Download Islam Unit

UNIT TITLE: Islam
Grade Level/Course: 9-10 grade/World History
Stage 1 – Desired Results
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
(Transferable big ideas, concepts, and themes)
● The student will understand that Islam is not a violent religion and that not all
Muslims are radical terrorists.
● The student will understand that Islam is a unique religion with a culture of it’s
own with a long, important history.
KEY ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
● Why is the study of Islam important in today’s world?
● Why do we only hear stories of violent Muslims and not of those who are doing
good in their country/culture/religion?
CENTRAL FOCUS STATEMENT:
(The central focus of this unit is that students will [use main language function verb
here]… It will center around… [content], The purpose of this unit is to…, This is
important because…)
● While this learning segment addresses several standards/objectives, it focuses
particularly on SSWH5. “The student will trace the origins and expansion of the
Islamic World between 600 CE and 1300 CE.”
● The central focus of this particular segment of the unit is to examine the origins
and expansion of Islam in religious, political, and economic terms.
● The purpose of this central focus is to concentrate on correcting misconceptions
and develop appreciation for the religion.
STATE STANDARDS/Established goals:
● SSWH5 The student will trace the origins and expansion of the Islamic World
between 600 CE and 1300 CE.
o a. Explain the origins of Islam and the growth of the Islamic
Empire.
o b. Identify the Muslim trade routes to India, China, Europe, and
Africa and assess the economic impact of this trade.
o c. Explain the reasons for the split between Sunni and Shia
Muslims.
o d. Identify the contributions of Islamic scholars in medicine (Ibn
Sina) and geography (Ibn Battuta).
o e. Describe the impact of the Crusades on both the Islamic World
and Europe.
o f. Analyze the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will know or be skilled at...
● Students will be able to explain why the origins of a religion is important.
● Students will be able to illustrate and analyze how the location of a place can
either contribute or harm its trade/economy.
● Students will be able to identify and explain key cultural aspects of Islam.
● Students will be able analyze how location impacts a state’s ability to expand.
● Students will be able to identify and analyze the split within the Muslim religion.
● Students will be able to identify the contributions of Islamic scholars and the
impact of the Crusades on the Islamic World and Europe.
● Students will be able to compare Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and analyze
their relationship.
BACKGROUND
● Likely prior knowledge/funds of knowledge/student interests:
o Likely prior knowledge includes:
▪ Origins of Islam: 2/26 students knew where Islam
originated in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
▪ Founder of Islam: 5/26 students knew that
Mohammed is the founder of Islam
▪ Beliefs of Islam: 11/26 students knew something of
the beliefs of Islam
▪ Split and Culture of Islam: 9/26 students knew that
Islam split and something of their culture
o Student Interests:
▪ The students are interested in learning the
background of the religion, culture, beliefs, language most Muslims
speak, how Muslims live, geography of the Middle East, stories of the
religion or people, what Muslims learn in school in the Middle East or
in a school based off Sharia law, why Muslims are violent, aggressive,
or angry at the U.S., and where Muslims come from.
● Common misconceptions:
o The students’ common misconceptions are that Muslims are
violent, want to bomb everything, they are terrorists, kill those who don’t
convert, hate Americans, bad home lives, and always fighting a war. More
common misconceptions dealing more with their culture is that Muslim
women are second-class citizens, can’t eat meat, and that all women are
covered from head to toe.
SPECIALIZED LANGUAGE DEMANDS
● key academic vocabulary: explain, analyze, identify, compare, origin, geography,
map key, and order.
● discourse and/or syntax elements: This unit features one discourse, that of a
historian, wherein the students will have to investigate and understand the origins of a
religion and the impact that religion has had on political, economic, and cultural
aspects of a region and the world.
How do historians examine? what phrases
and words do they use?
Stage 2 – Primary Assessment Evidence
SUMMATIVE PERFORMANCE TASK(s)
(Summary using GRASP)
OTHER EVIDENCE
Pre-Assessment
● See attached
Some key formative assessments (formal or informal)
● Formal: quiz and bonus question
● Informal: stations and graphic organizer
Summative Assessments beyond the PT (if needed)
● x
Post-Assessment (if needed)
● See pre-assessment
Classroom Assessment
● x
Student Self Assessment
● x
Objective
● Students will be able to explain why the origins of a
religion is important.
● Students will be able to illustrate and analyze how the
location of a place can either contribute or harm its
trade/economy.
● Students will be able to identify and explain key
cultural aspects of Islam.
● Students will be able analyze how location impacts a
state’s ability to expand.
● Students will be able to identify and analyze the split
within the Muslim religion.
● Students will be able to identify the contributions of
Islamic scholars and the impact of the Crusades on the
Islamic World and Europe.
● Students will be able to compare Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam and analyze their relationship.
● Students will be able to identify and explain key
cultural aspects of Islam.
● Students will be able to explain why the origins of a
religion is important.
● Students will be able to illustrate and analyze how the
Day(s)
Nov.
5-6
How Assessed
Stations that
includes
graphic
organizer
Nov. 7
Bonus question
after quiz
Quiz
Nov. 7
location of a place can either contribute or harm its
trade/economy.
● Students will be able to identify and explain key
cultural aspects of Islam.
● Students will be able analyze how location impacts a
state’s ability to expand.
● Students will be able to identify and analyze the split
within the Muslim religion.
● Students will be able to identify the contributions of
Islamic scholars and the impact of the Crusades on the
Islamic World and Europe.
● Students will be able to compare Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam and analyze their relationship.
Stage 3 - Learning Experiences
Day 1
Resources Needed:
● Materials for each Discovery Station: questions & resources
● Graphic Organizers for students
Standard(s)/Objective(s):
Objectives:
● Students will be able to explain why the origins of a religion is important.
