1. Section 2:The Rise and Spread of Islam
A man, Muhammad, became the leader of the Islamic religion
Muhammad was born on the Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula = mostly desert
Mecca, the city where Muhammad lived was located on the edge of the desert

2. Mecca = great location for trade
Camel trains brought perfumes, Ivory, spices, silk and precious metals such as gold
Some merchants traveled north to Syria to sell goods
Others traveled across the desert to Iraq to trade

4. Bedouins and Merchants
In the Arabian desert there were many groups of nomadic Bedouins
They herded sheep, camels, and goats

5. They also acted a guides for trade caravans
Sometimes they would rob the caravan
Deals were made to prevent the robberies
Religion was used to seal the deal
Merchants welcomed the Bedouins into their holy place called the Kabah located in the center of Mecca
The Kabah held a black stone, a meteorite which was sacred to the Merchants
The Kabah also held many object sacred to the Meccans and Bedouins

7. Muhammad’s life
He was orphaned at the age of 7 and lived with his uncle until adulthood
He went to work in Mecca in the Caravan trade
He traveled to Syria (part of the Byzantine Empire)
At 25 he married a wealthy widow named Khadijah
When not working he would walk in the hills outside of Mecca

8. Muhammad’s mission An angle visits and gives Muhammad a mission
He traveled around and “Proclaimed” that there was only one true God
People who accepted this became Muslims which means “person who submits”
The religion became known as Islam which means “Submission to God”

9. Meccans were angry They did not like Muhammads teachings
They feared their gods would be mad and the importance of their city lost
They also did not like that Muhammad saw all people as brothers and sisters so they threw garbage at Muhammad and his followers

10. Forced to flee the city Muhammad made his way north to the city of Yathrib which welcomed him and his followers
People of Yathrib believed Muhammad to be a prophet and a wise man
This move from Mecca to Yathrib was known as the hijra meaning “migration”
After the hijra the city changed its name to Medina which means “city of the Prophet

11. The spread of Islam
People did not like the Byzantine and Persian Empires because their rulers were mean
The new religion promised a new way of life that made sense
Muhammad & his followers were traders so they traveled all over telling people about their religion
Muhammad united the Arabs into one community and once they were working together they were very powerful!