THE ORIGINS OF ISLAM GUIDED READING Q & A COUNCIL ROCK HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH

1. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MAJOR FEATURES OF THE ARABIAN PENINSULA 1,500 YEARS AGO?  Hot, dry land with limiting farming.  Lively trade  Nomads moving herds across scattered oases  Few people Oasis =an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source.

Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara Desert Libyan Sahara Desert

2. IN WHAT TWO WAYS WAS MECCA AN IMPORTANT SETTLEMENT?  Trading town  Contained the Kaaba=an important religious pilgrimage site

It is the most sacred site in Islam sacred site in Islam Located in present day Saudi Arabia.

3. WHAT INFLUENCE MAY HIS EARLY YEARS AS A TRADER HAVE HAD ON MUHAMMAD AND HIS IDEAS?  He was exposed to Jews and Christians, whose faiths influenced him

4. HOW WAS MUHAMMAD'S PREACHING RECEIVED IN MECCA?  Many were angered by his criticism of their traditional beliefs  Local innkeepers were afraid that Muhammad's preaching would disrupt the flow of pilgrims

5. BASED ON ITS CONNECTION TO THE MUSLIM CALENDAR, WHAT CAN YOU INFER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HEGIRA TO MUSLIMS?  It represents the beginning of Islam Hegira=The the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in June 622 CE.Islamic prophet Muhammad MeccaMedina

6. WHAT DOES MUHAMMAD’S EXPERIENCES SUGGEST ABOUT HOW ISLAM WAS SPREAD?  Through his recitation and revelations in the Quran Quran= Literally meaning "the recitation“ is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation directly from God.

7. WHAT ARE THE 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM? WHAT ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS OF DEVOUT MUSLIMS?  1. Profession of Faith  2. Five daily prayers  3. Giving of alms  4. Fasting during Ramadan  5. Hajj=pilgrimage to Mecca  Other Requirements: No pork or alcoholic beverages, washing before prayer, no murder, lying, or stealing, jihad Jihad: is an Islamic term referring to a religious duty of Muslims to defend their faith. (Religious struggle)

8. WHAT ARE THE KEY SOURCES OF RELIGIOUS WISDOM AND GUIDANCE FOR MUSLIMS?  The Quran

9. WHAT DO ISLAM, JUDAISM, AND CHRISTIANITY HAVE IN COMMON?  Muslims believe in the same God as Jews and Christians.  They believe that the sacred writings of Christians and Jews also came from Allah  All 3 religions are monotheistic

5 THINGS WE LEARNED TODAY  1. All 3 religions are monotheistic with one common God-Muslims believe all sacred texts come from Allah  2. The Quran=holy text of Islam  3. When Muslims pray, they should be facing the Kaaba  4. Muhammad was exposed to Jewish and Christian ideas  5. If you don’t have the means to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, you are forgiven