La Península Ibérica en la Edad Media: Al-Ándalus

La historia de Al-Ándalus puede ser dividida en 5 períodos: -Emirato dependiente.(711-756) -Emirato independiente.(756-929) -Califato de Córdoba.(929-1031) -Reino de Taifas.(1031-SIGLO XIII) -Reino de Granada.(1237-1492) Gráficamente: Evolución política - Emirato Dependiente (711-756) Tan pronto como vieron la posibilidad de mantener el control en la Península, los árabe organizaron este territorio políticamente, como una parte más del gran califato. Aunque en un principio el interés por la Península Ibérica se había limitado a conseguir botín, cambiaron de opinión tras la derrota sufrida en Poitiers. En efecto, los invasores no tenían idea de crear una colonia de poblamiento, sino de explotación, pero al ser vencidos por los francos en Poitiers en el año 732, comprendieron que se les acababan las posibilidades de conseguir más botines y se plantearon el asentamiento definitivo en la Península. Al-Ándalus fue una provincia del Califato omeya con capital en Damasco, hasta el año 750, cuando los Abbasies acabaron con los omeyas. Como provincia tenía un emir o gobernador. El primero fue designado por el califa, y los siguientes fueron nombrados por la autoridad cercana que tuviera más fuerza, que no era siempre el califa. La inestabilidad de los nombramientos se hace patente si se tiene en cuenta que en los cuarenta y cinco años del emirato dependiente se sucedieron 21 gobernadores. La tarea de los emires dependientes fue la de controlar el territorio para organizar el nuevo estado. Se trataba de implantar la nueva forma política, religiosa y económica de la administración califal. Necesitaban promover la convivencia con los autóctonos hispano-godos, por ser los invasores una minoría (¿30.000?) frente a una mayoría autóctona (¿4.000.000?). Los problemas fueron mayores entre los propios invasores, al ser de procedencia muy diversa: árabes (la aristocracia del ejército), bereberes (el grueso del ejército) y sirios (soldados de refuerzo). Una vez terminada la etapa de toma de botín, los soldados bereberes se rebelaron, y hubo que llamar a los sirios para sofocar la revuelta, pero éstos, a su vez, se mostraron exigentes en sus peticiones. La convivencia y adaptación entre las comunidades invadida e invasora se vio favorecida por una contracción demográfica y una abundancia de tierras libres. Los antiguos campesinos dependientes de los latifundistas godos se vieron libres, y fue este grupo social de los pobres campesinos el que sufrió una transformación más profunda. De hombres dependientes pasaron a ser libres, de hablar en latín pasaron a hablar en árabe, y de ser cristianos pasaron a ser musulmanes. El proceso de islamización de Al-Ándalus se vio favorecido por tres circunstancias:  La inmigración de musulmanes. Los matrimonios mixtos de hombres musulmanes con mujeres cristianas que educaban a sus hijos en el Islam. La conversión al Islam de la población hispano-goda. Probablemente la formación cristiana de los grupos más bajos de la escala social era tan débil que no tenían inconveniente en cambiar de religión.

1) The Testimony of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam. The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.
2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper.
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The Prophet Muhammad
said: {Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it.} Bilal was one of Muhammad’s
companions who was charged to call the people to prayers.
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.
3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy):
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’ Giving zakatmeans ‘giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’ The percentage which is due on gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams of gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity.
4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.
5) The Pilgrimage to Makkah:
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annualHajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.
What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of faith, prayer, givingzakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able.

 

Muhhamad is was a man from Mecca who unified Arabia into a single religiouspolity under Islam. Believed by Muslims and Bahá'ís to be amessenger and prophet of God, Muhammad is almost universally considered by Muslims as the last prophet sent by God to mankind. While non-Muslims regard Muhammad as the founder of Islam, Muslims consider him to have restored theunaltered original monotheistic faith of Adam, Noah, Abraham,Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Muslims discuss Muhammad and other prophets of Islam with reverence, adding the phrase peace be upon him whenever their names are mentioned.

Born in about 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca,Muhammad was orphaned at an early age; he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib. After his childhood Muhammad primarily worked as a merchant. Occasionally he would retreat to a cave in the mountains for several nights of seclusion and prayer; later, at age 40, he reported at this spot,that he was visited by Gabriel and received his first revelation from God. Three years after this event Muhammad started preachingthese revelations publicly, proclaiming that "God is One", that complete "surrender" (lit. islām) to Him is the only way (dīn)acceptable to God, and that he was a prophet and messenger of God, in the same vein as other Islamic prophets.