Download Origin and Spread of Islam

Origin and Spread of Islam
Origins of Islam
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Muhammad, a trader from Mecca, said
that he was visited by the angel Gabriel.
Gabriel said that Muhammad was to be a
prophet for Allah (God).
• He was given verses and told to teach
others.
• Mecca and Medina, cities on the Arabian
peninsula, were early Muslim cities.
Beliefs of Islam
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Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
Islam is a monotheistic religion. That means
it believes in only one god.
holy book of Islam is the Qur’an (Koran). It
means word of God.
Jihad is the struggle to defend the faith.
A mosque is a Muslim place of worship.
The Five Pillars
a.
Profession of Faith - acknowledging that there is no god
but Allah
b. Five daily prayers – wash, pray facing Mecca
c. Give alms to the poor – paying the tax to help the poor
d. Fast during Ramadan (holy month) – eat and drink
nothing from dawn to sunset
e. Pilgrimage (trip) to Mecca – hijrah – takes place at a
certain time of year, have to make at least one trip
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Islam has a shared belief with Judaism and
Christianity. Muhammad accepted Moses and
Jesus as prophets.
Expansion of Islam
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300 years after Muhammad’s death, Muslim rule
expanded rapidly.
Muhammad’s successor was Abu Bakr. He was
called a Caliph, successor to the prophet.
It spread along trade routes from Mecca to
Medina. It spread into the Fertile Crescent, Iran
and Central Asia. From Africa and Asia, Islam
spread into Spain.
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Islam expanded despite great distances,
deserts, and mountains.
– The Arabic language spread with Islam and
facilitated trade across Islamic lands.
Islamic Divide
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An Islamic Divide started over the murder of a
caliph.
Who would be the next caliph? There were two
groups fighting over the question.
Sunni Muslims (Sunni meaning“way of the
prophet”) said that agreement among Muslims
should settle religious matters.
Sunnis believed that anyone could be caliph.
Shi’ah Muslims believed that only descendents of
Ali (a man chosen to be caliph, but murdered)
should be caliphs.
The Spread of Islam Continues
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The spread of Islam continued into Spain.
Moors, or Spanish Muslims, ruled Spain for
700 years.
Moors tried to invade France, but were
defeated at the Battle of Tours.
Islamic Civilization
Geography
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The Arabian Peninsula, the location of the
start of Islam, is mostly desert.
Because of this, early cities developed
mostly along the coast.
Government
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At first, the government was ran by one
caliph.
However, political unity was short-lived.
The Muslim Empire was organized into
provinces; three caliphs ruled over the
empire.
People were expected to follow Islamic
laws in public and private life.
Islamic Achievements and the
Crusades
Cultural Contributions and Achievements
1. Islamic Civilization made many cultural contributions
and achievements.
2. Examples of cultural contributions include:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Architecture (Dome of the Rock)
Mosaics
Arabic alphabet
Universities
Translation of ancient texts into Arabic
The story “Thousand and One Nights”
3. Examples of scientific contributions and
achievements include:
a. Arabic numerals -adapted from India, including zero
b. Algebra
c. Medicine – the development and preparation of drugs,
dissection and diagnosing diseases
d. Expansion of geographic knowledge – the astrolabe
charts the positions of the stars and calculates the
position on Earth
Crusades
4. The Crusades were military expeditions to regain
the Holy Land. (1096-1291)
5. In the First Crusade, Jerusalem is captured by the
Muslims.
6. In the Second Crusade, Damascus falls to the
Muslims.
7. In the Third Crusade, Saladin (the Muslim leader)
regains control of Jerusalem.
8. In the Fourth Crusade, Constantinople is taken over
by the Ottoman Turks.