1. Trivia Fun Times!!!!!!  What are the polytheistic societies we have studied?  What does universal mean? How could this relate to religion?  How did Christianity spread?  Back in Jan. 20 1986, what holiday was first observed?  Jan 20. 1930 this second man on moon was born?

2. The Rise of Islam

3. Pre-Islamic Arabia  Arabs – nomadic people (Bedouins)  Lived on the Arabian Peninsula  Farmers and sheepherders  Independent tribes ruled by Sheikhs  Polytheistic

4. The Prophet Muhammad  Born in Mecca around 570 CE  Orphaned son of wealthy merchants  Raised by wealthy uncle and grandfather  Receives revelations from angel Gabriel  Told there is only one god  Allah (Arabic for “God”)  Meccan leaders are threatened by Muhammad  Flees Mecca Hegira (Arabic for “flight”)  Goes to Medina (“city of the prophet”)  Attracts many followers to his new religion  Fights against Meccans, defeats them in 622 CE

5. Islam:  Means “submission” to the will of Allah  Monotheistic  Qur’an  Islam’s holy book  God’s words spoken to Muhammad  Written in Arabic (translations are not considered legit)  Basis for Shari’ah Law  The Five Pillars  Profession of Faith  Prayer – 5 times daily  Alms – charity to the needy  Fasting – during Ramadan  Pilgrimage (Hajj)

6. Why did Islam Spread?  Trade:  Routes through the Arabian Peninsula were safer  Mesopotamia was politically unstable  Dangerous to travel through  Arabs domesticated the camel  Mecca became a major center of trade  Conquest  Universal appeal

9. Divisions in Islam  Split derives from leadership  Shia – Leaders should be from Muhammad’s family  Sunni – Leaders must be Muslim but not necessarily from Muhammad’s family  Sufi – form of Islamic Mysticism