Chapter 11: Islamic Civilization
A few hundred years after the beginning of Christianity, another
important religion arose in the Middle East: Islam. Followers of
Islam conquered much of the Middle East, northern Africa, and
part of Europe. They also made great contributions to the world.
What do you know about Islamic
civilization and religion?
• Make a list of any words, phrases, or people that
come to mind.
• If you don’t know much about Islamic
civilization and religion, brainstorm a list of
questions you’d like us to answer during this
chapter.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will define the vocabulary used to describe the rise of Islam.
• In your notes, create word boxes for the following
terms, places, and people:
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▫
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Oasis
Sheikh
Caravan
Quran
Muhammad
Bedouin
Makkah/Mecca
Kaaba
Madinah
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabia’s geography shaped people’s lives.
• The deserts, coastline, and oases of Arabia helped
shape Arab ways of life.
▫ The Arabian peninsula is mostly desert, with
intense heat and blinding _____.
▫ Water is only found at oases, or green areas fed by
underground water.
▫ To survive, people formed clans.
 Families stuck together and joined with other loyal
tribes. Their leader was called a sheikh.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabia’s geography shaped people’s lives.
▫ The mountain areas had enough rain to grow some
plants, but most Arabs were _______.
 Bedouins, or desert herders, traveled from oasis to
oasis to water and graze their sheep, goats, and
camels.
 They lived in tents and ate dried fruits and nuts.
 They drank _______.
 They rarely ate meat because their animals were
______.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabia’s geography shaped people’s lives.
• List or illustrate three ways Arabia’s harsh,
desert geography influenced Arab life.
• Be prepared to share.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabs lived.
• Many Arabs lived in villages where they farmed or
raised animals. These villages were near _____.
 Why is this where villages formed?
• Some villagers were merchants who transported
goods across the desert.
▫ To fend off attacks by Bedouin tribes, many traveled
in a caravan, or a group of ________.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabs lived.
• By 500 A.D., Arabian merchants handled most
trade between India and the Mediterranean Sea.
▫ As their trade grew, Arab merchants founded
towns along the trade routes in Arabia.
▫ Makkah (or Mecca) became the ______.
▫ It was a crossroads for merchants, and an
important _____site.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabs lived.
• The holiest place in Arabia was in Mecca.
▫ In the middle of Mecca was the Kaaba, a low square
building surrounded by statues of gods and goddesses.
▫ Arabs believed the great stone inside was from _____.
▫ Pilgrims came to the city in huge numbers to worship
Allah.
 Arabs worshipped many gods, but Allah was the most
important. He was the _____.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabs lived.
• Find Mecca
on the map.
What
landmarks
are nearby?
What other
places do
you
recognize on
the map?
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe how Arabs lived.
• Using words or pictures, take 2 minutes to make
a sketch or description of life for ancient Arabs.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe Muhammad’s message and how it spread
through Arabia.
• In 570 A.D., Muhammad was born in Mecca.
▫ He was an orphan, raised by his grandfather and
then his uncle.
▫ As a teenager, he worked as a caravan leader and
became a _______.
▫ He married and had children.
• Despite his success, he was dissatisfied.
 Why do you think Muhammad was unhappy?
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe Muhammad’s message and how it spread
through Arabia.
• Muhammad thought wealthy town leaders should
return to _____.
• He said people should honor their families, be
fair in business, and ______.
• Muhammad went into the hills to meditate. In
610 A.D., he said he was visited by an angel who
told him to preach Islam.
▫ Islam means “_______________.”
▫ Allah is the Arabic word for God.
 What do you think it means to “surrender” in this sense
of the word?
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe Muhammad’s message and how it spread
through Arabia.
• Muhammad returned to Mecca and told everyone
to destroy statues of false gods and ______
• Muhammad preached that all people were equal
and the rich should ________.
▫ This image of a just society appealed to the people
in Mecca!
▫ Muhammad said living a good life is more
important than ________.
