Emergence of Islam in the Middle East Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction

Islam is one of the youngest and most popular religions in the modern world. Today it is the second-largest religion, with around 1-1.8 billion followers in various states around the globe. It has its unique culture, philosophy, and beliefs impacting the development of nations, their evolution, and their role in the global discourse. Today, numerous fast-evolving and powerful nations are Islamic ones, with a tendency towards a further increase in their significance and population growth. For instance, the Middle Eastern region is one of the strategically important and fast-evolving areas that are viewed as centers of the Islamic world because of their economic power and culture. However, the process of Islamization attracts interest because of its unique peculiarities and numerous gaps in its understanding. Following one of the popular versions, Islam emerged because of the unique cultural peculiarities of the area and spread to the Middle East through the conversion, which implied a missionary mission, prolonged interaction, and formation of a unique culture.

Roots of Islam

An enhanced understanding of the Middle East’s conversion to Islam can be acquired by analyzing its roots and origin. Following the dominant view, religion appeared in Mecca and Medina, which are nowadays cities in Saudi Arabia¹. The period of Late Antiquity was characterized by specific changes in the religious background of the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula and a lack of centralized power². The political disorder created a vacuum of power that was beneficial for the emergence and rise of new states. At the same time, the first roots of Christianity, Judaism, and local beliefs introduced questions about the conversion to foreign religions or selecting a unique path beneficial for the rise of local entities³. As a result, Islam emerged as a composition of local views, beliefs, and philosophies⁴. It met the existing need for the idea that could unify divided entities and serve as the national idea. As a result, the fast evolution of Islam can be viewed as a result of the peculiarities of the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula.

The cultural roots of Islam can also be found in the Greek invasion of Asia Minor. Alexander the Great defeated the Persian Empire and created the basis for the massive migration of ancient Greek philosophy to the region⁵. The Ptolemaic period that followed Alexander’s conquest was characterized by the increased importance of Alexandria as the center of Greek culture, which facilitated its further spread and popularization in the region⁶. Thus, when Egypt became part of the Arab world, the strong impact of current values was preserved. As a result, the region became the place where Greek, Syriac, pre-Islamic, and Indian values interacted⁷. The unique mixture of values and beliefs resulted in the emergence of a new philosophic idea and the rise of Islam as one of the young religions.

Middle East Conversion to Islam

In such a way, while the cultural roots for the emergence of Islam remain clear, the way it spread to other regions, including the Middle East, is disputed. Thus, Carlson offers the idea accepted by most scholars, stating that conversion was the main mechanism by which the Middle East transformed into a Muslim region⁸. At the same time, there is a lack of understanding linked to the timeline of the conversion process, and people viewing Islam as their religion comprised 51% of the population⁹. The start of the first Arab Islamic conquests and the Islamization of the Middle East can be viewed as the period of the radical region’s transformation impacting all spheres, such as economic, cultural, and social ones¹⁰. As a result, the area became one of the most powerful centers of Islam in the world.

Missionary Endeavors

Moreover, the spread of Islam in the Middle Eastern region can be associated with missionary endeavors. Carlson argues that as against the common polemical European assumption of Muslims cultivating their religion through conquest, missionaries played a more critical role in popularizing Islam and teaching the population its basics¹¹. The lack of documents and information about this era complicates research; however, Carlson admits that the conquest helped to impact the elites and the ruling class and make them accept the faith of the conquerors, while most of the population preserved their values¹². At the same time, there is no evidence of repressions related to religion¹³. It means that missionary endeavors supported by economic factors and overall transformation associated with the conquest promoted the entry of Islam into the region and its popularization.

Culture

Furthermore, culture is often viewed as another factor explaining the emergence of Islam in the Middle East and its popularization. Carlson admits that the region was inhabited mainly by the agricultural peasantry with their specific culture and beliefs¹⁴. The process of their beliefs’ change was much slower compared to ruling elites that were part of a new state with its religion¹⁵. However, the gradual alteration of their values evidences the cultural exchange and similarities of philosophies, which simplified the conversion to a new religion and its acceptance by the majority¹⁶. In such a way, the process of the Middle East’s transformation into the Islamic region was successful due to the favorable conditions such as the mentalities of the local population and their readiness to accept a new religion as the factor differentiating them from others and helping to support their state’s development.