● Students will be able to illustrate and analyze how the location of a place
can either contribute or harm its trade/economy.
● Students will be able to identify and explain key cultural aspects of Islam.
● Students will be able analyze how location impacts a state’s ability to
expand.
● Students will be able to identify and analyze the split within the Muslim
religion.
● Students will be able to identify the contributions of Islamic scholars and
the impact of the Crusades on the Islamic World and Europe.
● Students will be able to compare Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and
analyze their relationship.
EQ(s):
● Why is knowledge of Islam and its culture essential?
By the end of the period you will be able to…
● Analyze documents, maps, and other resources to understand the origins,
founder, beliefs, culture, growth, trade, and contributions of Islam. Additionally,
affect of Crusades on Islam and its relationship to Judaism and Christianity.
Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:
● I will walk around and check in with students, answer any questions, write
down students’ appropriated numbers who are struggling with certain questions
(made an excel sheet to help with this)
Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:
● I plan on writing feedback on the student answer sheets
Lesson plan with labels and time stamps
Common labels: hook/warm-up/frontloading, discovery, practice, application, review,
closure
Discovery:
The students will travel from one station to the next, given 10 minutes at each station, to
discover information on the history of Islam. They are given a packet of station questions
and a graphic organizer to write their answers and each station will have resources that
the students will use.
9:55-10:05 Get back from bathroom, get prepared, and give directions
10:05-10:15 First station
10:15-10:25 Second station
10:25-10:35 Third station
10:35-10:45 Clean up room and get ready to leave
Day 2
Resources Needed:
● Materials for each Discovery Station: questions & resources
● Graphic Organizers for students
Standard(s)/Objective(s):
Objectives:
o Students will be able to explain why the origins of a religion is
important.
o Students will be able to illustrate and analyze how the location of a
place can either contribute or harm its trade/economy.
o Students will be able to identify and explain key cultural aspects of
Islam.
o Students will be able analyze how location impacts a state’s ability
to expand.
o Students will be able to identify and analyze the split within the
Muslim religion.
o Students will be able to identify the contributions of Islamic
scholars and the impact of the Crusades on the Islamic World and Europe.
o Students will be able to compare Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
and analyze their relationship.
EQ(s):
● Why is knowledge of Islam and its culture essential?
By the end of the period you will be able to…
● Analyze documents, maps, and other resources to understand the origins,
founder, beliefs, culture, growth, trade, and contributions of Islam. Additionally,
affect of Crusades on Islam and its relationship to Judaism and Christianity.
Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:
● I will walk around and check in with students, answer any questions, write
down students’ appropriated numbers who are struggling with certain questions
(made an excel sheet to help with this)
Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:
● I plan on writing feedback on the student answer sheets
Lesson plan with labels and time stamps
Common labels: hook, warm-up, frontloading, discovery, practice, application, review,
closure
Discovery:
The students will travel from one station to the next, given 10 minutes at each station, to
discover information on the history of Islam. They are given a packet of station questions
and a graphic organizer to write their answers and each station will have resources that
the students will use.
9:55-10:00 Get back from bathroom and seated, ready to go
10:00-10:10 First station
10:10-10:20 Second station
10:20-10:30 Third Station
10:30-10:40 Fourth station
10:40-10:45 Clean up room and get ready to leave
Day 3
Resources Needed:
● Review
● Quizzes
● Bonus question for board
● Bonus question printed for students
Standard(s)/Objective(s):
Objectives:
o Students will be able to explain why the origins of a religion is
important.
o Students will be able to illustrate and analyze how the location of a
place can either contribute or harm its trade/economy.
o Students will be able to identify and explain key cultural aspects of
Islam.
o Students will be able analyze how location impacts a state’s ability
to expand.
o Students will be able to identify and analyze the split within the
Muslim religion.
o Students will be able to identify the contributions of Islamic
scholars and the impact of the Crusades on the Islamic World and Europe.
o Students will be able to compare Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
and analyze their relationship.
EQ(s):
● How does my understanding of Islam change or does it change my perception of
the religion and its people?
By the end of the period you will be able to…
● Show understanding of Islam standards and the objectives.
Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:
● Quiz/bonus question
Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:
● Quiz/bonus question
Lesson plan with labels and time stamps
Common labels: hook, warm-up, frontloading, discovery, practice, application, review,
closure
Review:
Go over station questions/answers
Quiz
Station Resources:
Station #1
Directions: Answer the questions based on the political and physical map of the
Middle East. (PS-Islam started in Mecca)
1 Describe Mecca's location with geography terms (north, south, east, west,
northwest, etc) in relation to Israel.
2 What can you hypothesize (make educated guesses) about the climate of
Mecca based off the physical features of where it is located?
3 What are the bodies of water surrounding the Arabian Peninsula? List
some of the types of physical features that make up the Arabian Peninsula.
Bonus: What type of physical feature do you think the Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) in
Saudi Arabia is?
Station #2
Directions: Answer the questions based on the maps of the trade routes used by the
Muslims and then read through the resources to determine the economic
importance of those trade routes to the Islamic world.
1. What are the three continents represented on the maps? What are 3
modern-day countries that this trade route reached (pick countries outside of the
middle east)?
2. When did these trades routes become popular and what century did they
last to?
3. What types of commodities were traded on the Silk Road? What were
some other things that were traded (not physical items)?
4. Why were camels essential for trade in the Middle East? What are
caravanserais?
Bonus: True or false: “Muslims were at the center of a trade network that ran from
Europe to China.” If true, explain why, if false explain why it is not true. (This question
is not from the articles, I want you to be able to think critically)
Station #3
Directions: Answer the questions based on the maps that depict the growth of
Islamic empires/religion. Answer #4 based off of the article.
1. Using Map #1, list the locations controlled under Muhammed, the
locations added up to 750 CE (using the names of the locations on the map).