▫ On the Day of Judgment, God would reward the
good and punish the evildoers.
 Why do you think this message was so appealing?
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe Muhammad’s message and how it spread
through Arabia.
• Many people converted to Islam, becoming Muslims.
 Muslims are followers of Islam.
• The poor were attracted to his message that _____.
• Wealthy merchants and religious leaders did not like
Muhammad’s message.
▫ They made his life difficult and beat and tortured his
followers.
 Why do you think the merchants and religious leaders
disliked Muhammad’s message so much?
 What else does this remind you of?
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe Muhammad’s message and how it spread
through Arabia.
• In 622 AD, Muhammad and his followers left Mecca
and moved north to Yathrib.
▫ Their journey north was known as the Hijrah, a word
that means “breaking off relationships.”
▫ Later Muslims made this year the first year in a new
Muslim calendar.
• Yathrib welcomed the Muslims and the city was
renamed Madinah, or “_____.”
• The people of Madinah accepted Muhammad as God’s
prophet and their ___.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe Muhammad’s message and how it spread
through Arabia.
• Muhammad was a good ruler.
▫ He applied laws he believed God had given him.
▫ He used laws to _________.
▫ He created an Islamic state — a government that uses
its political power to uphold Islam.
▫ He required all Muslims to put loyalty to the Islamic
state above their loyalty to their tribe.
• To defend his new government, Muhammad _____.
▫ His soldiers conquered Mecca in 630, and Muhammad
made it a holy city of Islam.
▫ Two years later, Muhammad ____.
▫ By this time, Islam was spreading all over Arabia.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe Muhammad’s message and how it spread
through Arabia.
• Imagine that Muhammad has just died. Write an
obituary describing his life and accomplishments.
▫ Consider his youth, his struggles, and the legacy he
left behind.
▫ You can write as a Muslim, a follower or Islam, or
as a non-Muslim Arab who knew of him.
• Be prepared to share!
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe the 5 Pillars of Islam.
▫ Muslims wrote down the messages Muhammad
said he received from Allah.
▫ They were called the Quran (or Koran), the ____.
 For Muslims, the Quran is God’s written word! They
take following its laws very seriously.
▫ The Quran instructs Muslims how they should live.
 It teaches Muslims to be honest, treat others fairly,
honor their parents, be kind to neighbors, and give
generously ________.
 It forbids murder, lying, and stealing.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe the 5 Pillars of Islam.
▫ Many rules in the Quran apply to ____.
 Muslims should not eat pork, drink liquor, or gamble.
 There are rules guiding marriage, divorce, family life,
property rights, and business practices.
▫ Scholars of Islam created a law code that explains
__________.
 The code is taken from the Quran and from the
Sunna, or the customs based on Muhammad’s words
and deeds.
▫ The law code covers all areas of life.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe the 5 Pillars of Islam.
▫ Muslims are expected to fulfill the 5 Pillars of Islam, or
acts of worship.
▫ The Five Pillars of Islam are:
 BELIEF: Muslims must declare there is no god but Allah
and that Muhammad is his prophet.
 PRAYER: Muslims must pray 5 times a day, _______.
 CHARITY: Muslims must give to the poor
 FASTING: Muslims must not eat from dusk til dawn during
the sacred month of Ramadan.
 PILGRIMAGE: Muslims must visit Mecca _______.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe the 5 Pillars of Islam.
▫ Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have some beliefs
in common.
 They believe in 1 god, who holds all the power and
________.
 God determines right and wrong, and people have to
follow His will to be blessed in the afterlife.
 They believe God spoke through prophets.
 For Muslims, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad
were prophets.
 Muhammad was a prophet and a good man, but not
divine.
 For Christians, Jesus was more than a prophet. He was
the ___.
Section 1: The Rise of Islam
Today we will describe the 5 Pillars of Islam.
▫ Without using any words, illustrate the 5 Pillars of
Islam. Label your drawings.
▫ Be prepared to share!
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will describe the spread of Islam.
