 90% of Muslims are Sunni  Shiites lives in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen  Other groups Sufis  Mystics who sought communion with God through meditation, fasting, etc.

1. Successors to Muhammad are referred to as what? 2. Who was the first successor to Muhammad? 3. In what structure did Muhammad ascend to heaven in? 4. What are the two major divisions of Islam? (Name the two groups) 5. The vast majority of Muslims belong to which of those groups?

 Umayyad caliphate Dynasty of Sunni caliphs that ruled until 750  Vastly expands empire

 Muslim leaders imposed a special tax on non-Muslims  Tax supported troops

 Easy religion to convert to  No hierarchy  Simple and direct message

 Vast wealth led to luxurious lifestyles  Abandoned the simple ways of life  Limited rights to non- Arabs

 Founder was Abu al- Abbas  Shiite – descendant of Muhammad’s uncle  Abbasid dynasty ruled until 1258

 Equality of Muslims  Moved the capital to Baghdad “City of Peace, Gift of God, Paradise on Earth”

 Slender towers of the mosques  Five times a day, muezzins climbed to the top to make a call for prayer

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