Muslim Civilization
Objective: Describe the life of Muhammad, fundamental teachings of Islam,
and the connections of Islam to Judaism and Christianity.
Objective: Trace the extent and consequences of Islam’s spread in Asia and
the Mediterranean region, including North Africa and Europe’s
Iberian Peninsula.
Observation/Inference
What are these people doing, and why?
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
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Work with your group to complete the vocabulary
worksheet to see what you already know about Islam. We
will go over the worksheet as a class and discuss important
concepts and stereotypes that we have about this religion.
This movie is about the life of Muhammad and what that
means to Muslims. For each historical segment, there is an
American Muslim explaining their faith.
Muhammad lived from 570 to 620 CE. Because he lived later
in history than other religious leaders, there is more
historical documentation about his life.
As you watch the movie, take Cornell notes about what you
learn. After the movie, you will be asked to work with your
group to create a timeline of Muhammad’s life.
Later, we will add other historical events around the world
that occurred in this time period. What was happening in
China? In India? In Africa? In Europe? In the Americas?
An Introduction to Islam
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What does Islam mean?
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How does one become Muslim?
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Arabic root words are consonants only.
The root for the word peace is S-L-M.
ISLAM means to achieve peace through
submission to God.
MUSLIM means one who has achieved
peace through submission to God.
SHALOM is also the Hebrew word for
peace!
One becomes Muslim be reciting the
shahada, or Islamic Creed. “I affirm that
there is no god but God, and Muhammad is
a prophet of God.”
There is no excommunication in Islam;
anyone who recites the creed must be
accepted as a Muslim.
What are the sources of teachings
in Islam?
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The Qur’an is the revelation that
Muhammad received from God by the
Angel Gabriel over a 23 year period of
time. It is an oral recitation (like poetry)
that was later written down, and it is only
authentic when spoken in Arabic.
The Hadith is a collection of stories about
Muhammad. Followers can learn about
the prophets words and deeds.
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How is Islam related to Judaism
and Christianity?
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Who was the first prophet of Islam?
Adam, the first human being, was the
prophet to receive the word of God.
Why is Abraham important to
Muslims? Abraham was a great prophet
who is celebrated for his obedience to
God. Abraham’s lineage produced other
great prophets, including Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad.
Do Muslims believe in Jesus? Muslim
believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin
Mary, that he performed many miracles
on earth, and that he will come again at
the end of time. They believe he was one
of the highest prophets, but they do not
believe that God can have sons or take a
human form.
Do Muslims believe in Jewish and
Christian scriptures? Yes. They consider
both the Torah and the Bible a holy book
and embrace all “people of the book” as
followers of other prophets.
Do Muslims have to follow the Ten
Commandments? They follow 9 out of
10. They do not keep the Sabbath.
Muslims usually go to mosque on Fridays.
Islamic Worship and Beliefs
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What are the five pillars of Islam?
Shahada/Islamic Creed
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Islam is a monotheistic faith in the same tradition
as Judaism and Christianity.
Allah means God in Arabic.
Arabic speaking Christians worship Allah—in the
same way that Spanish speaking Christians
worship Dios and German speaking Christians
worship Gott.
Salat/Daily Prayer
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The Call to Worship can be often be heard from
the mosque for the daily call to prayer. Muslims
are supposed to pray five times a day!
A mosque is an Islamic house of prayer; it is a
rectangular room with no furniture. There is a
raised platform called a minbar where a sermon
is given on Fridays. It is also common for Islamic
centers to be built on the same property as the
mosque.
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Zakat/Charity
Siyam/Ramadam
The Hajj/Pilgrimage
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What is Sharia Law?
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What is Jihad?
http://www.linktv.org/video/2944
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How did Islam spread?
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How did Islam spread during the life of
Muhammad?
570 CE: Muhammad was born in Mecca; his father
died before he was born and his mother died when he
was around six. He was sent to live with his
grandfather, who died when Muhammad was around
eight. Finally, he was sent to live with his uncle.
595 CE: Muhammad worked for Khadija, a widow and
wealthy merchant. They married and had six children,
all of whom died in childhood except for their
daughter Fatima.
610 CE: Muhammad receives the first revelation. At
first, Muhammad told only Khadija and his family about
his experiences, but he eventually decided to take the
message to his tribe. There was much animosity
towards him, and he feared persecution and even
assassination.