2. Using Map #2: What empire, according to this map, controlled the old
Byzantine Empire?
3. Using Map #2: How many independent Muslim states were there in 1510?
(Not counting the yellow)
4. Who is Ibn Battuta and Ibn Sina and what are they known for?
Bonus: Now compare your answer to #3 with the first map, even those there are different
colors depicting change, it is still a whole empire--so how many Muslim states were there
in the beginning?
Station #4
Directions: Answer the questions based on the source provided over the origins of
Islam.
1. What kind of religion made up Mecca before Islam and what did they
believe? What types of jobs was Muhammad involved in?
2. What happened to Muhammad when he was roughly forty? (Explain in
some detail the events that happened)
3. How did the people of Mecca respond to Muhammad and his new found
beliefs? Why did they feel like that and what did they do to Muhammad?
4. What is a mosque? Explain some of its features. Explain Jihad.
Bonus: What was the significance of Medina? (to answer this question correctly, think
about the fact that Muhammad was not allowed to share his religion freely in Mecca…)
Station #5
Directions: Answer the questions based on the source provided over the Five Pillars
and Qur’an of Islam.
1. List the Five Pillars in order and define them briefly.
2. What is the Qur’an? What is it made up of? What does it contain?
3. True or False: Many of the great Islamic empires were not tolerant of
religious minorities. (Write true or false for this question in your box. If true,
write statement above, if false, write the correct statement)
Bonus: What connects Islam to Judaism and Christianity?
Station #6
Directions: Answer the questions based on the source provided over the schism
within Islam and Islam’s cultural aspects.
1. What was a huge issue upon Muhammad’s death?
2. What were the two groups to emerge at his death and what did they
believe? What is a caliph?
3. In today’s world, which group is the majority and where are each located?
4. What are the certain rights given to women in the Qur’an and in what
ways are women controlled? What is the history behind and the reason that
women veil themselves?
5. What is the definitive and reliable language for the Qur’an to be written
in? What is sharia?
Station #7
Directions: Answer the questions based on the resource provided over the impact of
the Crusades.
1. When did the Crusades start? Why? When did they end?
2. Based on the map, what two modern-day countries sent Crusaders to the
Holy Land? (Hint, one country is named on the map, however the other country
just to the east is not named)
3. What city did the last Crusade end in and what modern-day country is that
city located int? (use both resources for this question)
4. What important piece of territory did Muslims lose in Europe due to the
Crusades? What were some cultural impacts of the Crusades on Muslims and vice
versa?
Islam Graphic Organizer
Station 1
Answers:
Station 2
Answers:
Station 3
Answers:
Station 4
Answers:
Station 7
Station 6
Station 5
Answers:
Answers:
Answers:
The Five Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars are the core beliefs and practices of Islam:
1. Profession of Faith (shahada). The belief that "There is no god but God,
and Muhammad is the Messenger of God" is central to Islam. This phrase, written
in Arabic, is often prominently featured in architecture and a range of objects,
including the Qur'an, Islam's holy book of divine revelations. One becomes a
Muslim by reciting this phrase with conviction.
2. Prayer (salat). Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn,
noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Prayer includes a recitation of the
opening chapter (sura) of the Qur'an, and is sometimes performed on a small rug
or mat used expressly for this purpose (see image 24). Muslims can pray
individually at any location (fig. 1) or together in a mosque, where a leader in
prayer (imam) guides the congregation. Men gather in the mosque for the
noonday prayer on Friday; women are welcome but not obliged to participate.
After the prayer, a sermon focuses on a passage from the Qur'an, followed by
prayers by the imam and a discussion of a particular religious topic.
3. Alms (zakat). In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed
portion of their income to community members in need. Many rulers and wealthy
Muslims build mosques, drinking fountains, hospitals, schools, and other
institutions both as a religious duty and to secure the blessings associated with
charity.
4. Fasting (sawm). During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month
of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from
food and drink [during the day]. Through this temporary deprivation, they renew
their awareness of and gratitude for everything God has provided in their lives—
including the Qur'an, which was first revealed during this month. During
Ramadan they share the hunger and thirst of the needy as a reminder of the
religious duty to help those less fortunate.
5. Pilgrimage (hajj). Every Muslim whose health and finances permit it
must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi
Arabia. The Ka'ba, a cubical structure covered in black embroidered hangings, is
at the center of the Haram Mosque in Mecca (fig. 2). Muslims believe that it is the
house Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic) built for God, and face in its direction (qibla)
when they pray. Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, believers from all over
the world have gathered around the Ka'ba in Mecca on the eighth and twelfth days
of the final month of the Islamic calendar.
The Qur'anhttp://metmuseum.org/learn/for-educators/publications-for-educators/art-ofthe-islamic-world/unit-one/the-quran
Muslims believe that the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to Muhammad
over a period of twenty-three years, starting with the initial revelation at Mount Hira.
After the Prophet's death, his successors compiled these divine revelations in a
manuscript.
The Qur'an contains prayers, moral guidance, historical narrative, and promises of
Paradise. It opens with a short prayer called the Fatiha, the most widely recited passage,
and is divided into 114 chapters (suras) organized in descending length. For binding and
reading purposes, manuscripts of the Qur'an are often divided into thirty equal parts,
called juz'.
Every chapter of the Qur'an (except one) begins with the bismillah, the collective name
for the invocation "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful." Muslims often
repeat this phrase at the start of an event or task—before giving a speech, beginning a
meal, or even boarding a bus. The calligraphic bismillah is frequently written on both
religious and secular objects.
The Qur'an places Muhammad at the end of a long line of prophets that began with
Abraham. Although narrative is not central to the Qur'an, it includes the stories of Noah,
Moses, and Jesus. It recognizes Jews and Christians as "People of the Book"; as a result,
Muslims accept many of the teachings of the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible. Many of
the great Islamic empires (like those in Spain, Iran, India, and Turkey) were tolerant of
religious minorities.