Role of Peaceful Interaction, Culture and Missionaries

In such a way, the emergence and spread of Islam in the Middle East can be linked to the unique mixture of cultures peculiar to the region’s rise and conquest of Arabian Islamic states and the successful conversion of the local population. Carlson views Islamization as a prolonged process that is linked to these factors¹⁷. Thus, these arguments are supported by other investigators, which proves their relevance. For instance, Knutson and Ellis view conversion as one of the most potent tools for Islam’s spread to various regions¹⁸. They assume that conversion to Islam is a challenging subject because of the lack of evidence; it remains one of the most probable ways of the radical cultural and religious changes in the medieval era¹⁹. Using the example of cultural interactions between the Muslim states and Medieval Europe, they prove that Islamic philosophy could peacefully attract new followers²⁰. It resulted in its spread in the Middle East and other regions. Acknowledging the benefits of a new religion and its unique nature, non-elites were ready to accept it to start belonging to a new fast fast-evolving entity.

The importance of the missionary endeavor discussed above is also evidenced by several works. For instance, Zadeh accepts the idea that the Arab conquest was one of the critical factors promoting the rise of Islam and its entering the Middle East²¹. However, Panchenko emphasizes that conquered peoples were allowed to preserve their religion, culture, and beliefs²². They were not forced to join Islam and avoid practicing old rituals or worship²³. It proves the tolerance of conquerors and their focus on another way of spreading their religion, which is missionary efforts. The Islamic elites comprised the minority on new lands, while the mostly uneducated and agricultural population had no access to knowledge²⁴. For this reason, the missionaries had several important missions, such as the population’s conversion to Islam and their education about the peculiarities of a new culture, religion, and state²⁵. As a result, the transformation required much time; however, the Middle East became one of the centers of Islam and promoted its entrance to other regions.

Furthermore, the role of culture in the pre-Islamic Arab Peninsula and Middle East is supported by other authors. For instance, Sahner says that the variety of beliefs and religions that. existed on the territory before Islam created favorable conditions for its entry and development²⁶. Moreover, sometimes Muslims who were minority at the start, converted to Christianity²⁷. The absence of the clash of cultures resulted in increased tolerance and the ability to interact with representatives of other religions. Thus, marriages between Muslim men and women belonging to other religions contributed to the further Islamization of the population. Children from these marriages were Muslims, which facilitated the conversion and the future transformation of the land into the potent center of Islam²⁸. That is why the absence of radical tensions between cultural and religious values and the peaceful approach selected by elites while dealing with local beliefs helped to attain the desired outcomes and cultivate a new paradigm of relations within a society.

In such a way, the idea of the Middle East’s becoming a center of Islam due to conversion is supported by numerous researchers. Carlson’s ideas of missionary endeavor, the similarity of cultures, and gradual transformation explain how a new religion managed to move with the Arab conquerors and became the dominant paradigm of relations in the region. At the same time, there is another view stating that the conquest and Islamization by the sword was the major facilitator of Muslim’s world development²⁹. Although this assumption might be reasonable, the long era of transformation and the pieces of evidence showing the gradual alteration of the region’s culture refute it. The emergence of Islam coincided with a period of political instability and a search for a new idea that could unite the nation. For this reason, the peaceful conversion supported by the political transformation and emergence of new empires supported Islam’s spread to other regions and its becoming a global religion.

Conclusion

Altogether, the emergence of Islam and its spread to the Middle Eastern region became one of the events that altered the world’s history. The young religion appeared in the lands now known as Saudi Arabia; however, the Arab conquest and the rise of Arab states contributed to its movement to other territories. Most scholars agree that conversion was the primary tool helping to make the population of the Middle East accept a new faith and join a new cultural entity. The process was supported by the missionary endeavor and similarity of views. As a result, the Middle Eastern region became one of the global centers of Islam, supporting its further development and movement to new regions due to trade, political and cultural ties, and international cooperation.

