1. Islamic Civilization
The Rise of Islam

2. Daily Life in Early Arabia
The deserts, coastline, and oases of Arabia helped shape the Arab way of life*
Water can only be found at oases, which are green areas fed by underground water.**
Survival was extremely difficult, and early Arabs organized into tribes, who were very loyal to one another.
Sheikh – head of an Arabian tribe.
*Desert stretches over most of the Arabian peninsula – it is incredibly hot and sand storms can blind any traveler.
**Not all of Arabia is dry – the mountains located in the southwest have enough rain falls to support plants such as juniper and olive trees.

3. Daily Life in Early Arabia Who are the early Bedouins?
Bedouins are desert herders who traveled from oasis to oasis to water and grave their camels, goats, and sheep.
They rarely ate meat because their herds were too valuable
They ate dried fruit and nuts and drank the animal’s milk

4. Daily Life in Early Arabia Trade and Towns
*Many villagers were merchants who transported goods across the desert.
**As their trade grew, Arab merchants founded towns along the trade routes of Arabia.
***Also known as Mecca
****The city is revered by Muslims for containing the holiest site of Islam, the Masjid al-Haram, and a pilgrimage that involves an extended visit to the city is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go at least once in an individual's lifetime.
Most Arabs lived in villages located near oases or in the mountain valley*
To fend off attacks by Bedouins, they traveled in caravans, which are groups of traveling merchants and animals.

5. Daily Life in Early Arabia Trade and Towns
By about AD 500, Arabian merchants handled most of the trade between India and the Mediterranean Sea.**
Makkah***became the largest and richest of them all. It was a crossroads for merchants, and it was also an important religious site. This is the holiest place in Arabia, and still plays a vital role in the Islamic****
The city is revered by Muslims for containing the holiest site of Islam, the Masjid al-Haram, and a pilgrimage that involves an extended visit to the city is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go at least once in an individual's lifetime.

6. Muhammad: Islam’s Prophet Muhammad’s message
Muhammad was born in Mecca in AD 570*
In about AD 610, he said he was visited by an angel and told to preach Islam. Islam means “surrendering to the will of Allah.”
Allah is the Arabic word for God.
He told people to destroy statues of false gods and worship only Allah, the one true God.
Muhammad preached that all men were equal and that the rich should share their goods.**
*He was a successful merchant who married and had children, but he still wasn’t satisfied. He wanted the wealthy town leaders to return to their old ways. He thought they should honor their families, be fair in business, and help the poor.
**This was a very powerful message because people of Mecca lived humbly. Muhammad was saying that having wealth wasn’t as important as living a good life. When the Day of Judgment arrived, he said that God would reward the good people and punish the evildoers.

7. Muhammad: Islam’s Prophet Opposition to Islam
Initially, people were not attracted to Islam and only Muhammad’s family became Muslims, or followers of Islam.
Wealthy merchants and religious leaders did not like Muhammad’s message because they thought he was trying to take away their power.*
Muhammad and his followers left Makkah in AD 622.
They moved north to the town of Yathrib
This journey became known as Hijrah, which is Arabic for “breaking off relationships”.
Muslims made AD 622 the first year of the Muslim calendar
Yathrib welcomed Muhammad’s followers and was renamed Madinah, which means city of the prophet.
*They made his life difficult and beat and tortured his followers.

8. Muhammad: Islam’s Prophet Muhammad’s Government
The people of Madinah accepted Muhammad as God’s prophet and their ruler.*
Muhammad used laws to settle disputes among the people. He created an Islamic state – a government that uses its political power to uphold Islam.
*He proved to be an able leader and applied the laws he believed God had given him to all areas of life.
**He required all Muslims to place loyalty to the Islamic state above loyalty to their tribe.

9. Muhammad: Islam’s Prophet Muhammad’s Government
Muhammad built an army and they conquered Makkah in AD 630.
Muhammad made Makkah the holy city of Islam.
Although he died two years later, Islam was spreading to all of Arabia.

10. Muhammad: Islam’s Prophet Islam’s Teachings
Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have some beliefs in common.
Belief in one God*
Belief that God speaks to people through prophets.*
-Early Muslim prophets were Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad.*
*Muslims believe this one God holds all power and created the universe. They also believe that God determines right and wrong. People are expected to obey God’s laws if they want to be blessed in the afterlife.
**For Christians, Jesus was more than a prophet. He was the son of God and therefore divine. In Islam, Muhammad was seen as a prophet and a very good person, but not as divine.

11. Muhammad: Islam’s Prophet What is the Quran?
*These writings became the Quran, or holy book of Islam*
The Quran instructs Muslims about how they should live. Many are similar to those in the Bible.***
Muslims should not eat pork, drink liquor, or gamble.
The Quran also has rules about marriage, divorce, family life, property rights, and business practices. ****
The First Chapter of the Quran – picture
*Muslims wrote down the messages that Muhammad said he received from Allah. **For Islams, the Quran is the God’s written word, so they strive to follow the Quran.
***For example, Muslims are told to be honest and to treat others fairly. They are to honor their parents, show kindness to their neighbors, and give generously to the poor. Murder, lying, and stealing are forbidden. Many rules in the Quran apply to Muslims daily life.
****Muslims are expected to obey the FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM, or acts of worship. Scholars of Islam also created a law code that explains how society should be run. This code is taken from the Quran and the Sunna. The Sunna is the name given to customs based on Muhammad’s words and deeds. Islam’s law code covers all areas of daily life.

12. The Five Pillars of Islam
Belief – Muslims must declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet
Prayer – Muslims must pray five times per day facing toward Makkah
Charity – Muslims must give to the poor
Fasting – Muslims must not eat from dawn to dusk during the sacred holiday of Ramadan
Pilgrimage – Muslims must visit Makkah once in their life