1. Islam spread so rapidly because there was a wide acceptance of the Muslim faith, success of the Muslim army, and the fact that many people saw the Muslim army as liberators from oppressive governments. The spread of Islam into Europe was stopped by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours. Points for Discussion: Why did Islam spread? Critical Lens. People in the Middle East viewed their governments before the rise of Islam as oppressive. Term to Know: oppressive

2.  Islam – Founder = Muhammad - Monotheistic - Text = Quran - House of Worship = Mosque - Law Codes = Sharia - 5 Pillars

3.  Common Beliefs of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism - Monotheism - Ethical Conduct

4.  Muhammad Dies - Abu Bakr becomes first Caliph or successor to Muhammad

5.  Islam splits between Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis Shiites

6.  Islam spreads to India - Clashes with Hinduism

7.  India - Himalaya Mountains and Deccan Plateau serve as natural barriers and help lead to India’s cultural diversity. - India reach Golden Age under Gupta - Gupta Empire – concept of Zero, decimal system, advances in math and medicine, expansion of caste system

8.  Islam reaches a Golden Age under the Abbasid Dynasty  Islamic Golden Age - Preserved Greek and Roman Ideas - Developed Algebra - Made great strides in medicine - Created a vast trade network - Capitalized on ideas from other cultures

9.  Explain the difference between the Sunni and Shiite.  Explain three key factors that allowed the Islamic Empire to prosper.  Explain the Caste system in India. How did the Caste System cause some Hindus to convert to Islam?