Islam's views of Judaism and Christianity
Islam sees Judaism and Christianity as earlier versions of Islam, revelations given within
the same tradition by Allah but misunderstood over time by their followers. Muslims see
Islam as the final, complete, and correct revelation in the monotheistic tradition of the
three faiths.
The Islamic tradition recognizes many of the Jewish and Christian prophets, including
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (although he is not considered to be the son of God). Many
non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muhammad is the equivalent of Jesus in the Islamic
tradition; in fact, it is the Quran that stands in the same central position in Islam as Jesus
does in Christianity. Muhammad himself is not divine, but a prophet chosen by God to
deliver his message and an example of piety to emulate.
Jews and Christians are specifically protected in the Quran as Peoples of the Book,
reinforcing their spiritual connection to Islam by virtue of having been given revelations
from God. The Islamic legal tradition has upheld the rights of Jews and Christians to
maintain their beliefs and practices within their communities in Islamic lands, and this
policy of tolerance has generally been upheld.
About the Silk Roads
Introduction
Human beings have always moved from place to place and traded with their neighbours,
exchanging goods, skills and ideas. Throughout history, Eurasia was criss-crossed with
communication routes and paths of trade, which gradually linked up to form what are
known today as the Silk Roads; routes across both land and sea, along which silk and
many other goods were exchanged between people from across the world. Maritime
routes were an important part of this network, linking East and West by sea, and were
used for the trade of spices in particular, thus becoming known as the Spice Routes.
These vast networks carried more than just merchandise and precious commodities
however: the constant movement and mixing of populations also brought about the
transmission of knowledge, ideas, cultures and beliefs, which had a profound impact on
the history and civilizations of the Eurasian peoples. Travellers along the Silk Roads were
attracted not only by trade but also by the intellectual and cultural exchange that was
taking place in cities along the Silk Roads, many of which developed into hubs of culture
and learning. Science, arts and literature, as well as crafts and technologies were thus
shared and disseminated into societies along the lengths of these routes, and in this way,
languages, religions and cultures developed and influenced each other.
'Silk Road' is in fact a relatively recent term, and for the majority of their long history,
these ancient roads had no particular name. In the mid-nineteenth century, the German
geologist, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, named the trade and communication network
Die Seidenstrasse (the Silk Road), and the term, also used in the plural, continues to stir
imaginations with its evocative mystery.
Beyond Silk; a diversity of routes and cargos
However, whilst the silk trade was one of the earliest catalysts for the trade routes across
Central Asia, it was only one of a wide range of products that was traded between east
and west, and which included textiles, spices, grain, vegetables and fruit, animal hides,
tools, wood work, metal work, religious objects, art work, precious stones and much
more. Indeed, the Silk Roads became more popular and increasingly well-travelled over
the course of the Middle Ages, and were still in use in the 19th century, a testimony not
only to their usefulness but also to their flexibility and adaptability to the changing
demands of society. Nor did these trading paths follow any one trail – merchants had a
wide choice of different routes crossing a variety of regions of Eastern Europe, the
Middle East, Central Asia and the Far East, as well as the maritime routes, which
transported goods from China and South-East Asia through the Indian Ocean to Africa,
India and the Near East.
These routes developed over time and according to shifting geopolitical contexts
throughout history. For example, merchants from the Roman Empire would try to avoid
crossing the territory of the Parthians, Rome’s enemies, and therefore took routes to the
north, across the Caucasus region and over the Caspian Sea. Similarly, whilst extensive
trade took place over the network of rivers that crossed the Central Asian steppes in the
early Middle Ages, their water levels rose and fell, and sometimes dried up altogether,
and trade routes shifted accordingly.
Maritime trade was another extremely important branch of this global trade network.
Most famously used for the transportation of spices, the maritime trade routes have also
been known as the Spice Roads, supplying markets across the world with cinnamon,
pepper, ginger, cloves and nutmeg from the Moluccas islands in Indonesia (known as the
Spice Islands), as well as a wide range of other goods. Textiles, woodwork, precious
stones, metalwork, incense, timber, and saffron were all traded by the merchants
travelling these routes, which stretched over 15,000 kilometres, from the west coast of
Japan, past the Chinese coast, through South East Asia, and past India to reach the
Middle East and so to the Mediterranean.
Travelling the Silk Roads
The process of travelling the Silk Roads developed along with the roads themselves. In
the Middle Ages, caravans consisting of horses or camels were the standard means of
transporting goods across land. Caravanserais, large guest houses or inns designed to
welcome travelling merchants, played a vital role in facilitating the passage of people and
goods along these routes. Found along the Silk Roads from Turkey to China, they
provided not only a regular opportunity for merchants to eat well, rest and prepare
themselves in safety for their onward journey, and also to exchange goods, trade with
local markets and buy local products, and to meet other merchant travellers, and in doing
so, to exchange cultures, languages and ideas.
As trade routes developed and became more lucrative, caravanserais became more of a
necessity, and their construction intensified across Central Asia from the 10th century
onwards, and continued until as late as the 19th century. This resulted in a network of
caravanserais that stretched from China to the Indian subcontinent, Iran, the Caucasus,
Turkey, and as far as North Africa, Russia and Eastern Europe, many of which still stand
today.
Caravanserais were ideally positioned within a day’s journey of each other, so as to
prevent merchants (and more particularly, their precious cargos) from spending days or
nights exposed to the dangers of the road. On average, this resulted in a caravanserai
every 30 to 40 kilometres in well-maintained areas.
