Download The Arabs, Muhammad, Muslims, and the Islamic Faith

The Arabs, Muhammad,
Muslims, and the Islamic Faith
The Arabs
Nomadic people
lived in the Arabian Peninsula
moved continually to water and feed their
animals.
Herded sheep and farmed on the Oasis
Caravan trade
The Arabs
Trace ancestors back to Abraham who
was thought to build a shrine in Mecca
(Mekkah) called the Kaaba (Kuh-ba)
They recognize a supreme God, Allah, but
they also had other tribal gods.
Muhammad
Born to a merchant family in Mecca
Married his boss, a rich widow named
Khadija
Believed to have received revelations from
Allah while meditating
Muhammad's Word
For three years Muhammad preached in
Mecca and only had 30 followers
they were persecuted and moved to
Medina in 622 and built a following.
In 630 Muhammad returned to Mecca with
10,000 soldiers, took over Mecca, many
converted, and made the Kaaba a shrine
Muhammad
Muhammad believed that Allah revealed
himself partially to Moses (Judaism) and
Jesus (Christianity), but Allah’s final
revelations were to him.
These revelations became known as the
Quran (Koran), the scriptures of Islam
The Quran is ethical guidance for Muslims
The Teachings of Muhammad
Islam is monotheistic; Allah is all powerful
creator of everything, offers salvation and
the hope of an afterlife.
Muhammad is not considered divine, like
Jesus in Christianity, He is a prophet who
conveys Allah’s final revelations.
Five Pillars
To obey Allah’s will, Muslims must follow
an ethical code
Belief,-there is only one God, Muhammad
is his prophet
Prayer-five times a day,
Charity-give money to poor
Fasting-no food or drink from dawn to
sunset during the month of Ramadan ,
 pilgrimage- expected to make one to
Mecca during their life. (hajj)
Eternal Paradise
The faithful who follow the law are
guaranteed a place in an eternal paradise.
Creation of an Arab Empire
 Muhammad deaths left his followers with a
problem of succession.
 Some wanted Muhammad’s father-in-law Abu
Bakr, to lead, and was named the caliph.
 Under Abu Bakr, the Arabs conquered several
others. By 650 the Arabs controlled Egypt, the
Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire.
 They were fierce fighters led by brilliant
generals. A Muslim that died in battle was
assured a place in paradise.
Economy and Social Structures
was prosperous because of trade by ship and camel. Caravans went form Morocco to the C
, silk and porcelain from China, gold and ivory from East Africa, spices from southeast Asia
Allah but not in the Arab Empire. There was a well defined upper-class of ruling families, we
oman had spiritual equality, but men were very much the dominant in society and in the hous
The Brilliance of the Islamic Culture
Arab Scholars translated Plato and Socrates
utions to mathematics and the natural sciences. Adopted India’s numerical systems that inc
erfected astrolabe, which helped sailors to determine their location by observing the position
Developed medicine, mosques (art blends) which represent Islam’s spirit.