Bibliography

Carlson, Thomas. “When Did the Middle East Become Muslim?” Trends in the Study of Islam’s “Age of conversions”.” History Compass 16, no. 10 (2018): 1-10.

Esposito, John. Islam: The Straight Path. 5th ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Knutson, Sara, and Caitlin Ellis. “‘Conversion’ to Islam in Early Medieval Europe: Historical and Archaeological Perspectives on Arab and Northern Eurasian Interactions.” Religions 12, no. 7 (2021): 544.

Panchenko, Constantine. Orthodoxy and Islam in the Middle East: The Seventh to the Sixteenth Centuries. Translated by Brittany Noble and Samuel Noble. New York, NY: Holy Trinity Publications, 2021.

Sahner, Christian. “Swimming against the Current: Muslim Conversion to Christianity in the Early Islamic Period.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 136, no. 2 (2016): 265-284.

Wang, Shutao. “The Origins of Islam in the Arabian Context.” Master’s Thesis, University of Bergen, 2016.

Zadeh, Travis. Mapping Frontiers Across Medieval Islam: Geography, Translation and the ‘Abbasid Empire. London: I.B.Tauris, 2017.

Footnotes

1. Shutao Wang, “The Origins of Islam in the Arabian Context” (Master’s Thesis, University of Bergen, 2016), 12.
2. Travis Zadeh, Mapping Frontiers Across Medieval Islam: Geography, Translation and the ‘Abbasid Empire (London: I.B.Tauris, 2017), 43.
3. Christian Sahner, “Swimming against the Current: Muslim Conversion to Christianity in the Early Islamic Period,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 136, no. 2 (2016): 265.
4. Shutao Wang, “The Origins of Islam in the Arabian Context” (Master’s Thesis, University of Bergen, 2016), 12.
5. John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path. 5th ed. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016), 13.
6. Esposito, 13.
7. Esposito,13.
8. Thomas Carlson, “When Did the Middle East Become Muslim?” Trends in the Study of Islam’s “age of conversions”,” History Compass 16, no. 10 (2018): 3.
9. Carlson, 2.
10. Carlson, 2
11. Carlson, 2
12. Carlson, 3
13. Constantine Panchenko, Orthodoxy and Islam in the Middle East: The Seventh to the Sixteenth Centuries, translated by Brittany Noble and Samuel Nobl (New York, NY: Holy Trinity Publications, 2021), 98.
14. Carlson, 7
15. Carlson, 7
16. Carlson, 8
17. Carlson, 6
18. Sara Knutson and Caitlin Ellis, “‘Conversion’ to Islam in Early Medieval Europe: Historical and Archaeological Perspectives on Arab and Northern Eurasian Interactions,” Religions 12, no. 7 (2021): 544.
19. Knutson and Ellis, 544.
20. Knutson and Ellis, 544.
21. Travis Zadeh, Mapping Frontiers Across Medieval Islam: Geography, Translation and the ‘Abbasid Empire (London: I.B.Tauris, 2017), 43.
22. Constantine Panchenko, Orthodoxy and Islam in the Middle East: The Seventh to the Sixteenth Centuries, translated by Brittany Noble and Samuel Nobl (New York, NY: Holy Trinity Publications, 2021), 34.
23. Panchenko, 44.
24. Travis Zadeh, Mapping Frontiers Across Medieval Islam: Geography, Translation and the ‘Abbasid Empire (London: I.B.Tauris, 2017), 47.
25. Zadeh, 89.
26. Christian Sahner, “Swimming against the Current: Muslim Conversion to Christianity in the Early Islamic Period,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 136, no. 2 (2016): 265.
27. Sahner, 265.
28. John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path. 5th ed. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016), 33.
29. Esposito, 101.