Allah
Muslim name for the one and only God.
Muhammad
the founder of the Islam religion; to Muslims, Muhammad is the ultimate and final prophet
Islam
the monotheistic religion of Muslims founded in Arabia in the 7th century and based on the teachings of Muhammad as laid down in the Koran
Muslim
A follower of Islam, means "one who has submitted
Hijrah
The flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina; the first year in the Muslim calendar
Mosque
(Islam) a Muslim place of worship
Hajj
a pilgrimage to Mecca, performed as a duty by Muslims
Qur'an
the sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad during his life at Mecca and Medina
Sunna
the way of life prescribed as normative for Muslims on the basis of the teachings and practices of Muhammad and interpretations of the Koran
Shari'a
body of Islamic law that includes interpretation of the Quran and applies Islamic principles to everyday life
Caliph
the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth
Umayyads
a Muslim family who came to power of the Islam religion around 661. They moved the Muslim capital to Damascus, so they could control conquered areas easier. They also abandoned the simple life of their previous caliphs and began to surround themselves wit
Shi'a
Branch of Islam believing that God vests leadership of the community in a descendant of Muhammad's son-in-law Ali. Mainly found in Iran and a small part of Iraq. It is the state religion of Iran. A member of this group is called a Shi'ite.
Sunni
A group of Islamic religion that believes that its religious leader should be elected based on merit.
Sufi
A Muslim who seeks to achieve direct contact with God through mystical means
Abbasids
the dynasty that came after the Ummayads. The Ummayad lost power because they upset many Muslims in Persia. Persian Muslims thought that Arab Muslims got better treatment
al-Andalus
A Muslim-ruled region in what is now Spain, established by the Berbers in the eighth century A.D.
Fatimid
After the Abbasids ended their reign, this caliphate was formed by Shi'a Muslims who claimed to decend from Muhammad's daughter, Fatima.
House of Wisdom
a center of learning established in Baghdad in the 800s
Calligraphy
the art of beautiful handwriting
Life in the Arabian Peninsula before Mohammad
On this desert, the Arab nomads, called Bedouins, were organized into tribes and groups 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 and loyalty to
Significance of Mecca
During certain holy months, caravans stopped in Mecca, a city in western Arabia.
They brought religious pilgrims who came to worship at an ancient shrine in the city called the Ka'aba.
The Arabs associated this house of worship with Abraham, a Hebrew prop
Early life of Mohammed
Muhammad was born into the clan of a powerful Meccan family.
Orphaned at the age of six, Muhammad was raised by his grandfather and uncle.
He received little schooling and began working in the caravan trade as a very young man.
At the age of 25, Muhammad
Mohammed's Revelations
At about the age of 40, Muhammad's life was changed overnight when a voice called to him while he meditated in a cave outside Mecca.
According to Muslim belief, the voice was that of the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad that he was a messenger of Allah.
The Hijrah
After some of his followers had been attacked, Muhammad decided to leave Mecca in 622.
Following a small band of supporters he sent ahead, Muhammad moved to the town of Yathrib, over 200 miles to the north of Mecca.
This migration became known as the Hijr
Return to Mecca
In 630, the Prophet and 10,000 of his followers marched to the outskirts of Mecca.
Facing sure defeat, Mecca's leaders surrendered.
He destroyed the idols in the Ka'aba and had the call to prayer made from its roof.
Most Meccans pledged their loyalty to M
Five Pillars
-Faith To become a Muslim, a person has to testify to the following statement of faith: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." This simple statement is heard again and again in Islamic rituals and in Muslim daily life.
-Praye
Muslim way of life
Believers are forbidden to eat pork or to drink intoxicating beverages.
Friday afternoons are set aside for communal worship.
Unlike many other religions, Islam has no priests or central religious authority.
Every Muslim is expected to worship Allah direc
Sources of Authority
The original source of authority for Muslims is Allah.
Soon after the Prophet's death, it was suggested that the revelations be collected in a book.
This book is the Qur'an, the holy book of the Muslims.
Only Arabic can be used in worship.
Wherever Muslim
Links to Judaism and Christianity
To Muslims, Allah is the same God that is worshiped in Christianity and Judaism.
