Islamic world

Islamic world
M Tracy Hunter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Islamic world
Region	Afro-Eurasia

Islamic world The Islamic world denotes regions and societies where Islam has had major historical, cultural, religious, and demographic influence, encompassing diverse states, peoples, and institutions across Middle East, North Africa, Horn of Africa, West Africa, Sahel, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and diasporas in Europe, North America, and Oceania. Its scope intersects with medieval polities such as the Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, and Ottoman Empire, modern states including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Turkey, Islamic Republic of Iran, and transnational bodies like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Key scholarly and religious centers include Mecca, Medina, Cairo, Baghdad, Samarkand, Istanbul, and Delhi.

Definition and scope

The term covers territories where the majority of inhabitants adhere to Islam or where Sharia-influenced legal traditions, institutions such as the Al-Azhar University, Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah, or historic jurisprudential schools like the Hanafi school, Maliki school, Shafi'i school, and Hanbali school have shaped public life, alongside communities following Ismailism, Twelver Shi'ism, Zaidiyyah, or Ahmadiyya. Boundaries often follow demographic data from censuses in countries such as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Indonesia, Kingdom of Morocco, and federations like the United Arab Emirates. Transnational networks include scholarly chains linked to figures like Al-Ghazali, Ibn Sina, Ibn Khaldun, and institutional actors such as the Muslim World League.

History

Early expansion saw the Rashidun Caliphate and Umayyad Caliphate spread from the Arabian Peninsula to the Iberian Peninsula and Transoxiana; the Abbasid Caliphate centered in Baghdad fostered scholarship in houses like the House of Wisdom and patronized scholars such as Al-Khwarizmi and Al-Razi. The medieval period featured rival dynasties including the Fatimid Caliphate, Ayyubid dynasty, Seljuk Empire, Mamluk Sultanate, and the Delhi Sultanate, with cultural efflorescences in cities like Cordoba and Timbuktu. The early modern era was dominated by the Ottoman Empire, Safavid dynasty, and Mughal Empire, each shaping sectarian alignments and administrative structures. Colonial encounters with British Empire, French colonial empire, Dutch East India Company, and Portuguese Empire transformed political boundaries leading to 20th-century independence movements exemplified by figures such as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and events like the Iranian Revolution and the creation of the State of Israel.

Demographics and geography

Large populations reside in nations including Indonesia, Pakistan, India (Muslim minorities), Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Egypt, with concentrations in regions such as the Maghreb, Levant, Anatolia, Persian Plateau, Caucasus, Xinjiang, and Malay Archipelago. Urban centers like Istanbul, Cairo, Riyadh, Karachi, Jakarta, and Tehran act as demographic, commercial, and cultural hubs. Migration flows tie diasporas in France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, and Canada to sending countries through labor migration, refugee movements from conflicts such as the Syrian civil war and Yemeni Civil War, and labor programs like those managed by the Gulf Cooperation Council states.

Religion and sectarian diversity

Religious diversity spans branches: the majority follow Sunni Islam; significant communities adhere to Shia Islam in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, and parts of Bahrain; subsets practice Ismaili traditions under leaders like the Aga Khan; Sufi orders such as the Naqshbandi order and Qadiriyya maintain spiritual influence; and heterodox groups include Alawites and Ibadi Muslims in Oman. Contemporary theological debates engage institutions like Al-Azhar University and scholars influenced by names such as Rashid Rida, Abul A'la Maududi, Muhammad Abduh, and movements including Salafism and Wahhabism.

Culture, language, and arts

Cultural production is multilingual, featuring languages like Arabic language, Persian language, Turkish language, Urdu language, Malay language, Swahili language, and regional tongues such as Berber languages and Pashto language. Literary traditions include works by Rumi, Hafez, Ibn Battuta, Al-Ma'arri, and poetic forms like ghazal and qasida; visual arts range from Islamic calligraphy and arabesque motifs to architecture exemplified by the Alhambra, Great Mosque of Kairouan, Dome of the Rock, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and the Taj Mahal. Scientific and philosophical legacies trace to scholars such as Al-Farabi, Ibn Rushd, Omar Khayyam, and institutions like the House of Wisdom and the Madrasa system.

Politics and governance

Political forms have ranged from caliphates and sultanates to modern republics and monarchies, with constitutions, legal codes, and parties shaped by debates over Sharia, secularism as in Atatürk's reforms, and ideologies represented by Ba'ath Party, Muslim Brotherhood, Justice and Development Party (Turkey), and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. International relations involve organizations like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and regional bodies such as the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab League, while major geopolitical events include the Sykes–Picot Agreement, Suez Crisis, Gulf War, and ongoing disputes over territories like Palestine.

Economy and development

Economic diversity spans oil-producing states like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar to manufacturing and services centers in Turkey and Malaysia, agricultural economies in Sudan and Uzbekistan, and remittance-dependent states such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. Historic trade networks included the Silk Road, Trans-Saharan trade, and maritime routes across the Indian Ocean. Contemporary development efforts engage institutions like the Islamic Development Bank and international finance via OPEC, sovereign wealth funds, and investment projects such as those in Neom and China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Category:Islamic studies