▫ Muhammad died in 632 A.D. and Muslims
disagreed about who should be the next caliph, or
successor to _______.
▫ The first 4 caliphs all had a personal connection to
Muhammad.
 The first was his father-in-law, the second was a
friend, the third was his son-in-law, and the fourth
was his ________.
 The caliphs wanted to spread Allah’s message.
 They ruled from Madinah.
▫ Why do you think they chose to rule from Madinah?
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will describe the spread of Islam.
▫ By 661, when the fourth caliph died, the Arab
Empire had expanded to include Persia, the rest of
southwest Asia, and Egypt.
▫ ________continued under the Umayyad caliphs.
 They made the capital city Damascus, in Syria.
 Muslims entered India, Afghanistan, the North
African coast, and Spain.
▫ Just 100 years after Muhammad’s death, the
Islamic state he created became ________.
▫ Why do you think the Arab Empire was able to expand so
quickly?
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will describe the spread of Islam.
▫ Arabs had always been good on horseback and
good with a _____.
▫ As Muslims, they were inspired by their religion
and fighting to spread Islam.
 Muslim believed anyone who died in battle for Islam
_________.
▫ Arabs were also successful because when they
conquered people, they let them keep their religion.
 They called Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians
“People of the Book,” meaning they also believed in
one God and had _____
 They taxed non-Muslims.
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will describe the spread of Islam.
▫ Sufis spent their time praying and _____.
▫ Muslim merchants helped spread Islam by setting
up trading posts throughout southeast Asia and
_____________.
 Indonesia today has more Muslims than any other
nation in the world.
▫ Some Muslim merchants crossed the Sahara to
trade with kingdoms in West Africa.
 Timbuktu became a leading center of Muslim learning.
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will describe the spread of Islam.
▫ Write down 3 ways Islam spread after
Muhammad’s death.
▫ Be prepared to share!
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will draw a cartoon to explain the struggles within Islam.
▫ From the moment Muhammad died, Muslims began
arguing about ______________.
 Recall: What was a caliph?
▫ The fighting split the Muslim world into two groups, the
Shiites and the Sunnis.
 This split still exists today!
 Most Muslims are Sunnis.
 Iran and Iraq have the largest populations of Shiites.
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will draw a cartoon to explain the struggles within Islam.
▫ Shiites:
 Believed that Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, ______
 Believed all future caliphs should be Ali’s descendents
 Believed the Umayyad caliphs had no right to rule
▫ Sunnis
 Outnumbered Shiites
 Accepted Umayyad dynasty as rightful caliphs, even though
they didn’t always _____
▫ Over time, Sunnis and Shiites developed different
religious practices and customs.
▫ How do you think Sunnis and Shiites felt about each other? Why?
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will draw a cartoon to explain the struggles within Islam.
▫ In 750, the Umayyad’s lost power because they ______.
 Persian Muslims were angry because they felt Arab
Muslims got special treatment
 They paid fewer taxes.
 They got ______.
 When Persian Muslims rebelled, people all over the empire
joined them and overthrew the Umayyads.
▫ The Abbasid dynasty began under a new caliph, who was
a descendent of Muhammad’s uncle, Abu al-Abbas.
 The Abbasids focused on trade, scholarship, and ____
 They built a new capital, Baghdad.
 The Arab Empire grew even wealthier.
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will draw a cartoon to explain the struggles within Islam.
▫ During the 500 years of Abbasid rule, there were many
changes.
 In Egypt and Spain, the Muslims wanted their own ___.
 The new group from central Asia, called the Seljuk Turks,
began moving into the Arab Empire. The Abbasids were
losing control!
 The Turks were nomads and great warriors.
 When they moved into the empire, the Abbasids ______.
 Soon the Turks saw how weak the Abbasids were and decided
to _________.
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will draw a cartoon to explain the struggles within Islam.
▫ Review your notes from yesterday





Why did Muslims fight after Muhammad died?
What 2 groups did they break into?
