1. Warm-up: What 3 religions have the most followers in the world today?
Talk to a peer

2. Warm-up: What 3 religions have the most followers in the world today?
Christianity billion followers
Islam billion followers
Hinduism million followers

3. Map by Tracy M. Hunter

5. The Islamic Empire:

6. Islam Pre-Test

7. 1. “Allah” is the word for “God” used by Arabic speaking Christians, Jews, and Muslims. True

8. 2. Muslims bow towards the East when they Pray. False

9. 3. The largest Muslim population of any country in the world is …
Indonesia

10. 4. Giving Charity is a requirement of Islam. True

11. 5. Muslims worship on Sundays False

12. 6. Islam has more followers than any other religion except Christianity. True

13. Islam
Judaism
Christianity
Abraham is important figure
Jesus is important figure
Muhammad is important figure
Discourages pictures or statues of religious leaders
Wine is an important part of ritual
A monotheistic Middle Eastern religion

14. Islam
Judaism
Christianity
Prohibits eating pork
Followers read a holy book
Accepts stories of Adam and Eve as part of tradition
Regards Jerusalem as a holy city
Has a creation story about God creating the universe out of nothing

15. The Start of Islam & the Islamic Empire

16. Beginnings of Islam
Around 600 AD, a new monotheistic religion began called Islam:
The faith was founded by the prophet Muhammad
His followers, called Muslims, spread Islam
Islam united people in Asia, North Africa, Asia Minor, and Persia

17. By 750 AD, Muslim leaders built an empire
The Islamic Empire connected diverse people through religion & trade
Muslim scholars focused on learning & developed numerous cultural achievements that are still used today

18. What was Arabia like before Muhammad?

19. Arabia, the Birthplace of Islam
The Arabian Peninsula is a desert region with little fertile soil or farming
Most Arabs lived in desert tribes which were centered around families & were ruled by clans
Arabia was not united under a single gov’t, but Arabs did have a common language (Arabic)
Most Arabs were polytheistic

20. Arabia, the Birthplace of Islam
But, Arabia was the intersection of 3 continents (Africa, Asia, & Europe) so it was an important region for trade & had lots of cultural diffusion
One of the wealthiest trade cities in Arabia was Mecca
Mecca was also a religious city; The Ka’aba was a cube that held statues of hundreds of gods
Arabs made pilgrimages to Mecca to visit the Ka’aba

21. Who was Muhammad? History Channel: Biography video clip
Video is almost 9 minutes long, use if wanted

22. The Early Life of Muhammad
Muhammad’s early life:
He was born in Mecca in 570 into a poor clan, was orphaned at a young age, & was raised by his grandparents
As an adult, Muhammad became an honest & successful merchant
He married a wealthy widow & started a family

23. What happened to Muhammad in 610?

24. Mohammad & the birth of Islam
According to Islam:
In 610, Muhammad was told by the angel Gabriel that he was a prophet sent to Earth by God
He began preaching a new monotheistic faith called Islam (“surrender to God”)
After much soul-searching, Muhammad came to believe that the Lord who spoke to him through Gabriel was Allah. Muhammad became convinced that he was the last of the prophets. He began to teach that Allah was the one and only God and that all other gods must be abandoned. People who agreed to this basic principle of Islam were called Muslims. In Arabic, Islam (ihs•LAHM) means “submission to the will of Allah.” Muslim (MOOZ•lim) means “one who has submitted.” Muhammad’s wife, Khadijah, and several close friends and relatives were his first followers.

25. Islamic Beliefs: The 5 Pillars
Shahadah
Profession of faith: “there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
Salat
Praying 5 times daily
Zakat
Alms (charity) to benefit those in need
Sawm
Fasting during the month of Ramadan
Hajj
Pilgrimage to Mecca
Carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim's life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devotion.
No matter how sincerely a person may believe, Islam regards it as pointless to live life without putting that faith into action and practice.

26. How did some people respond to Muhammad’s new religion?

27. The Hijrah Reactions to Islam:
By 613, Muhammad began preaching his new ideas in Mecca, hoping to convert people
Many resisted his ideas
Muhammad & his followers fled to the city of Medina
Gained more followers there

28. How did Muhammad react to violence by non-Muslims in Mecca?

29. What did Muhammad do after he gained converts & returned to Mecca?

30. Return to Mecca
In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca with 10,000 troops & conquered the city
He destroyed the god statues in the Ka’aba, leaving only the statue for Allah
This time, the people in Mecca converted to Islam
In 632, Muhammad died

31. Muhammad dies, dispute over who should be the next caliph
Sunni
believe Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s friend & advisor, was the first rightful leader
Shia
believe Muhammad’s cousin & son-in-law Ali was the first rightful leader
Shia/Sunni Split

32. What happened to Islam after Muhammad’s death?

33. The Islamic Empire: A Brief Overview
Islamic empire, or caliphate, grew quickly
Expanded rapidly & grew immense
Islam spread on the Silk Road & trans-Saharan trade routes
Religious tolerance- let conquered people keep their beliefs
Culturally unified many ethnicities
Persians, Arabs, etc.
Great wealth & major academic achievements
Sharia- Islamic religious law
Well-trained troops

34. Exit Ticket
True or False: Muslim conquests culturally unified Arabs & Persians
When Muhammad first tried to spread Islam in Mecca, what happened?
List the 5 pillars of Islam (in English.)