1. NoteSheet 10.3
Muslim Culture
(pg. 273)

2. 1. What were the four social classes in Muslim society?
Upper Class
Muslims at birth
Second Class
Converts to Islam
Third Class
Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians
Lowest Class (fourth class)
Slaves
POW’s, all non-Muslim
Performed household work or worked for the military

3. 2. What was the role of women in the Middle East?
Qu’ran says
“Men are the managers of the affairs of women.”
“Righteous women are therefore obedient.”
Qu’ran also says
Men and women , as believers, are equal
Expected to submit to men
If the husband wanted to divorce his wife all he had to say 3 times “I dismiss thee.”
The divorce became final in 3 months
Responsibilities depend on wealth
Poor = fields
Rich = supervise servents

4. 3. What are examples of Muslim advances in science and art?
Literature
Qu’ran
Poems about nature and the pleasures of life and love
Art and Architecture
Calligraphy
The art of beautiful handwriting
Blended with cultures of the past
Intricate and colorful
Doesn’t usually contain images of living beings
Medical Advances
Al-Razi was the greatest physician between A.D
Wrote and encyclopedia called the Comprehensive Book that drew on knowledge from Greek, Syrian, Arabic, and Indian sources
Math and Science
Would conduct experiments rather than logical reasoning
Astronomy by charting stars, comets, and planets