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 reader's 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 published 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 Ḥanīfism, 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 memorial culture 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 doctrine 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.
11	Development and Peak of Modernist Islam (1813-1924) — The encroachment of European powers into the Islamic world forces Muslims to rethink their beliefs and societal structures. Islamic-modernist schools of thought emerge in Egypt and India under British rule. Pan-Islamism develops as a response to European imperialism. Significant upheavals during this period include the end of the Ottoman Caliphate and the Saudi conquest of the Hejaz.
12	The Impetus of Secular Ideologies and the "Islamic Revolution" (1924-1979) — Secularism, socialism, and nationalism gain increasing numbers of adherents among Muslims. New Islamic movements respond with Daʿwah, the "call to Islam". Saudi Arabia attempts to position itself at the forefront with the Muslim World League. The OIC emerges as a supranational Islamic organization. Revolutionary regimes in Libya and Iran offer alternative models to Saudi Islam.
13	"Islamic Awakening" among Sunnis and the Birth of al-Qāʿidah (1979-2001) — Shia Iran's attempts to export its revolutionary form of Islam to other countries put Sunni Islamic representatives under pressure. Their responses include the "Islamic Awakening," Salafism, and the jihad in Afghanistan. After 1989, Islam emerges as the adversary of the West, succeeding the Eastern Bloc. Muslim minorities in the West come into greater focus.
14	The IS Caliphate and the Rise of Anti-Islamism (2001–2022) — The attacks of September 11, 2001, triggers a global wave of anti-Islamism. Militant Islamists initially align themselves with al-Qāʿidah, but after 2014, the leadership of the Jihadist International shifts to the IS organization. Concurrently, various efforts to combat extremism are initiated. The political Islam of the Muslim Brotherhood leads to new polarizations.

If you have general questions or suggestions for improving BIHI, please leave a message on Prof. Franke's discussion page.