Chapter 8: The Islamic WorldSection 1: The Rise and Spread of Islam

JabariWorld History

Period 1

A. The Arabian PeninsulaMain Idea: When Islam began, the Arabian

Peninsula was a crossroad of trade

A. The Arabian Peninsula Crossroads of TradePeople of Arabia carried on a trade with

people of Africa and Asia.Arabia’s busiest trade center was Mecca,

where goods were sold in fairs and markets.Towns in Arabia became part of trade routes.

Incense and animal hides were traded for spices, gold, ivory, and silk.

A. The Arabian Peninsula Bedouin NomadsIn Arabia, a group of nomadic herders known

as the Bedouin Nomads traveled great distances on camels (their form of transportation).

They raised all of their animals from newborn such as sheep, goats, and of course camels.

Then Islam’s most important figure, Muhammad, was born

B. Foundations of IslamMain Idea: Muhammad founded Islam based

on revelations from God, which were collected in the Quran.

B. Foundations of Islam Muhammad’s VisionAround the year 610, Muhammad had a vision

which told him to preach the word of God. He was told he was meant to be a prophet of God.

In 622, Muhammad decided to leave Mecca and went to Medina, known as “the city of the Prophet”.

Tensions grew between Mecca and Medina. In 630, the Muslims conquered Mecca, which is now the center for the religion.

B. Foundations of Islam Teachings of IslamIslam taught that there is but one God. In order for a

Muslim to gain Allah (God) grace one must submit to Allah’s will.

To be a good Muslim, one must follow Islamic daily rules of living, and also must carry out the five pillars (major duties).

The five pillars include fasting, praying 5 times between dawn and dusk, giving donations, taking a journey to Mecca(at least once in a lifetime), declaring that there’s only one God, and that Muhammad is the prophet.

B. Foundations of Islam The QuranThe Holy Quran is basically the Islamic Bible.The Quran guides a believer through every

aspect of life: moral, social, political, and legal.

Muslims gave other religious groups such as Jews and Christians the right to practice their beliefs if they paid a tax.

B. Foundations of Islam Muhammad’s Last YearsMuhammad died in 632. During the two

years before that, Islam spread throughout regions in Mecca and Medina.

Muslims are taught to spread the word(rule) of Allah.

Muhammad said that this may require a jihad, extraordinary effort and struggle, and might even mean war.

C. Spread of Islam in Asia and the Mediterranean RegionMain Idea: Islam spread quickly in Asia,

North America, and Spain

C. Spread of Islam in Asia and the Mediterranean Region The Rightly Guided CaliphsMuhammad hadn’t named a Successor or new

leader, but he had 4 caliphs, that controlled the Muslims as religious and political leaders after his death.

The caliphs were ordered to spread the word of Muhammad.

Islamic armies were tough, beating all of their enemies. Islamic soldiers were determined to win and were strong fighters, and good horse back riders.

C. Spread of Islam in Asia and the Mediterranean Region Sunni and ShiitesAfter Muhammad died, conflicts arose over

who was going to take over the nation. This caused the Muslims to split into 2 groups, Sunni and Shiites.

The difference is that Sunni’s believe that the Qur’an was the only guide needed between Allah and his followers. Shiites believe that a person could act as prophet between Allah and his followers.

This great division is both political and religious and still lives on today.

C. Spread of Islam in Asia and the Mediterranean Region The UmayyadsAfter the 4th Caliph Ali died, the Umayyad

family created a dynasty that ruled the Islamic world until about 750.

The founder of the Umayyad Dynasty is Mu’awiyah. He became caliph in 660 and he moved the capital from Medina to Damascus in Syria.

This made controlling a conquered area easier. They conquered Rhodes, Sicily, North Africa, and Afghanistan.

C. Spread of Islam in Asia and the Mediterranean Region Important BattlesBy the year 636, Islamic armies defeated the

Byzantines who were in control Jerusalem. A year later Jerusalem was conquered. They also conquered Persia, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Egypt.

All of North Africa fell to Islam. North African Muslims called Moors conquered Spain and Portugal by 719.

In 751 the Muslims defeated the Chinese at the Battle of Tales, So Islam replaced Buddhism in Central Asia.

C. Spread of Islam in Asia and the Mediterranean Region The Abbasid DynastyThe Abbasid Dynasty came to power around

750. The second Caliph of Abbasid, Al-Mansur

built a capital on the bank of the Tigris River. This new capital was named Baghdad.

The city of Baghdad reached its peak under the 3rd caliph, Huran al-Rashid. They enjoyed peace and prosperity. Literature, poetry, medicine, math, astronomy, industry, and commerce developed under Rashid’s rule.

C. Spread of Islam in Asia and the Mediterranean Region SufisMuslims grew more powerful and Islam

continued to spread around the world. Many people started to join and convert to this religion.

Sufism, a way to form a union with Allah in everyday life, arose in the Abbasid Dynasty.

The Sufis believed in a union with Allah by continuous inner prayer, fasting, and other rituals.

D. Caliph Rule EndsMain Idea: The empire of the caliphs did not

remain united, and Turkish-speaking tribes moved into the Middle East.

D. Caliph Rule Ends Seljuk TurksIn the 900s, Turkish nomads, the Seljuks

began settling in Islamic territories. They often served as soldiers of the caliph.

Abbasids grew weak as Seljuks grew stronger, the Seljuk leader called the sultan became the ruler of eastern Islamic lands.

In 1095, Pope Urban of Rome, called on the knights of western Europe to join in a war against Muslims, this was named the Crusades.

D. Caliph Rule Ends The CrusadersThe Crusades weakened the Islamic empire.In 1099, the Crusaders captured Jerusalem.

Battles were fierce between Christians and Muslims.

For 150 years, the city of Jerusalem passed back and forth between Christian and Muslim possession.

NomadPeople who don’t really have a real home.

Fasting Not eating until a certain time of the day.