Maritime traders had different challenges to face on their lengthy journeys. The
development of sailing technology, and in particular of ship-building knowledge,
increased the safety of sea travel throughout the Middle Ages. Ports grew up on coasts
along these maritime trading routes, providing vital opportunities for merchants not only
to trade and disembark, but also to take on fresh water supplies, with one of the greatest
threats to sailors in the Middle Ages being a lack of drinking water. Pirates were another
risk faced by all merchant ships along the maritime Silk Roads, as their lucrative cargos
made them attractive targets.
The primary means of transportation was the Camel, which could handle desert heat and
carry relatively large loads. Along with camel transport, caravanserais, inns for caravan
merchants and areas for animals to be rested, fed and watered, developed along the roads.
After the Prophet's Death: Emergence of Shi'i and Sunni Sects of Islam
When Muhammad died in 632, he had not named a successor. One faction, the Shi'a [or
Shiite], believed that only individuals with direct lineage to the Prophet could guide the
Muslim community righteously. They thought that 'Ali, Muhammad's closest surviving
blood male relative, should be their next leader (caliph--chief Muslim civil and religious
ruler). The other faction, the Sunnis, believed that the Prophet's successor should be
determined by consensus and successively elected three of his most trusted companions,
commonly referred to as the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman), as
leaders of the Muslim community; 'Ali succeeded them as the fourth caliph.
Today the Islamic community remains divided into Sunni and Shi'i branches. Sunnis
revere all four caliphs, while Shi'is regard 'Ali as the first spiritual leader. The rift
between these two factions has resulted in differences in worship as well as political and
religious views. Sunnis are in the majority and occupy most of the Muslim world, while
Shi'i populations are concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain,
Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
The Status of Women in the Islamic World: Pre-Islamic Arabia had been primarily
patriarchal; although women enjoyed some rights not afforded them in other areas. They
could inherit property, divorce their husbands on their own initiative, and engage in
business. In fact, Khadija, the first of Muhammad’s four wives, was a successful business
woman. Women’s position and security was enhanced somewhat by the Quran, as it
forbade female infanticide [killing female-born children, because men were more wanted,
especially if a family was poor] and provided for dowries to be paid directly to brides
rather than their husbands. Women were honorable individuals, equal to men before
Allah, not the property of their husbands or male guardians.
Even so, male dominance was reinforced by the Quran and the sharia. Inheritance was
patrilineal, with substantial emphasis on genealogical purity. Women’s social and sexual
lives were strictly controlled by male guardians, fathers, brothers, or husbands. Men
could take up to four wives, but women could have only one husband. The society
established by the Quran and sharia were essentially patriarchal.
The veiling of women was a practice adopted after Islam expanded into the Byzantine
and Sassanid empires, which also had strong patriarchal traditions. Upper class urban
women had veiled themselves in Mesopotamia for over two thousand years; and Persians
practiced it long before Muslims did. The practice was a sign of modesty; as was the
practice of seldom venturing outside one’s home unless accompanied by servants or
chaperones whose purpose was to discourage the attention of men from other families.
Although the Quran expressly provided specific legal rights for Muslim women, Islamic
scholars interpreted the Quran in such a way the rights of women were progressively
limited. They were increasingly placed under the control of male guardians. This
increased emphasis on male authority was the result of the influence of the patriarchal
societies of Mesopotamia, Persia, etc.
Islamic Values and Cultural Exchanges: The Quran was and is the cornerstone of
Islamic society. Muslims have also considered the Arabic text of the Quran as the only
definitive and reliable scripture; translations lose part of the meaning. Theologians
examined the Quran, stories of Muhammad’s life and other sources of doctrine to
formulate appropriate moral guidelines. This body of civil and criminal law was
incorporated into the sharia, and established a degree of cultural unity between the
various cultures/civilizations encompassed in the Islamic world.
Cultural and religious unity was also established by the Ulama and qadis who held
positions in all Islamic courts. They resolved disputes according to Islamic law, and
ordered public observance of Islamic social and moral standards. As a result, the values
of the Quran and sharia became established far from Arabia. Mosques maintained
schools that provided elementary and religious education. Wealthy Muslims sometimes
endowed schools. A number of institutions of higher education known as madrasas were
established in larger cities which rulers often supported.
The Prophet Muhammad and the Origins of Islamhttp://metmuseum.org/learn/foreducators/publications-for-educators/art-of-the-islamic-world/unit-one/the-prophetmuhammad-and-the-origins-of-islam
The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by
Muslims to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus. Because
Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through the
divine revelations, Muslims from all walks of life strive to follow his example. After the
holy Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet (hadith) and descriptions of his way of life
(sunna) are the most important Muslim texts.
Early Life
Muhammad was born into the most powerful tribe in Mecca, the Quraish, around 570
A.D. The power of the Quraish derived from their role as successful merchants. Several
trade routes intersected at Mecca, allowing the Quraish to control trade along the west
coast of Arabia, north to Syria, and south to Yemen.
Mecca was home to two widely venerated polytheistic cults whose gods were thought to
protect its lucrative trade. After working for several years as a merchant, Muhammad was
hired by Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage of her caravans to Syria.
They eventually married.
Divine Revelations
When he was roughly forty, Muhammad began having visions and hearing voices.
Searching for clarity, he would sometimes meditate at Mount Hira, near Mecca. On one
of these occasions, the Archangel Gabriel (Jibra'il in Arabic) appeared to him and
instructed him to recite "in the name of [your] lord." This was the first of many
revelations that became the basis of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. These early
revelations pointed to the existence of a single God, contradicting the polytheistic beliefs
of the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula.
Initially overwhelmed by the significance of what was being revealed to him,
Muhammad found unflinching support in his wife and slowly began to attract followers.
His strong monotheistic message angered many of the Meccan merchants. They were
afraid that trade, which they believed was protected by the pagan gods, would suffer.
