Description about basics of Islam

1. Overview of Islam
Today, Islam is the
world’s fastest growing
religion with more than
1 billion followers
throughout the world

3. What was Arabia like before Muhammad?

4. Islam
Islam is a monotheistic religion that
began in city of Mecca located on the
Arabian Peninsula near the Byzantine
Empire
Arabians were polytheistic & came to
visit Mecca to pray to
the Kabba, a shrine
containing idols of
360 different gods
(including Allah)

5. Islam
Mohammad was born in Mecca & was
interested in monotheism of Jews &
Christians who traded in Mecca
At age 40, Mohammad had a vision
that told him he was a messenger of
Allah (Arabic word for “god”; the
same god as Christians & Jews)
Muhammad called his religion Islam
(“surrender to God”) & destroyed the
other idols in the Kabba

6. Islam
Mohammad identified rules all
Muslims should live by, called the
Five Pillars of Islam:
–Faith—believe in 1 god, Allah
–Prayer—five times every day
–Alms—give money to the needy
–Fasting—eat no food from sunrise
to sunset for 1 month (Ramadan)
–Pilgrimage—one in life, go to Mecca

7. Muezzin
Pilgrims
in Mecca

8. Islam
Islam
became
a very
popular
religion in
Mecca and
Medina.

9. Expansion of Islam
Muslims began to expand; idea
of jihad taught that Muslims
would go straight to heaven if
died fighting for Allah; so they
fought very hard to expand.
–Holy wars were considered okay
in God's eyes.

10. • Islam expanded into a huge empire
including Spain, Northern Africa,
Persia, and Arabia.

11. Expansion of Islam
 Expanded Arabic language
and cultural innovations.
Islamic rulers proved mostly
tolerant, they offered new
subjects three choices:
1.convert to Islam
2.pay a tax or
3.die

12. Islam
Like Christianity, Islam split into 2
sects; after Muhammad died, caliphs
(followers of Muhammad) lead Islamic
faith, but confusion over the “correct”
leadership (caliph):
–Sunni—caliphs should be chosen by
vote (95% Muslims are Sunni today)
–Shiite—caliphs should come directly
from Muhammad’s family tree (more
radical; 3% of all Muslims today)

13. Percentage Today of
Sunni & Shi’a Muslims
Worldwide

14. BYZANTINES
MUSLIMS

15. Ottoman Turks
Turks are nomads from Asia;
contact with Muslim Empire led to
conversion of Turks to Islam
Ottoman Turks—Most powerful
group of Turks began to grow
strong as Byzantine Empire and
Islamic Empire began to weaken
–Defeated both Islamic Empire &
Byzantine Empire; created
Ottoman Empire

16. Seige of Constantinople
(1453 A.D.)

18. The Ottoman Empire