Transcript Rise of Islam Desert and Town of the Pre

Key Terms
 Bedouins – Nomadic culture based on camel and goat
herding, located in the Arabian Peninsula, made up early
convicts of Islam
 Sheiks – Leaders (Men) of tribes and clans that had large
herds, several wives, many children, numerous retainers
 Mecca – Holy Islamic city
 Medina – Holy city of the prophet of Muhammad
 Ka’ba – Islamic Holy Shrine
 Quran – Islamic Holy Book. Put together in part by
Muhammad.
 zakat – tax levied on all muslims. mandatory and went to
charity
Clan Identity, Clan Rivalries, and
Cycle of Vengeance
1. Mobile Kin-Related Clans
a. Basis of social organization
b. Sheiks
i. Leaders of tribes and clans
ii. Elected by councils
c. Individual Survival Depended on
Clan
Loyalty
Towns and long-distance trade
1. Mecca
a. Holy town
b. Islamic Pilgrimages
c. Ka’ba holy shrine
2. Medina
a. City of the prophet Muhammad
b. 2nd to Mecca
3. Umayyads
a. Clan that founded Mecca
Marriage and Family in PreIslamic Arabia
1. Woman
a. played key economic role
b. descent was traced through female line
c. more restricted in urban areas
2. Men
a. on the move
b. paid bride-price to the wife’s family
Poets and Neglected Gods
1. Poetry
a. Transmitted orally
b. Not highly developed
2 . Religion
a. Blend of animism and polytheism
i. Focused mainly on spirits with nature
b. Religion was not connected to ethics
c. Not taken seriously
i. Some recognized Allah, but with little attention
Persecution Flight and Victory
1. Muhammad
a. great threat to Mecca’s rulers
b. New faith endangered Ka’ba gods
2. Life was in danger
a. Invited to Medina to mediate
b. Leadership brought new new followers
3. Quraysh attacked Medina but Muhammad’s forces triumphed
4. Returned to Mecca where he converted most to Islam
Arabs and Islam
1. New Religion
a. offered opportunities for uniting Arabs
i. provided distinct indigenous monotheism
ii. Allowed end to clan feuding
b. offered ethical system
i. healed social rifts
ii. All believers were equal
iii. Prophet’s teachings & Quran became basics
for laws
iv. All faced last judgement
Universal Elements in Islam
1. Contained beliefs in many different cultures
a. Included
i. monotheism, legal codes,
egalitarianism, strong sense of
community
2. Five pillars provided basis for underlying unity
a. Confession of faith
b. prayer five times daily
c. fasting during the month of Ramadan
d. zakat (tithing to charity)
e. the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Overall Importance to World
History
The Islam religion had a huge influence over the unity of the
Arabs. It was also the religion for all people because it
could be practiced by all races and backgrounds. The
philosophy of purity in the heart and clarity in the mind
was responsible for influencing the nations of the world to
better serve God, raise the standards of living, and
promote justice and brotherhood.