From that point forward, Muhammad was ostracized in Mecca. For a time, the influence
and status of his wife and his uncle, Abu Talib, the chief of the clan, protected
Muhammad from persecution. After they died, however, Muhammad's situation in Mecca
became dire.
The Hijra
Emigration became the only hope for Muhammad and his followers' survival. In 622,
they headed to Medina, another oasis town, where they were promised freedom to
practice their religion. The move from Mecca to Medina is known as the hijra—the
flight—and marks year 1 of the Islamic, or hijri, calendar.
Spreading the Message of Islam
In Medina, Muhammad continued to receive divine revelations and built an everexpanding community around the new faith. The conflict with the Quraish continued, but
after several years of violent clashes, Mecca surrendered. Muhammad and his followers
soon returned and took over the city, destroying all its pagan idols and spreading their
belief in one God.
Mosque
Muslims worship in a building called a mosque. An alternative word for mosque, from
the original Arabic, is masjid, meaning place of prostration.
Outside every mosque, or just inside the entrance, is a place where worshippers can
remove and leave their shoes. There is also a place where they can carry out the ritual
washing required before prayer.
The main hall of a mosque is a bare room largely devoid of furniture. There are no
pictures or statues. Muslims believe these are blasphemous, since there can be no image
of Allah, who is wholly spirit.
Everyone sits on the floor and everywhere in the mosque is equal in status. A niche in
one of the walls, called a mihrab, shows the direction that the worshippers should face in
order to face Mecca.
Many mosques have a minaret which is a tall thin tower. A muezzin stands at the top of
the tower and calls Muslims to prayer at the five ritual times of the day. Not all mosques
in the UK have a minaret.
Women can attend the mosque and when they do they sit separately from the
men. This is out of modesty and to prevent any distraction. It is more usual for women to
pray at home.
Jihad
The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle or effort, and it means much more than holy war.
Muslims use the word Jihad to describe three different kinds of struggle:
● A believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as
possible
● The struggle to build a good Muslim society
● Holy war: the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary
Many modern writers claim that the main meaning of Jihad is the internal spiritual
struggle, and this is accepted by many Muslims.
However there are so many references to Jihad as a military struggle in Islamic writings
that it is incorrect to claim that the interpretation of Jihad as holy war is wrong.
Jihad and the Prophet
The internal Jihad is the one that Prophet Muhammad is said to have called the greater
Jihad.
But the quotation in which the Prophet says this is regarded as coming from an unreliable
source by some scholars. They regard the use of Jihad to mean holy war as the more
important.
Holy war
When Muslims, or their faith or territory are under attack, Islam permits (some say
directs) the believer to wage military war to protect them.
However Islamic (shariah) law sets very strict rules for the conduct of such a war.
In recent years the most common meaning of Jihad has been Holy War.
And there is a long tradition of Jihad being used to mean a military struggle to benefit
Islam.
What can justify Jihad?
There are a number of reasons, but the Qur'an is clear that self-defence is always the
underlying cause.
Permissable reasons for military Jihad:
● Self-defence
● Strengthening Islam
● Protecting the freedom of Muslims to practise their faith
● Protecting Muslims against oppression, which could include overthrowing
a tyrannical ruler
● Punishing an enemy who breaks an oath
● Putting right a wrong
What a Jihad is not
A war is not a Jihad if the intention is to:
● Force people to convert to Islam
● Conquer other nations to colonise them
● Take territory for economic gain
● Settle disputes
● Demonstrate a leader's power
Although the Prophet engaged in military action on a number of occasions, these were
battles to survive, rather than conquest, and took place at a time when fighting between
tribes was common.
Medicine
●
●
●
●
Advances in development and preparation of pharmaceutical drugs.
Technique of distillation
Improvements to dissection techniques
New surgical instruments
● Illustrated book of techniques used for centuries.
● First to clearly describe and distinguish between smallpox and measles.
● Ibn Sina wrote the encyclopedic Canon of Medicine (early 1000s), used in
Europe until 1650.
Geography
● More accurate measurement of distances on earth.
● Better maps
● Improved the astrolabe (allowed you to chart your position on earth based
on position of stars)
● Ibn Battuta – travelled about 75,000 miles – visited the kingdom of every
Muslim ruler, visited China – his travels showed Muslim domination of the Red
Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Chinese waters.
Crusades
The first of the Crusades began in 1095, when armies of Christians from Western Europe
responded to Pope Urban II’s plea to go to war against Muslim forces in the Holy Land.
After the First Crusade achieved its goal with the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, the
invading Christians set up several Latin Christian states, even as Muslims in the region
vowed to wage holy war (jihad) to regain control over the region. Deteriorating relations
between the Crusaders and their Christian allies in the Byzantine Empire culminated in
the sack of Constantinople in 1204 during the Third Crusade. Near the end of the 13th
century, the rising Mamluk dynasty in Egypt provided the final reckoning for the
Crusaders, toppling the coastal stronghold of Acre and driving the European invaders out
of Palestine and Syria in 1291.
Impact
In the Mediterranean Sea, crusading led to the conquest and colonization of many islands,
which arguably helped ensure Christian control of Mediterranean trade routes (at least for
as long as the islands were held). Crusading also played a role in the conquest of the
Iberian peninsula (now Spain and Portugal). This was finally completed in 1492, when
the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella I conquered the last Muslim community
on the peninsula—the city of Granada. They expelled Jews from the country in the same
year. And of course, they also authorized and supported the expeditions of Christopher
Columbus, who—like many European explorers of his day—believed that the expansion
of the Christian faith was one of his duties.
Impact Continued...
