 What are the Basic Teachings of Islam?  Why did Islam Spread Rapidly?  Why did Islam split into different branches?  What were some achievements of Islamic Civilization?

 Begins on the Arabian peninsula  Muhammad born in Mecca in c. 570  Worked for wealthy widow Khadija leading caravans from Mecca to Palestine and Syria  Khadija becomes his wife and encourages his spirituality  At 40 while fasting and praying in a desert cave the Angel Gabriel appears and tells him to “proclaim”  Rejected at first, but welcomed as a respected leader in Yathrib later named Medina  Migration from Mecca to Medina called Hejira and marks the first year of the Muslim calendar  Later returns and conquers Mecca brining Arabian peninsula under his control in 632.

 Summed up in statement“No God but Allah: Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah”  Islam itself means “Submission”  Submission is based on the 5 Pillars  Belief in one God  Prayer: 5 times a day  Charity to the Poor  Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan  Hajj- Pilgrimage to Mecca  Some include a sixth pillar: Jihad, Struggle in God’s service

 Sacred book of Islam  Believed to contain the exact word of God as revealed to Muhammad  Authority for Muslims on all subjects  Originally could not be translated from Arabic

 People of the Book  Include Jews and Christians  Should be treated with tolerance  Ethical Conduct  Honor Parents  Be honest and kind  Protect the weak and helpless  All people are equal

 Spread rapidly in 100 years after Muhammad’s death  By 732 Empire stretched from Indus river to the Atlantic  Included Persia, Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain  Reasons for swift expanse:  Arab armies united in their beliefs  Arabs seen as liberators from other empires  Conquered found the message of Islam appealing  Non-believers not forced to convert, but made to pay a tax

 Begins 30 years after Muhammad’s death  Debate over who should be Caliph, successor of the prophet  Splits Islam into two branches:  Sunni- any devout Muslim can become Caliph  Shiite- only descendants of Ali can become Caliph

 Umayyad Dynasty  Unifies under capital of Damascus, Syria  Arabs control all  Abbasid Dynasty  Created to replace without Arab control  Made Baghdad the capital  Give freedom to various ethnic muslims

 Controlled Trade  Set up credit systems  Created banks and trading centers  Created University in Baghdad “The House of Wisdom”  Made advances in math, medicine, and astronomy.