622 CE: Muhammad and his followers migrated to
Medina where he established the first Muslim
community. This journey is known as the Hegria and
marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
625 CE: The Muslims in Medina fought the first of
three battles with the people of Mecca. A treaty was
eventually signed, but political tension was still intense.
630 CE: The Muslims marched into Mecca and took
over the city without bloodshed. Muhammad
consolidated most of the Arabian peninsula under
Islamic rule.
632 CE: Muhammad made the pilgrimage to Mecca
followed by tens of thousands of Muslims. He died
later that year of natural causes.
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What happened to the community after
Muhammad’s death in 632 CE?
632 CE: Although Muhammad did not name a
successor, his long-time friend and earliest convert
Abu Bakr was eventually named caliph, or leader of
the Muslim community. Abu Bakr’s first job was to
reunite the bedouin tribes and to regain control of
Arabia.
637 CE: Abu Bakr and his successor, Umar, turned
their sights north to acquire more territory. They
defeated the Persian forces in Iraq, and by 642, they
ruled the Persian Empire.
642 CE: After conquering Persia, the Muslims began
to gain lands that were part of the Byzantine Empire.
The Muslims Damascus and Jerusalem before
conquering Egypt and the Nile Valley.
644 CE: When Abu Bakr was selected as the first
caliph, many followers were disappointed that the
leadership was not handed over to Ali, a direct
descendent of Muhammad. When Uthman, a leader
supported by the Umayyad clan of Mecca was
declared caliph, the supporters of Ali assassinated him.
Ali was then briefly caliph before also being
assassinated. Civil war between Ali’s forces and the
Umayyads pursued.
Those who accepted the Umayyad leadership were
called Sunnis, or “followers of the sunna or way of the
prophet.”
Followers of Ali became known as Shia, and they
believed that imams, or direct descendents of Ali and
Muhammad should rule.
A third branch of Islam, the Sufis, follow a more
mystical path and are less involved in political strife.
How did Islam become a global
religion?
Muhammad’s Life
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570 CE: Muhammad was bonr an orphan who
was raised by his powerful uncle. He grew up
to be a successful merchant who was
respected for his fairness and intelligence. He
was also religious, and he would sometimes go
away to caves to spend time in solitude an
prayer. Muhammad could not read or write,
so all of his teachings were done through
recitation.
When Muhammad was 25, he married an
older woman who previously employed him.
His wife, Khadijah bore him six children, but
only one survived. His daughter Fatimah was
the only one to reach adulthood.
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While Muhammad was meditating in a cave,
Muhammad wrote the first verses of the
Qur’an. Muslims believe that an angel
revealed the message of Allah to Muhammad
in the cave.
Muhammad’s message was one of change. He
instructed the Arabs that there was only one
god and instructed his people on how to live a
good live.
Muhammad’s message angered some members
of the community, but nothing happened to
him because his uncle was powerful. When
his uncle died, Muhammad had to leave Mecca.
Muhammad and his followers migrated to
Medina to build up their community. This
journey is called the hegira, and it marks the
first year of the Islamic calendar.
Muhammad fought several battles with the
people of Mecca, and by 630 CE Muhammad
controlled the city and had great influence
over the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad was
more than a spiritual leader; he also had
political and military power.
Islam means “achieving peace through
submission to God” and the followers are
known as Muslims.
Basic Ideas of Islam
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There is a rich oral tradition in
Islam. Since Muhammad could
not read or write, he recited his
revelations. Because of this,
Muslims believe that the Qur’an
should be read out loud; they
also feel that its true meaning can
only be experienced in Arabic.
Basic Terms
Qur’an
Jihad
Sunna
Sharia
Hajj
Hegira
Islam
Muslim
People of the book
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The Five Pillars of Islam
◦ Followers must confess that there is
only one god and that Muhammad is
the messenger of Allah.
◦ Followers must pray five times a day.
They face Mecca to pray no matter
where they are.
◦ Followers must give charity and help
those in need.
◦ Followers must fast during Ramadan
to show that Allah is more
important than their own bodies.
◦ Followers must do everything in
their power to complete the Hajj—
a spiritual pilgrimage to Mecca. They
visit the mosque, walk five times
around the Kaaba and walk to Mt.
Arafat, where Muhammad gave his
last sermon.