 The word Islam means “Submission to the one God (Allah).”  The world’s fastest-growing and second- largest religion  Central teachings are derived from the Quran, the primary sacred text and Islam’s earthly center.

 Muhammad was born about 570 c.e. into the leading tribe of Mecca..  He was a hard-working child who began his life as a shepherd and later went into the trading business.  He was a caravan manager for a wealthy widow, Khadija, whom he eventually married.

 Citizens of Mecca were hostile to the message of one god  Muhammad fled north to Yathrib (Medina)  This was known as the Hijra, an event on which the Muslims base their calendar.  Most of Arabia were converted to Islam by the time of Muhammad’s death in 632.

 Abraham is the father of the Arab people.  Moses and Jesus are also revered.  Muhammad is the last and the “seal” of the prophets.  Muslims consider human nature as essentially good, sin occurs when people forget their natural goodness.

 Confession of faith in one God and acknowledgment of Muhammad as a unique prophet.  Prayer 5 times a day.  Fasting during Ramadan  Wealth sharing percent of their gross income.  Pilgrimage to Mecca once in a person’s life.

 Within one century after Muhammad’s death, Islamic civilization spread throughout the Middle East, Persia, North Africa, and almost all of Spain.  Currently, the greatest concentration of Muslims is across the northern half of Africa, all of the Middle East, southwestern and South Asia, and the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.

 The majority of Muslims are Sunni.  They follow the established custom, or sunnah, meaning the Sunnah of the prophet, Muhammad.  Shi’ism believes in Imams. They are religious leaders who are direct descendants of Muhammad.  Iran and Iraq are Shi’ites.

 The term comes from the Islamic word suf -the coarse wool garment that is worn by Sufis.  Sufism strives to experience Allah as immanent - dwelling within each worshipper.  The Sufi experiences oneness with Allah and gains spiritual fortitude.  Sufis are not necessarily popular among Muslims.  Sufis live monastic lives with a shaykh as their head.

 Arab empire was generally prosperous  Based on extensive trade by ship & camel  Camel caravans went to Morocco in far west to countries beyond Caspian Sea  Trade began to prosper during Abassid dynasty  Large magnificent cities began to prosper, such as Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus, Cordoba  Islamic cities had their own physical appearance  Palace & mosques = most impressive buildings  Fountains, public baths, bazaars

 Muslims live their lives in accordance with Allah’s teachings revealed in the Quran  Islam states that all people are equal in the eyes of Allah; was not always the case in the Arab empire. There was a well defined upper class of ruling families & wealthy merchants  Slaves were not considered equal - Muslims could not be slaves

 Difficult finding leadership after Muhammad’s death  Abu Bakr = Muhammad’s father-in-law was chosen to be successor/ called caliph = successor to Muhammad  Bakr & Muhammad used Jihad to spread movement of Islam  Jihad = “struggle in way of God”

 First 2 caliphs after Abu Bakr were killed  In 656 Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali, became caliph but was assassinated 5 years later Shrine of Imam Ali Najaf, Iraq; third holiest site in Islam

 In 661, general Mu’awiyah became caliph  Was known for only using force if necessary  Made the office of caliph hereditary  8 th century Arabs conquered & converted the Berbers = lived on coast of North Africa  By 725 Spain was Muslim state  Arabs were defeated at Battle of Tours ending European expansion Mosque in Cordoba, Spain

 In 717, Muslims attacked Constantinople, but their navy was defeated by Byzantines  Internal struggles led to revolts  The struggles caused Islam to split into two groups, the Shiite & Sunni  Split continues today….Most Muslims are Sunnis, but much of Iraq & Iran consider themselves Shiites

 In 750, Abu al-Abbas overthrew the Umayyad dynasty & founded Abbasid which lasted until 1258  In 762, Abbasid built new capital of Baghdad on the Tigris river/ location took advantage of river & caravan traffic  Baghdad became center of a huge trade empire

 Abbasid experienced problems; fighting over succession of caliph  Vast wealth led to financial corruption  Shortage of qualified Arabs to fill government positions allowed non-Arabs to become a dominant force in the military & bureaucracy which led to disintegration  Rulers of provinces began to break away