Ms. Carmelitano

 Bell Ringer

  The Islamic Empire began on the Arabian Peninsula  Today: Saudi Arabia  This served as the bridge between Africa, Asia, and Europe Location

  Only a small strip of land can support agriculture  The rest is barren desert  1,200 miles north – south and 1,300 miles east - west Geography of the Arabian Peninsula

  Nomadic  Bedouins: Arab nomads  Clan governments  Provided security in the extreme conditions  Courage, loyalty and warrior skills were valued  Kin, or family groups held power in each clan  Rich oral story-telling tradition  Farming Communities  Small communities formed around areas called an oasis:  Fertile green area with water  These became trading towns Life in the Desert

  Trade routes connected Arabia to empires in Europe. Asia, and Africa  Cross Roads of trade Trade

Ms. Carmelitano

  The Prophet Muhammad  Muhammad was born in Mecca  This was a trading hub located at the Red Sea  It is now a holy place for Muslims  In his early life Muhammad was a trader, married Khadijah, a wealthy business woman, and had children  He made routine pilgrimages to Mt. Hira to pray and meditate  610 CE  Muhammad heard a voice and had a vision of Allah – the Muslim name for the Jewish and Christian God  Mohammad believed he was the last of the prophets Rise of the Islamic Religion

  Koran (Qur’an)  The holy book of Islam  A written account of Muhammad’s revelations  Written in Arabic  Unites Muslims under one language  Name means “recitation”  Each chapter, or Suras, is believed to be a revelation from Allah  As told to Muhammad by archangel Gabriel The Holy Book

  Islam means: submission to the will of Allah  Muslim: “those who submit to Islam” Followers

  613 CE: Muhammad began publically preaching in Mecca  Khadijah was the first follower  There was resistance to the monotheistic beliefs  The religion in Saudi Arabia was polytheistic Growth of Islam

  Monotheistic Muslims were persecuted  622 CE: Muhammad and a small band of followers left Mecca  Traveled to Medina – 200 miles north of Mecca  The migration became known as the Hijrah  In Medina Muhammad became a political and military leader  In 624 CE fought the Meccans at the battle of Badar  This began the tradition of Islamic leaders as political, religious, and military leaders The Hijra

  630 CE  Muhammad and followers returned to Mecca  The leaders in Mecca surrendered to the 10,000 troops  Muhammad destroyed the idols in the Ka’aba (a polytheistic shrine) and conducted the call to prayer on the roof  It would become one the three holiest shires in Islam  Many Meccans converted to Islam  Joined the Umma: Islamic religious community Return to Mecca

  The 5 Pillars  Faith  “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger.”  Prayer  Pray 5 times a day towards Mecca  There may be an assembly at a mosque: an Islamic house of worship  Alms  Muslims should support the less fortunate and give alms or money to the poor through a religious tax  Fasting  During Islamic holy month of Ramadan all Muslims fast from sun rise to sun set  Pilgrimage  All Muslims who are physically and financially able, should perform a Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in their lives Beliefs of Islam

  Religious customs affected daily life  Shari’a – holy law regulating family life, moral conduct, business, and community life  Forbidden to eat pork  Forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages  Friday afternoons are set aside for worship  Every Muslim must pray 5 times a day  Scholar class: Ulama – no priests or religious authority The Islamic Way of Life

  The Ka’aba: Muslim holy shrine in Mecca  Muslims final destination during their pilgrimage (Hajj)  Islam’s holiest building  Muslims face the Ka’aba when they pray  Located in Mecca  Mosque: A house of worship for Islam  Dome of the Rock:  Located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem  Belief:  In 621 Muslims believe Muhammad went on his “Night Journey”  He was transported from Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem  The Dome of the Rock is built on the location where it is believed Muhammad ascended into heaven  It is located in the same place where Christians and Jews believed Abraham tried to sacrifice his son Shrines of Islam

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  3 rd Abrahamic religion  Allah is the same God worshiped in Christianity and Judaism  Muslims view Jesus as a prophet, not the Messiah  Belief in a Heaven and a Hell  Refer to Jews and Christians as “people of the book”  Shari’a calls for leaders to extend religious tolerance to people of the book Relationship to Judaism and Christianity