1. The Rise of Islam

2. Muhammad Becomes a Prophet Born in Mecca around 570 CE, became a merchant Troubled by greed and “moral ills” of Mecca Went to the hills to meditate, Angel told him to be the messenger of God Angel told him there is only 1 true God, Allah (means Peace)

3. Muhammad Becomes a Prophet Muhammad gained followers, are called Muslims (followers of Islam) Leaders of Mecca did not like Muhammad’s message Muhammad received death threats

4. Muhammad Becomes a Prophet Muhammad and his followers move to the nearby city of Medina in 622 CE Islam flourished and spread to the surrounding areas

5. Muhammad Becomes a Prophet In Mecca, leaders started a war against Muhammad In 630 CE, Muhammad and his followers return to Mecca Defeated his rivals and made Mecca the center of the Muslim world

6. Beliefs of Islam The Quran, the holy book of Islam word of God, as revealed to Muhammad, provides religious, moral, ethical rules for Muslims to follow

7. Muslims follow 5 duties, or rules, called The Five Pillars of Islam Declaration of Faith – there is only one God, Allah Daily Prayer – pray 5 times a day, facing Mecca Alms for the Poor – Giving money to help others Fasting (during Ramadan) – can’t eat from sun-up to sun down for the month of Ramadan Hajj (the holy pilgrimage to Mecca) – Muslims should do this once in their life, if able to wear simple clothes, no signs of wealth or status, to show their equality before God

8. The Kaaba, the shrine at the center of the mosque in Mecca, the holiest place for Muslims. During the Hajj, pilgrims walk around the hills of mecca, and they come to the mosque and walk around the Kaaba 7 times This is supposedly the site where God told Abraham to build a shrine and to tell people to come and make a pilgrimage here.

9. Other Duty of Islam Jihad (the 6 th pillar of Islam) Usually meant as a personal, inner struggle against immorality Can also be mean “holy war” to defend Islam Has been used and abused throughout history

10. People of the Book Muslims, Jews, and Christians worship the same God Muslims believe Quran is God’s final and complete revelation Torah and New Testament contain earlier revelations

11. Life in Islamic Countries Unlike in the U.S. there is no separation of church and state religious laws and state laws are the same religion is everywhere in Islamic countries Sharia – Islamic laws developed by Muslim scholars Based on interpretations of Quran, Muslim traditions For example: no eating pork, no drinking alcohol, women must dress modestly (a hijab, or head scarf, or burka – full coverage) Sharia regulates moral conduct, family life, business practices, and government

12. Impact of Islam on Women Islam extended more rights to women than they had previously Inheritance, divorce, education, etc. Affirms spiritual equality Rules for women have increased in some Islamic countries Restricts the role women may have in those societies

13. Unity of Islam Most Muslims learn the Arabic Ensures all Muslims read the word of Allah as intended Creates a sense of community (umma) Brotherhood between many different people from all over the world

14. Islam Spreads and Splits Eventually the entire Arabian Peninsula was united under Islam After Muhammad died, Muslims disagreed over who should be the next leader of Islam Most thought Muhammad was the last prophet and his Father-in-Law lead the people: called Sunnis Caliph - leader Some believed Muhammad chose his son-in-law Ali; called Shiites Shiites are the minority group Imams are the leaders of the Shiites

16. Islamic Advancements in Art, Learning, Technology, and Medicine The Islamic Empire lay between Europe and Asia Developed large trade network with items from the entire world At its height, Muslim empire went from India, through the Middle East and all of North Africa and into Spain Muslims developed unique sense of art and architecture based on geometric patterns and bright colors Calligraphy was used to decorate buildings The art of storytelling was turned into written works on religious and Arabic traditions.

17. Muslims scholars preserved and translated many of the ancient Greek and Roman writers/thinkers into Arabic Eventually, these works were re-introduced into Europe during the Renaissance Also preserved Persian, Indian, Hindu, and Buddhist texts Islamic Advancements in Art, Learning, Technology, and Medicine

18. Many centers of learning were created (Baghdad, Cairo, Timbuktu) and many libraries were built Made many scientific advancements in navigation, astronomy, and medicine These advancements were introduced into Europe and were used for hundreds of years our numeric system (1,2,3…) are called Arabic numerals because they were developed by Muslims in Arabia