posted on the German Wikiversity. The pages are currently being translated and updated. You can find the complete course on the German Wikiversity under Bamberger Einführung in die Geschichte des Islams (BEGI).

1	Fundamentals, Arabia on the Eve of Islam - The first session covers preliminary topics, introduces the lecture's concept, and examines the religious, social, and political landscape of late antique Arabia and its influence on Islam. Special emphasis is placed on the tensions between the various religious cultures that set the stage for the emergence of Hanīfism, and subsequently, Islam.
2	The Beginnings of the New Religion: Muhammad in Mecca - This session explores Muhammad's religious development within the Hanīfic milieu, his followers, and his confrontations with opponents in Mecca up to the year 622. His early religious message is then reconstructed on the basis of Qur'anic statements. Finally, the new forms of worship that defined the emerging religious community are discussed.
3	The Prophet of Yathrib and the New Polity (622-630) - The center of the new religion shifts to the oasis of Yathrib, with warfare taking center stage. Muhammad and his followers engage in battles against pagan Mecca and increasingly come into conflict with the Jews of Yathrib, who are eventually expelled from the oasis. As the leader of the new community, Muhammad implements various legal, social, and religious reforms.
4	The Expansion of the Islamic State and the Early Caliphate (630-656) -The state of Yathrib (Medina) rises to become the most dominant power in Arabia. Though Muhammad’s death in 632 plunged the state into a deep crisis, this challenge was swiftly overcome. With the support of the Arab tribes, an expansionist movement was set in motion, leading to the conquest of the entire Middle East. Notable religious innovations: the reform of the calendar and the codification of the Qur’an.
5	The Division of the Ummah: Kharijites and Shiites (656-692) - The tensions that had already become apparent during ʿUthmān's caliphate erupted fully, leading to a significant divide within the Muslim community. The Muslim community splits into various subgroups, each developing its own religious and political doctrines, and clashing with one another. The Umayyads construct the Dome of the Rock as an alternative sacred site to the Kaaba. Muftis and Qur’an exegetes emerge as new religious specialists.
6	The Disintegration of the Jihad State and the Beginnings of Fiqh (692-750) -The early Islamic expansionist movement reaches its zenith and decline. Social tensions between Arabs and non-Arabs intensify. Murji'a, Qadarīya, Jahmīya, and Ibādīya emerge as new religious-political parties. In addition, a distinct Islamic normative doctrine, known as fiqh, emerges and is cultivated in various local schools.
7	Traditionalism, Rationalism, and the Beginnings of Ismāʿīlīya (750-930) - The unity of the Islamic empire disintegrates. The Abbasids and Alids, two families from the Prophet's clan, struggle for power. Two opposing religious cultures emerge with Kalām and Hadith scholarship. The question of the Qur’anic createdness divides Muslims. The Shi'a continues to diversify; the Shi'a Fatimid dynasty rose to power in the west.
8	The Shiite Century and the Consolidation of Sunnism (930–1173) - Most Islamic countries are ruled by Shiite dynasties. These dynasties promote not only Shiite scholarship and a cultural memory but also Muʿtazilite theology and philosophy. Beginning around 1050, a "Sunni restoration" commences, despite significant dogmatic differences within the Sunni camp. Islam increasingly spreads to Africa.
9	The Flourishing of Sufi Orders and Twelver Shia (1173-1517) - The Sufi mystical tradition gains increasing prominence and receives patronage from rulers. The Mongol invasion causes great upheaval but ultimately contributes to the further spread of Islam. The Egyptian Mamluks secure authority over Islam's sacred sites and uphold an Abbasid "shadow caliphate." Twelver Shia is adopted as the state ideology in Iran.
10	The Ottoman Supremacy and the Rise of the Wahhabis (1517–1813) - Islamization advances in the Balkans and Southeast Asia. The Ottoman Empire rises as the new Islamic superpower, with a definite Sunni-orientation, while the Safavid state emerges as its Shiite counterpart. In the Indian Mughal Empire, efforts to establish a new cross-religious doctrine fail. In Arabia, Wahhabism emerges as a new rigorist branch of Islam.