While the Crusaders failed to permanently recapture the Holy Land, they gained much
from their encounter with the Islamic world. In the lands the Crusaders had taken, the
local Arabs civilized the European settlers: they taught them to take baths and to accord
greater rights to women. The Arabs also taught the Crusaders how to process sugar from
the cane, and provided European merchants with a vast array of luxury goods to ship
home: silk, linen, flax, samite (a heavy silk fabric), balm and the dye Tyrian purple. The
number of Arabic words introduced into English at this time attests to the extent of this
cross-cultural pollination: "orange," "lemon," "alfalfa," "cube," "alchemy," "alkali,"
"algebra," "alembic," "amalgam," "tariff," "soda," "admiral," "checkmate."
Without a doubt, the Crusades contributed to the richness of Western civilization. It is
their tragic legacy, though, that is felt most keenly today, particularly in the Middle East.
It was, after all, the murderous anti-Semitism of Europe, first unleashed by the Crusaders,
that made the State of Israel a necessary haven for the Jewish people. It was also the
ferocity of the Crusader attacks that shaped for Muslims of the region a lasting
impression of persistent Western aggression. Indeed, nearly a millennium after
Station Answers:
Station #1
Directions: Answer the questions based on the political and physical map of the Middle
East. (PS-Islam started in Mecca)
1. Describe Mecca's location with geography terms (north, south, east, west,
northwest, etc) in relation to Israel. Southeast
2. What can you hypothesize (make educated guesses) about the climate of
Mecca based off the physical features of where it is located? climate is dry and
hot
3. What are the bodies of water surrounding the Arabian Peninsula? List
some of the types of physical features that make up the Arabian Peninsula. Red
Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Aden; Hejaz Asir, Rub alKhali, An Nafud
Bonus: What type of physical feature do you think the Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) in
Saudi Arabia is? a desert
Station #2
Directions: Answer the questions based on the maps of the trade routes used by the
Muslims and then read through the resources to determine the economic importance of
those trade routes to the Islamic world.
1. What are the three continents represented on the maps? What are 3
modern-day countries that this trade route reached (pick countries outside of the
middle east)? Europe, Asia, Africa; possible: China, India, Egypt, Italy,
Mongolia, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka
2. When did these trades routes become popular and what century did they
last to? during the Middle Ages and until the 18the century
3. What types of commodities were traded on the Silk Road? What were
some other things that were traded (not physical items)? possible answers: paper,
silk (textiles), spices, printing press, crafts, technologies, grain, vegetables/fruit,
animal hides, tools, wood work, metal work, religious objects, art work, precious
stones; language, culture, religion, intellectual exchange, knowledge of science,
arts, and literature
4. Why were camels essential for trade in the Middle East? What are
caravanserais? camels were essential because of the vast deserts/could handle
desert heat and carry large loads; guest houses along trade routes (usually within
a day’s ride) to allow travelers to rest, eat, and replenish supplies...also allowed
them to trade locally
Bonus: True or false: “Muslims were at the center of a trade network that ran from
Europe to China.” If true, explain why, if false explain why it is not true. True:
geographically the Middle East is centrally located with trade routes to Europe, Africa,
and Eastern Asia
Station #3
Directions: Answer the questions based on the maps that depict the growth of Islamic
empires/religion.
1. Using Map #1, list the locations controlled under Muhammed and the
locations added up by 750 CE (using the names of the locations on the map).
Arabia, Yemen, and Oman; Persia, Syria, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Egypt,
Maghreb, Fezzan, Tripoli, Iberia
2. Using Map #2: What empire, according to this map, controlled the old
Byzantine Empire? Ottoman Sultanate
3. Using Map #2: How many independent Muslim states were there in 1510?
(Not counting the yellow) six
4. Who is Ibn Battuta and Ibn Sina and what are they known for? Battuta:
travelled about 75,000 miles visiting the kingdom of every Muslim ruler therefore
showed Muslim domination of the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the
Chinese waters; Sina: wrote the encyclopedic Canon of Medicine (early 1000s)
and it was used in Europe until 1650
Bonus: Now compare your answer to #3 with the first map, even those there are different
colors depicting change, it is still a whole empire--so how many Muslim states were there
in the beginning? one
Station #4
Directions: Answer the questions based on the source provided over the origins of Islam.
1. What kind of religion made up Mecca before Islam? What types of jobs
was Muhammad involved in? polytheistic cult that believed its gods protected
their lucrative trade routes; merchant & later protector of caravans
2. What happened to Muhammad when he was roughly forty? (Explain in
some detail the events that happened) he started having visions and hearing
voices; meditating in cave and Angel Gabriel came to him and revealed things
that would become basis for Qur’an; revealed a single god which contradicted
polytheistic beliefs of the region
3. How did the people of Mecca respond to Muhammad and his new found
beliefs? Why did they feel like that and what did they do to Muhammad? they
were angered because they felt his beliefs would anger their gods and their trade
would suffer; he was ostracized by the people in Mecca
4. What is a mosque? Explain some of its features. Explain Jihad. building
Muslims worship in-huge bare main hall with a niche to show which direction to
pray towards, minaret (tall tower) calls Muslims to prayer; jihad is a struggle,
internal and external
Bonus: What was the significance of Medina? (to answer this question correctly, think
about the fact that Mohammed was not allowed to share his religion freely in Mecca…)
Medina was significant because he was allowed to practice his religion freely, gain
followers, keep the religion alive, and then was able to take over Mecca years later and
spread Islam even more
Station #5
Directions: Answer the questions based on the source provided over the Five Pillars and
Qur’an of Islam.
1. List the Five Pillars in order and define them briefly. Profession of Faith:
“there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”; Prayer:
pray 5x a day facing Mecca; Alms: donating fixed portion of income to
community members in need; Fasting: fast during the day during the month of
Ramadan; Pilgrimage: make one trip during lifetime to Mecca
2. What is the Qur’an? What is it made up of? What does it contain? it is the
holy book of Islam; made up of revelations that Muhammad had; contains:
prayers, moral guidance, historical narrative, and promises of paradise
3. True or False: Many of the great Islamic empires were not tolerant of
religious minorities. (Write true or false for this question in your box. If true,
write statement above, if false, write the correct statement) False: “Many of the
great Islamic empires were tolerant of religious minorities.
