Rise of Islam in Arabia

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Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Chapter 12
World History: Ancient Civilizations Through the Renaissance
The Roots of Islam
The Big Idea
In the harsh desert climate of Arabia, Muhammad, a merchant from Mecca,
introduced a major world religion called Islam.
Main Ideas
•Arabia is mostly a desert land, where two ways of life, nomadic and sedentary, developed.
•A new religion called Islam, founded by the prophet Muhammad, spread throughout Arabia
in the 600s.

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Chapter 12
• The Arabian Peninsula lies near the intersection of
Africa, Asia, and Europe.
• Arabia lies in a region with hot, dry air.
• The climate has created a band of deserts across
Arabia and northern Africa.
- The desert has limited water, which is located
mainly in oasis. An oasis is a wet, fertile area in a
desert.
Main Idea 1: Arabia is mostly a desert land, where two ways of life, nomadic and
sedentary, developed.

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•In a nomadic life, people moved from place
to place within tribes for protection and as
the seasons changed.
•Sedentary people settled in oases, where
they could farm. These settlements often
became towns.
•Towns became centers of trade. Many had a
market or bazaar where goods were traded.
Two Ways of Life

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Chapter 12
• A man named Muhammad taught a new religion to
the people of Arabia.
• Muslims believe that God spoke to Muhammad
through an angel and made him a prophet.
• The messages he received were the basis for Islam
and were collected in the holy book of Islam called
the Qur’an.
Main Idea 2: A new religion called Islam, founded by the prophet Muhammad,
spread throughout Arabia in the 600s.

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Chapter 12
•Muhammad taught that there is only one
God, Allah, which means “the God” in Arabic.
This is similar to Christianity and Judaism.
•Muhammad’s teachings were new to Arabs,
who worshipped many gods. This teaching
upset some people.
•Muhammad said the rich and poor should be
equal. Many wealthy merchants did not like
this idea.
Muhammad’s Teachings

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Chapter 12
• Islam spread from Mecca to Medina.
- Rulers of Mecca began to threaten Muhammad
with violence as Islam started to influence more
people.
- Muhammad left Mecca and went to Medina.
- This departure became known in Muslim history
as the hegira, or journey.
- Islam thrived in Medina, and other Arab tribes in
the region accepted Islam.
Islam Spreads in Arabia

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•Muhammad’s house became the first
mosque, or building for Muslim prayer.
•Muslim communities in Medina grew
stronger, and other Arab tribes accepted
Islam.
•Mecca finally accepted Islam as its religion in
630.
Islam Spreads from Medina to the Rest of Arabia

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Chapter 12
Islamic Beliefs and Practices
The Big Idea
Sacred texts called the Qur’an and the Sunnah guide Muslims in their religion,
daily life, and laws.
Main Ideas
•The Qur’an guides Muslims’ lives.
•The Sunnah tells Muslims of important duties expected of them.
•Islamic law is based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

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• The Qur’an sets out guidelines for moral behavior, acts of
worship, and rules for social life
- Muslims were encouraged to free slaves.
- Women could own property, earn money, and receive an
education.
• The Qur’an discusses Jihad, which means to make an effort, or
to struggle.
• Jihad can also mean the struggle to defend the Muslim
community, or historically, to convert people to Islam. The
word has also been translated as “holy war.”
Main Idea 1: The Qur’an guides Muslims’ lives.

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Chapter 12
• The hadith is the written record of Muhammad’s
words and actions. It is the basis for the Sunnah.
• The Sunnah provides a model for the duties and way
of life expected of Muslims.
• The first duties of a Muslim are known as the Five
Pillars of Islam, which are five acts of worship
required of all Muslims.
Main Idea 2: The Sunnah tells Muslims of important duties expected of them.

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1. Saying “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is
his prophet”
2. Praying five times a day
3. Giving to the poor and needy
4. Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
5. Traveling to Mecca at least once on a hajj
The Five Pillars of Islam

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Chapter 12
Main Idea 3: Islamic law is based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
The Qur’an and the Sunnah form
the basis of Islamic law, or
Shariah.

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Chapter 12
Islamic Empires
The Big Idea
After the early spread of Islam, three large Islamic empires formed–the
Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal.
Main Ideas
•Muslim armies conquered many lands into which Islam slowly spread.
•Trade helped Islam spread into new areas.
•Three Muslim empires controlled much of Europe, Asia, and Africa from the 1400s to the
1800s.

