Origin and Spread of Islam

Origins of Islam Muhammad, a trader from Mecca, said that he was visited by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel said that Muhammad was to be a prophet for Allah (God). He was given verses and told to teach others. Mecca and Medina, cities on the Arabian peninsula, were early Muslim cities.

Beliefs of Islam Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is a monotheistic religion. That means it believes in only one god. holy book of Islam is the Qur’an (Koran). It means word of God. Jihad is the struggle to defend the faith. A mosque is a Muslim place of worship.

The Five Pillars a.Profession of Faith - acknowledging that there is no god but Allah b.Five daily prayers – wash, pray facing Mecca c.Give alms to the poor – paying the tax to help the poor d.Fast during Ramadan (holy month) – eat and drink nothing from dawn to sunset e.Pilgrimage (trip) to Mecca – hijrah – takes place at a certain time of year, have to make at least one trip

Islam has a shared belief with Judaism and Christianity. Muhammad accepted Moses and Jesus as prophets.

Expansion of Islam 300 years after Muhammad’s death, Muslim rule expanded rapidly. Muhammad’s successor was Abu Bakr. He was called a Caliph, successor to the prophet. It spread along trade routes from Mecca to Medina. It spread into the Fertile Crescent, Iran and Central Asia. From Africa and Asia, Islam spread into Spain.

– Islam expanded despite great distances, deserts, and mountains. – The Arabic language spread with Islam and facilitated trade across Islamic lands.

Islamic Divide An Islamic Divide started over the murder of a caliph. Who would be the next caliph? There were two groups fighting over the question. Sunni Muslims (Sunni meaning“way of the prophet”) said that agreement among Muslims should settle religious matters. Sunnis believed that anyone could be caliph. Shi’ah Muslims believed that only descendents of Ali (a man chosen to be caliph, but murdered) should be caliphs.

The Spread of Islam Continues The spread of Islam continued into Spain. Moors, or Spanish Muslims, ruled Spain for 700 years. Moors tried to invade France, but were defeated at the Battle of Tours.

Islamic Civilization

Geography The Arabian Peninsula, the location of the start of Islam, is mostly desert. Because of this, early cities developed mostly along the coast.

Government At first, the government was ran by one caliph. However, political unity was short-lived. The Muslim Empire was organized into provinces; three caliphs ruled over the empire. People were expected to follow Islamic laws in public and private life.

Islamic Achievements and the Crusades

Cultural Contributions and Achievements 1. Islamic Civilization made many cultural contributions and achievements. 2.Examples of cultural contributions include: a.Architecture (Dome of the Rock) b.Mosaics c.Arabic alphabet d.Universities e.Translation of ancient texts into Arabic f.The story “Thousand and One Nights”

3.Examples of scientific contributions and achievements include: a.Arabic numerals -adapted from India, including zero b.Algebra c.Medicine – the development and preparation of drugs, dissection and diagnosing diseases d.Expansion of geographic knowledge – the astrolabe charts the positions of the stars and calculates the position on Earth

Crusades 4.The Crusades were military expeditions to regain the Holy Land. ( ) 5.In the First Crusade, Jerusalem is captured by the Muslims. 6.In the Second Crusade, Damascus falls to the Muslims. 7.In the Third Crusade, Saladin (the Muslim leader) regains control of Jerusalem. 8.In the Fourth Crusade, Constantinople is taken over by the Ottoman Turks.