M USLIM C IVILIZATION (C H. 9, S EC. 3- S OCIETY AND C ULTURE ) Evan Amador Jan. 25, 2013 World History Day A, Period 3

M USLIM S OCIETY Islam was more than a religion for the first Muslims, it acted as a guide to political, cultural, and social life. Many achievements in different fields were portrayed by early Muslims. Minarets are tall towers from which the faithful are called to prayer. The Muslim community of economic life was built mainly on commerce, mostly because ancient trade routes crossed the Arabian Peninsula.

M USLIM F AMILY The Muslim family set forth many roles. The man was the head of the family and can have several wives. During the time of Muhammad, the rights of women varied from clan to clan. This situation changed somewhat under Islam. According to the Qur’an, women are equal to men before Allah, their god.

M USLIM S CHOLARSHIP Learning was highly valued in all Muslim communities. This actually promoted scholars to make essential contributions in many fields of knowledge. Ibn Rushd, a Muslim scholar of Cordoba, Spain, wrote many commentaries on Aristotle.

A STRONOMY, H ISTORY, M ATH, AND M EDICINE The astrolabe is an instrument for finding the positions and movements of stars and planets. Ibn Sina was a Persian doctor who was most famous for contributing to many fields besides medicine, including logic, psychology, and music. Idn Khaldun wrote a history of the world. His general issues warned historians against basic errors such as bias and praising rulers too highly to gain favor.

I SLAMIC A RT A distinctive feature of Islamic art is calligraphy. This is an artful representation of words which became a central part of Islamic art. Carpets, walls, and illustrated texts may all be decorated with arabesques. Arabesque is the result known when the floral images are arranged in an intricate, interwoven, and geometric design.

T HE D OME OF THE R OCK The Dome of the Rock is one of Islam’s most sacred sites. Built in Jerusalem on the holiest site of Judaism, where the First and Second Temples once stood. Muslims believe it is the spot in which their prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven to speak with Allah and receive instructions for Muslims. The writings inside the dome commemorates Saladin, whose army won Jerusalem from the Europeans in 1187, during the Crusades. The interior walkway symbolizes the walk that pilgrims take around the Kaaba in Mecca.

L ITERATURE AND THE Q UR ’ AN Jalal ad-Din Rumi was a Muslim poet whose Persian-language poems from the 1200s are still being read and recited by many people to this day. Omar Khayyam was another Persian writer. His collection of four-line poems is called the Rubaiyat. The Qur’an is the Muslim bible which does not condemn slavery but actually required that slaves be treated fairly.

M USLIMS P RAYING Even though the Abbasid Empire broke up into several independent kingdoms, Muslim civilization has remained distinct.

S OURCES Holt- World History, Human Legacy Pictures