Islam

Objectives and State Standards

• I can identify the physical landscape of the Islamic world (7.3)

• I can examine the origins of Islam with Judaism and Christianity and the basic beliefs. (7.5)

Geography of Arabia (Middle East)The Arabian Peninsula and

Southwest Asia (often referred to as the Middle East) was a cultural bridge between Africa, Europe and Asia where goods were traded and new ideas were shared. One set of shared ideas would become a powerful change in the world—the religion of Islam

Life in the Arabian PeninsulaThe Arabian Peninsula is a

crossroads of three continents—Africa, Europe and Asia. At its longest and widest points, the peninsula is 1200 miles from north to south and 1300 miles from east to west.

Only a tiny strip of fertile land in south Arabia can support agriculture. The remainder of the land is mostly desert and inhabited by nomadic herders.

Life in the Arabian PeninsulaOn this desert, the nomadic

Arabs called Bedouins (bed·oh·ins), were organized into tribes called clans. These clans provided security and support for a life made difficult by the extreme conditions of the desert. The Bedouin ideals of courage, loyalty to family and their warrior skills would become a part of the Islamic way of life.

Life in the Arabian PeninsulaBy the early 600’s AD,

trade routes connected Arabia to major ocean and land trade routes.

Merchants moved along the Silk Road for goods from the of the Empires of the east. They also carried new ideas and technologies from lands outside of Arabia.

Silk Road

IslamAn Abrahamic Religion

IslamAn Abrahamic Religion Muslims are strict monotheists.

They believe in the Judeo- Christian God, which they call Allah.

Muslims believe that the Torah and the Bible, like the Qur’an, is the word of God.

Peoples of the BookPeoples of the Book

Abraham’s GenealogyAbraham’s Genealogy

ABRAHAMABRAHAM SARAHSARAHHAGARHAGAR

IsaacIsaac

EsauEsauJacobJacob

12 Tribes of Israel

12 Tribes of Israel

Ishmael

Ishmael

12 Arabian Tribes

12 Arabian Tribes

The Prophetic Tradition

The Prophetic Tradition

Adam

Noah

Abraham

Moses

Jesus

Muhammad

The Origins of the Qur’an

The Origins of the Qur’an Muhammad received his first

revelation from the angel Gabriel in the Cave of Hira in 610.

622 Hijrah Muhammed flees Mecca for Medina. * The beginning of the Muslim calendar (1 A.H.)

Muhammad’s revelations were compiled into the Qur’an after his death.

The Qur’anThe Qur’an Muslims believe it contains the word of God.

114 suras (chapters).

In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. Written in Arabic.

The life of the Prophet Mohammed

Mohammad was born into the clan of a powerful Meccan family. Orphaned at the age of six, Mohammad was raised by his grandfather and uncle. He received very little schooling and soon entered the caravan trade industry.

Mohammad took great interest in religion and often spent time alone in prayer & meditation. At about the age of 40, Mohammad's life was changed overnight when a voice called to him while meditating. According to Muslim beliefs, the voice was that of the angel Gabriel who told Mohammad that he was a messenger of Allah.

The life of the Prophet MohammedMohammad had begun to teach that Allah

was the one and only God and that all other Gods were to be abandoned. People who agreed to this basic principal of Islam were called Muslims.

Islam means “one who submits to the will of Allah”

Muslim means “one who has submitted.”

The Holy City of MeccaDuring certain holy months, caravans stopped Mecca, a city on the Arabian Peninsula. They brought religious pilgrims who came to worship at an ancient shrine called the Ka’aba. The Arabs associated this house of worship with Abraham, a Hebrew prophet and a believer of one God.. The concept of belief in one God, Allah in Arabic, was well known on the Arabian peninsula as many Christians & Jews already lived there. It was here in this religiously mixed environment of Mecca, around 570 A

The Holy City of MeccaDuring certain holy months, caravans stopped Mecca, a city on the Arabian Peninsula. They brought religious pilgrims who came to worship at an ancient shrine called the Ka’aba. The Arabs associated this house of worship with Abraham, a Hebrew prophet and a believer of one God.. The concept of belief in one God, Allah in Arabic, was well known on the Arabian peninsula as many Christians & Jews already lived there. It was here in this religiously mixed environment of Mecca, around 570 AD Mohammad was born.

The Ka’ aba (House of Wisdom)

Beliefs & Practices of Islam

To be a Muslim means to follow a strict moral code of behavior known as the Five Pillars of Islam.

The main teaching of Islam is there is only one God, Allah. All other beliefs and practices follow from this teaching. Islam teaches that there is good and evil, and that each individual is responsible for the actions of his or her life.

Pillar #1 Faith

“there is but one God and his name is Allah”

Pillar #2 Prayer

Muslims are to pray five times daily facing the city of Mecca.

Pillar #3 Alms

Muslims are to give to those in need

Pillar #4Fast

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims from sun-up

to sun-down, refrain from eating to be reminded that spiritual sacrifice is more

important that physical need

Pillar #5 Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca is to be made if you are able to. This is to be done once

in your lifetime

In what ways would the five pillars be similar to the 10 Commandments?

Other Muslim BeliefsCarrying out the Five Pillars of Islam ensures that Muslims live their religion while serving in their community. Along with the Five Pillars, there are other customs, morals, and laws for Islamic society that affect Muslims’ daily lives.

•Muslims are forbidden from eating pork

•Muslims are forbidden from consuming alcohol

•Friday afternoons are set aside for communal prayer

•Islam has no priests or central religious authority( like the Pope in Christianity)

Other Muslim BeliefsThe holy book of Islam is the Qur’an.