However, Muslims view Jesus as a prophet, not as the Son of God.
Muslims believe that the Qur'an perfects the earlier revelations.
To them, it is the final book, and Muhammad
Rightly Guided Caliphs
Muhammad had not named a successor or instructed his followers how to choose one.
Relying on ancient tribal custom, the Muslim community elected as their leader Abu-Bakr, a loyal friend of Muhammad.
In 632, Abu-Bakr became the first caliph, a title that m
Reasons for successful spread
Muslims of the day saw their victories as a sign of Allah's support and drew energy and inspiration from their faith.
They fought to defend Islam and were willing to struggle to extend its word.
The Muslim armies were well disciplined and expertly command
Treatment of Conquered peoples
Because the Qur'an forbade forced conversion, Muslims allowed conquered peoples to follow their own religion.
Christians and Jews, as "people of the book," received special consideration.
They paid a poll tax each year in exchange for exemption from milit
Conflict in the Empire
Despite spectacular gains on the battlefield, the Muslim community had difficulty maintaining a unified rule.
In 656, Uthman was murdered, starting a civil war in which various groups struggled for power.
Ali, as Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the
The Sunni-Shi'a split
In the interest of peace, the majority of Muslims accepted the Umayyads' rule. � However, a minority continued to resist.
This group developed an alternate view of the office of caliph.
In this view, the caliph needed to be a descendant of the Prophet.
Th
Control Extends Over Three Continents
When the Abbasids came to power in 750, they ruthlessly murdered the remaining members of the Umayyad family.
One prince named Abd al-Rahman escaped the slaughter and fled to Spain.
There he set up an Umayyad caliphate.
Spain had already been conquered an
Abbasids Consolidate Power
To solidify power, the Abbasids moved the capital of the empire in 762 to a newly created city, Baghdad, in central Iraq.
The location on key trade routes gave the caliph access to trade goods, gold, and information about the far-flung empire.The Abbasids
Rival Groups Divide Muslim Lands
During that time, the Abbasids increased their authority by consulting religious leaders.
But they failed to keep complete political control of the immense territory.
The Fatimid caliphate was formed by Shi'a Muslims who claimed descent from Muhammad's da
Impact of trade on the spread of Islam
Muslim merchants needed only a single language, Arabic, and a single currency, the Abbasid dinar, to travel in the empire.
To encourage the flow of trade, Muslim money changers set up banks in cities throughout the empire.
Banks offered letters of credit,
Social Classes
Muslim society was made up of four classes.
The upper class included those who were Muslims at birth.
Converts to Islam were in the second class.
The third class consisted of the "protected people" and included Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians.
The lowe
Role of Muslim Women
The Qur'an says, "Men are the managers of the affairs of women," and "Righteous women are therefore obedient."
However, the Qur'an also declares that men and women, as believers, are equal.
The shari'a gave Muslim women specific legal rights concerning ma
Muslim Scholarship expands knowledge
Muslims had several practical reasons for supporting the advancement of science.
Rulers wanted qualified physicians treating their ills.
The faithful throughout the empire relied on mathematicians and astronomers to calculate the times for prayer and the
Muslim Literature
Literature had been a strong tradition in Arabia even before Islam.
Bedouin poets, reflecting the spirit of desert life, composed poems celebrating ideals such as bravery, love, generosity, and hospitality.
Those themes continued to appear in poetry writt
Art and Architecture
As the Muslim Empire expanded, the Arabs entered regions that had rich artistic traditions.
Muslims continued these traditions but often adapted them to suit Islamic beliefs and practices.
For example, since Muslims believed that only Allah can create lif
Medical Advances
Muslim contributions in the sciences were most recognizable in medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.
A Persian scholar named al-Razi was the greatest physician of the Muslim world and, more than likely, of world civilization between A.D. 500 and 1500.
He
Math and Science advances
Among the ideas that Muslim scholars introduced to modern math and science, two especially stand out.
They are the reliance on scientific observation and experimentation, and the ability to find mathematical solutions to old problems.
As for science, Musl
Philosophy and Religion blend views
In addition to scientific works, scholars at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad translated works of Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato into Arabic.
In the 1100s, Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd, who lived in C�rdoba, was criticized for trying to blend A