What is the main difference between the two groups?
Why was the Umayyad dynasty overthrown?
What group began invading the Abbasid dynasty?
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will draw a cartoon to explain the struggles within Islam.
▫ The Seljuk Turks took over Iran, then Turkey, then, in
1055, Baghdad itself.
 They were satisfied to rule only the army and _____.
 They let the Abbasid caliph remain the religious leader.
 The Seljuk ruler called himself a sultan, or “______.”
▫ For 200 years, the empire continued this way. The
Seljuks ruled, but it was still the Abbasid dynasty.
▫ In the 1200s, the fierce Mongols swept into the empire.
They were building their empire by ______.
 They stormed into Baghdad in 1258 burning it to the
ground.
 The Arab Empire ended.
Section 2: Islamic Empires
Today we will draw a cartoon to explain the struggles within Islam.
▫ Draw a cartoon illustrating the struggles within Islam.
▫ Include captions or dialogue, as necessary.
▫ Be prepared to share!
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will explain the success of Muslim traders.
▫ Muslims were the leading trade merchants in the Middle
East and northern Africa until the 1400s.
 Their caravans traveled on land from Baghdad to China.
 Their ships cross the Indian Ocean to India and Southeast
Asia.
 They carried spices, cloth, glass,
and carpets, and returned with rubies,
silk, ivory, gold, and slaves.
▫ Why do you think trade was so
Successful in Muslim Arabia?
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will explain the success of Muslim traders.
▫ The success of Muslim traders
 As the empire expanded, the Arabic language spread.
 Arabic became the language of ____.
 Muslim rulers made trade easier by providing merchants
with _____.
 Muslim merchants kept detailed records of their business
deals and the money they made.
 This became a new business, ______!
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will explain the success of Muslim traders.
▫ Effects of trade on cities
 Trade helped Muslim cities grow.
 They also became centers of
government, learning, and the arts.
 Muslim cities looked similar, with
palaces, mosques, and bazaars.
 Palaces were where royalty lived.
 Mosques were Muslim houses of
worship, that also served as schools,
courts, and community centers.
 The bazaar was the marketplace,
where merchants from all over the
world sold their goods.
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will explain the success of Muslim traders.
▫ Using words or pictures, create a collage or wordsplash
explaining why Muslims were so successful in trade.
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will describe Muslim society.
▫ Most Muslims lived in villages and _____.
 Since water was scarce, they used irrigation to bring water to
their crops.
 They grew wheat, rice, beans, and melons in the field.
 They raised almonds, blackberries, apricots, figs, and olives
in their orchards.
 Some farmers raised flowers for perfumes.
▫ Muslim society divided people by power and wealth.
 Government leaders, landowners, traders --
 Artisans, farmers, workers -------------
 ______________--------------------
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will describe Muslim society.
▫ Slaves were widespread, but Muslims could not be enslaved,
so slaves from non-Muslim areas were brought in.
▫ Many of these slaves were ________.
▫ They often served as soldiers or servants and could buy
back their freedom.
▫ Men and women had different roles in society.
▫ Men ran government, business, and society.
▫ Women helped run ______.
▫ They could own property and inherit wealth.
▫ Many places had laws requiring women to cover their
faces and wear long robes in public.
▫ Why do you think women had to cover their faces
and wear long robes?
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will describe Muslim society.
▫ The teachings of Muhammad state that women’s garments
should not ____.
▫ The tradition of hijab, wearing clothing that covers the head
and body, was followed only by upper class women.
▫ In the Middle Ages, it became more common.
▫ Why do you think only upper class women wore hijab?
▫ Now hijab ranges from colorful scarves
to black robes.
▫ Many women wear hijab to follow
Muslim tradition.
▫ Others wear it to be judged by
themselves and not their bodies.
▫ In some countries, __________
Section 3: Muslim Ways of Life
Today we will describe Muslim society.
▫ List 6-8 words that describe Muslim society.
▫ Be prepared to share and compare with a neighbor!