The Qur’an is written in Arabic, and Muslims consider only the Arabic version to be the true word of Allah. Only Arabic can be used during worship and wherever Muslims carried the Qur’an, Arabic became the official language of followers and scholars.

Links to Other Religions•To Muslims, Allah is the same God

that is worshipped in Christianity and Judaism.

•Muslims view the Qur’an as the word of God in the same way that Christians and Jews view the Bible and the Torah.

•All three religions believe in the Holy land.

What is the Qur’an & what how does it make Islam similar to Christianity and Judaism?

Questions

• End of Lesson Questions

1. Describe the landscape of most of Arabia.

2. How is Islam similar to Christianity and Judaism. (List 1)

3. Who was the founder of Islam?

Islam’s Spread and Contributions to the World

Objectives and States Standards

• I can examine the reasons Islam spread.

• I can identify the contributions that Islam has made to the world.

The Spreading of Islam

When Mohammad died in 632 AD, Muslim inspired by the message of Allah, believed that they had a duty to carry his word to the world.

The Spreading of Islam

The Muslim community expanded the Muslim Empire 6,000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River.

The Spread of IslamThe Spread of Islam Easy to learn and practice.

No priesthood.

Teaches equality.

Non-Muslims, who were “Peoples of the Book,” were allowed religious freedom, but paid additional taxes.

Easily “portable” nomads & trade routes.

Jihad (“Holy War”) against pagans and other non-believers (“infidels”).

Treatment of Conquered People

Because the Qur’an forbade forced conversion, Muslims allowed conquered people to follow their own religion. Christians and Jews were made to pay a tax each year to their Muslim rulers.

THINK…Is this good or bad? DEFEND YOUR ANSWER.

Muslim Trade & Culture

Upper class-born Muslims

Those who converted to Islam

The “protected people”- Christians and Jews

Lowest class- slaves

The Qur’an also declared that men and women were equals

Muslim Trade & Culture

The Muslim Empire could engage in sea trade with most of the known world and a land network of roads connected it to inner China, India, and Africa.

At one end of the Muslim Empire was the city of Cordoba. The city attracted philosophers, scientists, inventors, and scholars as it boomed into a cultural center.

Muslim Trade & CultureOvertime, the influence of Muslims grew as

the Empire attracted people form a variety of lands. The many cultural traditions combined with Arabic culture to create an international flavor.

What factors helped in the spread of Islam?

Muslim Contributions to the World

Muslim Innovations

As the city of Cordoba was growing into a cultural center,

intellectual life was growing as well, especially the love of

books. The most celebrated library in Cordoba was said to

have had over 400,000 books, many of which were in

constant reproduction by hand copying professionals. Many

books from Ancient Rome and Greece were preserved here.

The widespread availability of books throughout the Islamic

Empire contributed to all kinds of learning.

Algebra

Muslim scholar were very interested in further developing

Greek mathematics. They even developed many games that

were based on math including “magic boxes” that were

grids containing numbers that added up to the same sum

vertically, horizontally, and diagonally (sound familiar). One

of the most famous Muslim mathematicians introduced the

idea of algebra which comes from the word “al jabr” which

means bringing together of separate parts. Algebra became

a major contribution to the scientific world.

2x + y + 30

Astronomy

Astronomy- the study of the skies- was an area in which

Islamic scholar excelled. For centuries astronomer built off of

the work of Greek scientist Ptolemy that the earth was at the

center of the universe and that the sun, stars and other

planets revolved around it. Islamic scientists through their

own observations noted mistakes in this view of the universe .

Islamic scholars also invented a new device for measuring

time of day, latitude, and movement or position of the stars

and planets. This was called an astrolabe.

Many advances were also made in the field of medicine.  Physicians and

pharmacists were required to pass exams before treating patients. They

setup hospitals that had separate areas for trauma cases, this is the

basis for today's emergency rooms.  Physicians developed treatments

for cataracts, used a variety of herbal remedies, and were adept at

treating a variety of injuries. Islamic pharmacists were the first to mix

sweet tasting syrups with medicine, ensuring that they would be

taken.  

A famous Islamic physician, wrote a book called Canon on Medicine,

which was an encyclopedia of Greek, Arabic, and his own knowledge of

medicine. This book became the foundation of medical knowledge in

Europe for nearly 500 years.

Medicine

According to the teachings of the

Qur'an, human images were not allowed

in religious celebration. Therefore, they

developed a style of geometric shapes

and patterns that were used to decorate

religious buildings called mosques. 

These geometric patterns usually

contained verses from the Qur'an

written in a stylized form of decorative

handwriting called calligraphy. 

Geometric Design & Calligraphy

Chess & Polo

The games of polo and chess were introduced to the Muslim

world by the Persians who had first learned of these games

from the people of Asia. Chess was particularly well liked

because of the intellectual challenge. The games were

spread to Europe following the crusades. Polo was a

technical game that utilized horse back riding that once

again was a mainstay of the Asian people.

The Hagia Sophia

The Dome of the Rock

Muslims in the WorldToday

Muslims in the WorldToday

Countries with the Largest Muslim

Population

Countries with the Largest Muslim

Population1. Indonesia 183,000,00

06. Iran 62,000,000

2. Pakistan 134,000,000

7. Egypt 59,000,000

3. India 121,000,000

8. Nigeria 53,000,000

4. Bangladesh

114,000,000

9. Algeria 31,000,000

5. Turkey 66,000,000 10. Morocco 29,000,000

• Arabs make up only 20% of the total Muslim population of the

world.

Muslims in AmericaMuslims in America

End of Lesson Questions

1. Name 1 of the reasons why Islam spread.

2. Name a contribution that Islam contributed to the world.

3. In what two continents are most Muslims found today?