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• After Muhammad’s death, Abu Bakr became the first
caliph, the title that Muslims use for the highest
leader of Islam.
• Caliphs were not religious leaders, but political and
military leaders.
• Abu Bakr directed a series of battles against Arab
tribes who did not follow Muhammad’s teachings.
Main Idea 1: Muslim armies conquered many lands into which Islam slowly spread.

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Chapter 12
Growth of the Empire
• Muslim armies battled tribes
that did not follow
Muhammad’s teachings.
• The Muslim armies united
Arabia, then defeated the
Persian and Byzantine
empires.
• Christians and Jews could
continue to practice their own
religion.
• After years of fighting
Muslim armies, many
Berbers, a native people
of North Africa,
converted to Islam and
joined forces with the
Arabs.

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• Along with their trade goods, Arab merchants took
Islamic beliefs to new lands.
Main Idea 2: Trade helped Islam spread into new areas.

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Chapter 12
A Mix of Cultures
• As Islam spread through
trade, warfare, and
treaties, Arabs came into
contact with people who
had different beliefs and
lifestyles.
• Muslims generally
practiced tolerance, or
acceptance, with regard
to these people.

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Chapter 12
Growth of Cities
Baghdad
• Capital of Islamic Empire
• One of the world’s
richest cities through
trade and farming.

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• The great era of Arab Muslim expansion lasted until
the 1100s.
• Three non-Arab Muslim groups built large, powerful
empires that took control of much of Europe, Asia,
and Africa.
Main Idea 3: Three Muslim empires controlled much of Europe, Asia, and Africa
from the 1400s to the 1800s.

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Chapter 12
Ottoman Empire
• Ottomans were Muslim
Turkish warriors who
took territory in the mid-
1200s.
• Mehmed II and Suleyman
I led conquests that
turned the Ottomans
into a world power.

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• Safavids were Persian Muslims.
• A conflict arose over who should be caliph among
the Safavids, Ottomans, and other Muslims.
• Islam split into two groups.
- The Shia thought that only members of
Muhammad’s family could become caliphs.
- The Sunni thought it did not matter as long as
they were good Muslims and strong leaders.
The Safavid Empire Begins

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• The Mughal Empire was located in northern India
and was comprised of Turkish Muslims from Central
Asia.
• Akbar’s tolerant policies allowed Muslims and Hindus
to live in peace.
• In the late 1600s, an emperor reversed the tolerant
policies, which led to conflicts and the end of the
empire.
The Mughal Empire

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Chapter 12
Cultural Achievements
The Big Idea
Muslim scholars and artists made important contributions to science, art, and
literature.
Main Ideas
•Muslim scholars made lasting contributions to the fields of science and philosophy.
•In literature and the arts, Muslim achievements included beautiful poetry, memorable short
stories, and splendid architecture.

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• Muslim scholars made advances in astronomy,
geography, math, and science.
• Many ancient writings were translated into Arabic.
Main Idea 1: Muslim scholars made lasting contributions to the fields of science and
philosophy.

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Cultural Achievements
Geography
-Geographers made more accurate maps than before
and developed better ways of calculating distances.
Math
- They combined the Indian number system, including
the use of zero, with the Greek science of
mathematics.
- One mathematician laid the foundations for modern
algebra.
Astronomy
- They made improvements to the astrolabe, which the
Greeks had invented to chart the positions of the stars.

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Chapter 12
More Scholarly Advances
Philosophy
- Muslim philosophy focused on spiritual issues, which led to a
movement called Sufism, and on rational thought.
- Sufism teaches that people can find God’s love by having a
personal relationship with God.
Medicine
- The Muslims’ greatest scientific achievements may have
come in medicine.
- Muslims started the first pharmacy school to teach people
how to make medicine.
- A doctor discovered how to treat smallpox.

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Chapter 12
Main Idea 2: In literature and the arts, Muslim achievements included beautiful
poetry, memorable short stories, and splendid architecture.
Literature
- Two forms of literature were popular in the Muslim world—
poetry and short stories.

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Chapter 12
More Islamic Influences
Art
- Because they could not represent people or
animals in paintings due to their religion, Muslim
artists turned calligraphy, or decorative writing,
into an art form.
- They used this technique to decorate buildings and
mosques.

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