Transcript The Rise of Islam

THE RISE OF
ISLAM
WHERE IS
ARABIA?

Arabia is in a part of the world
called the Middle East.
GEOGRAPHY OF ARABIA
Arabia is mostly
desert
 It is very hot
 Sandstorms make it
hard to see
 Water and plant life
are found at oases

EARLY ARABS
Early Arabs lived in clans and tribes that were
loyal to each other
 The head of the tribe was called a sheikh
 Many Arabs lived in villages where they had
farms or animals
 Some Arabs traded goods across the desert


Many traveled in a caravan, or group.
WHO ARE THE BEDOUINS?
 Some

Arabs were desert herders
They would go from oasis to oasis
so their camels, goats and sheep
could drink and eat.
 These people were called
Bedouins
 Bedouins



lived in tents
Ate dried fruits and nuts
Drank milk from their animals
Rarely ate meat
MECCA
Mecca became the largest
and wealthiest Arab town, it
was also an important
religious place.
 In the middle of Mecca is the
Kaaba
 Pilgrims, people who travel
to a holy place, came to Mecca
 Arabians worshiped many
Gods but the most important
was Allah, he who made
everything.

MUHAMMAD: ISLAM’S PROPHET
 Muhammad
was born in 570 AD in Mecca
 Even though he was successful, he was not happy

Felt rich town leaders should:
 go back to the old ways
 Honor their families
 Be fair in business
 Help the poor
 Muhammad



went to the hills to meditate
610 AD: Visited by an angel and told to preach Islam
Islam means “Surrendering to the will of Allah”
Allah is the Arabic word for “God”
MUHAMMAD’S TEACHINGS
 Muhammad
went back to Mecca and told
everyone to break their statues of false gods
 He told them to only worship Allah, the one
true God
 Muhammad taught that all people were
equal

He said:
The rich should share their things
 Being rich was not as important as leading a
good life
 When the Day of Judgment came, God would
reward the good people and punish the bad

OPPOSITION TO ISLAM
Religious leaders and the rich did not like Islam and
punished those who followed Muhammad
 Muhammad and his followers left Mecca in 622 AD and
moved north to a city they called Medinah “City of the
Prophet”
 Muhammad created a government in Medinah that used its
power in politics to support Islam



This is called an Islamic state
630 AD: Muhammad’s army took over Mecca and made it a
holy city
ISLAM’S TEACHINGS
 Islam,
Judaism and Christianity believe some of the
same things:

Believe in one God who spoke to people through prophets
 Muslims
believe Abraham, Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad are the prophets
Christians see Jesus as divine/god-like
 Muslims do NOT see Muhammad as divine, just a good person and
prophet

 Muslims
wrote down what Allah told Muhammad in the
Quran, the holy book of Islam
THE QURAN
How to Live: be honest, treat others fairly, honor their
parents, give to the poor, do not murder, lie or steal
 Daily Life: Cannot eat pork, drink alcohol or gamble
 FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM:
 Acts of Worship: Belief, Prayer, Charity, Fasting and
Pilgrimage