Bonus: What connects Islam to Judaism and Christianity? sees Judaism and Christianity
as earlier versions of Islam; recognizes the prophets: Abraham, Moses, and Jesus; and
Christians and Jews are protected in the Qur’an as “Peoples of the Book”
Station #6
Directions: Answer the questions based on the source provided over the schism within
Islam and Islam’s cultural aspects.
1. What was a huge issue upon Muhammad’s death? he had not chosen a
successor
2. What were the two groups to emerge at his death and what did they
believe? What is a caliph? Shiites: believed that only individuals with direct
lineage to Muhammad (Prophet) could be the caliph; Sunnis believed that
Muhammad’s (Prophet’s) successors should be determined by consensus; caliph
is the chief Muslim civil and religious ruler
3. In today’s world, which group is the majority and where are each located?
Sunnis are majority and occupy most of Muslim world; Shiites are largely
concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain, Lebanon,
Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan
4. What are the certain rights given to women in the Qur’an and in what
ways are women controlled? What is the history behind and the reason that
women veil themselves? forbade female infanticide, provided dowries to be paid
directly to brides rather than their husbands, equal to men before Allah; not
allowed to inherit property, strictly controlled by the men in their lives, could only
have 1 husband while their husband could have up to 4 wives; veiling goes back
to Mesopotamia, sign of modesty
5. What is the definitive and reliable language for the Qur’an to be written
in? What is sharia? Arabic; sharia is the body of civil and criminal law--moral
guidelines
Station #7
Directions: Answer the questions based on the resource provided over the impact of the
Crusades.
1. When did the Crusades start? Why? When did they end? Began in 1095
because Pope Urban II plead with Western Europe to fight off Muslims in the
Holy Land; ended in 1291
2. Based on the map, what two modern-day countries sent Crusaders to the
Holy Land? (Hint, one country is named on the map, however the other country
just to the east is not named) France and Germany
3. What city did the last Crusade end in and what modern-day country is that
city located int? (use both resources for this question) Acre, Jerusalem
4. What important piece of territory did Muslims lose in Europe due to the
Crusades? What were some cultural impacts of the Crusades on Muslims and vice
versa? Iberian Peninsula-aka Spain and Portugal; taught Muslims to take baths
& give greater rights to women; Crusaders were taught how to process sugar
from the cane and sent them home with a wide variety of luxury goods & new
words added to the English language; bad impacts would include making it
necessary for the Jews to consider Jerusalem their safe haven and a lasting, bad
impression of Westerners due to Crusaders’ ferocity
Islam Quiz
Unit 6 Quiz: Islam
Name: _______________________________
1. Where did Islam originate? (SSWH 5a)
a. Medina, Saudi Arabia
b. Jerusalem, Israel
c. Acre, Israel
d. Mecca, Saudi Arabia
2. Which is the first of the Five Pillars? (SSWH 5a)
a. Alms to the poor
b. Profession of faith
c. Jihad
d. Pilgrimage to the Holy City
3. Which of the following beliefs is held by Muslims, Jews and Christians? (SSWH
5f)
a. Belief in reincarnation
b. Belief in Jesus as the messiah
c. Belief in one God
d. Belief in Muhammad
4. What two things were Ibn Battuta and Ibn Sina contributors of? (SSWH 5d)
a. Geography and the printing press
b. Silk and medicine
c. Geography and medicine
d. Medicine and gunpowder
5. Circle one: True or
False
(SSWH 5b)
Muslims were at the center of a trade network that ran from Europe to China.
6. Who is the founder of Islam? (SSWH 5a)
a. Abraham
b. Constantine
c. Mohammad
d. Ivan III
7. The reason that Islam divided into two main branches was (SSWH 5c)
a. A dispute over who should be caliph, or leader of the faith.
b. Controversy over the place of sin in Islamic teaching.
c. A conflict over the meaning of the Qur’an.
d. Differences over the role of religious leaders in the Muslim community.
8. What kind of negative affect did the Crusades have on the Islamic world? (SSWH
5e)
a. Traded with the Europeans a wide-variety of luxury goods
b. Lost territory and there is a bad lasting impression of Westerners
c. Were taught how to process sugar from the cane
d. Were taught how to take baths
9. What is the body of civil and criminal law that was written based off of the
Qur’an and other important Islamic texts? (SSWH 5a)
a. Jihad
b. Alms
c. Mosque
d. Sharia
10. The holy book of Muslim is the (SSWH 5a)
a. Bible
b. Torah
c. Qur’an
d. Caliph
11. A Muslim place of worship is (SSWH 5a)
a. Mosque
b. Synagogue
c. Cathedral
d. the Vatican
12. The Sunni believed that the Muslim people should (SSWH 5c)
a. Settle their own religious matters
b. Support the leaders’ decisions
c. Determine the caliph by consensus
d. Rewrite the Qur’an
13. What reason is the MOST IMPORTANT to why camels were essential for the
Muslims to be successful at trade in the climate of the Middle East? (SSWH 5b)
a. Could carry large loads
b. Could handle the desert heat
c. Camels were not important to Islamic trade
d. Could lead Muslims in the right direction
14. Arabia’s location gave it access to all of the following EXCEPT: (SSWH 5b)
a. Europe
b. the Americas
c. Africa
d. Asia
15. Why do Muslim women veil their faces? (SSWH 5a)
a. Fashion statement
b. Shield them from the sun
c. Because their ancestors did so
d. Sign of modesty