World+of+Islam

=(AD 622- 1258) by Lance Wilson and Michael Holland= “The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.” - Muhammad

Of all religions, Islam is one of the most practiced in the world. It is one of the more complex religions, if not the most. Islam, Judaism and Christianity all originate in the same place, are all monotheistic and believe in the same God. Islam in Arabic means "peace through the submission to the will of Allah." In Arabic, Allah means God. The founder of Islam is a man named Muhammad. Muhammad is known to people as the messenger of Allah. He is believed to be the last of the prophets who received the last revelations from Allah, showing his importance. Unlike Christianity, Muslims do not believe that Jesus Christ is the savior. Muslims believe that he was one of many prophets, and that Christianity is incomplete and misleading, so Muhammad was a messenger of Allah to lead people the right way. According to the Koran (Quran), or holy book of Islam, Muslims must follow five rules. These rules are known as the 5 Pillars of Islam, or in Arabic, Shari'ah. The first pillar, says that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet.This means that in order to be a Muslim, one must not agree with any other way and must stay true to Allah. The second pillar, says that one must pray five times a day, facing towards Makkah (Mecca). Makkah is the holy city of Islam, where the great mosque stands (Left). Inside the great Mosque is the Ka'bah, or the holy shrine. Inside this holy shrine is what's known as the black stone. This black stone is a meteorite sent from heaven that was blessed by Allah. Muslims believe that touching this stone blesses one, and makes for a divine prayer. The third pillar is known as the Zakat, and involves giving money to the poor, 2.5% of an individuals income. The fourth pillar says that one must fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This holy month goes for 29-30 days and acts of drinking, smoking, and sex are not tolerated during daylight hours. The fifth and final pillar of Islam, states that if financially able, one must make a Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah during his or her life time. During this trip, activities are to be done with tens of thousands of other Muslims.

During 3000 BC, Arabs, or semitic-speaking people from the Middle East, filled the Arabian Peninsula. Covered in sand, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world, and one of the driest. Arabs lifestyle was unlike normal civilizations. The environment on the Arabian Peninsula was too harsh for farming, so the travel from town to town to steal food was common. With the creation of Islam by Muhammad, the tribes on the Arabian Peninsula were brought together under one banner. Islam spread rapidly due to the simplicity of the message and the equality of believers. Muslims began expanding their borders under the name of Jihad, which means to fight to defend Islam. Their leader was Abu Bakr, Muhammad's father-in-law, who became the Caliph, the "successor to the prophet." The Muslims took many lands, and by 650 AD, just 18 years after the death of Muhammad, they had taken control of much of the Byzantine Empire, Syria, Palestine, and the Persian Empire. In 661 AD, Mu'awiyah became caliph and founded the Ummayad Dynasty. He also moved the political capital to Damascus. During the Ummayad reign Muslims attacked Europe from both ends in the hopes of turning the Mediterranean Sea into a "Muslim Lake." While they failed in the east, losing the Battle of Constantinople in 717 AD, they were successful at first in the west, taking almost all of Spain by 725 AD. They pushed into France in 732 AD, but were defeated by Charles "The Hammer" Martel at the Battle of Tours. Had Charles not won this battle, Europe most likely would have been taken over completely by the Muslims, as there was almost no resistance to them in the rest of Europe. The Ummayads were eventually overthrown by Abu Al-Abbas in 750 AD, and the Abbassid Dynasty was created. The capital was moved to Baghdad. They ruled peacefully until 1000 AD, when the Seljuk Turks began taking over the eastern provinces of the Abbasid Empire. In 1055, Baghdad was captured. The Turkish leader was called a sultan, which means "Holder of Power." In 1096, Christians Knights attacked the Muslims in a series of four wars called the Crusades. The objective of the Crusades was to return the Holy Land to Christian control. However, in 1187, Saladin destroyed the Christian forces and captured Jerusalem. Muslim expansion was also halted by the Mongols, who destroyed Baghdad in 1258 and killed 1 million Muslims, and by Vad the Impaler, the Prince of southern Transylvania and influence for Dracula who created a forest of 24,000 impaled Turkish Muslims to scare off the invading Muslims in 1460.



Key Terms



 * Sheikh**- A leader that ruled a tribe of Arabs. These sheikhs were chosen by the council of elders from a leading family.
 * Hijarah**- Muhammad's journey with his followers to Madinah for support from their people and the Bedouins, assembling the first community of muslims.
 * Shari'ah**- The Islamic code that was based on different perceptions of the Quran to set a common way of life for muslims.
 * Shiite & Sunni**- Shiite is a branch of muslims that believe only the descendants of Ali can be the true rulers of Islam, and the Sunni branch doesn't agree with the Umayyad rule, but accepts Umayyads as rulers.
 * Koran (Quran)**- The holy book of Islam that is based on the teachings of Muhammad, written in Arabic. The Koran also includes the Old and part of the New Testaments of the Christian and Jewish Bible because it is partially factually correct.



**Important Leaders**


 * Allah**- He is the God of Muslims, Christians and Jews, except that the word Allah is the arabic word for God. The submission to Allah's will is known as Islam.
 * Muhammad**- Muhammad was a prophet much like Moses and Jesus, except he revealed Islam to the world through his lifetime (570-632 AD). He is the most important part of Islam, next to Allah.
 * Abraham**- Abraham and his son Ishmael built Makkah (or Mecca) and the Kaaba, a mosque that was the holiest worship house of Islam.
 * Caliph**- After Muhammad's death many Arabs looked for a new leader, choosing Abu Bakr, who was later named Caliph. Under his rule, he allowed Islam to grow and expand.
 * Ali**- Muhammad's son-in-law that was chosen by Caliph, killed 5 years after the beginning of his ruling. The Shiites believe only his descendants can be the true rulers of Islam.

Map
This map shows the spread of Islam.

**For More Information...**

Islam Wikipedia On this site is everything available about Islam, providing basic summaries of the ideas behind the origin and the religion today. Quran Wiki Another Wikipedia site, that goes into more detail on the Quran and the meaning behind it. Muhammad This site is all about Muhammad, how he began one of the most popular religions, and characteristics to give you his personality, and a visual of him because it is considered bad to show his face. Arabic This site helps you understand the Arabic alphabet and the locations of its use all over the world. "Culture of Saudi Arabia" This site goes in-depth on the people of Saudi Arabia and how they live. It includes summaries to everything to help you understand the life of an Arab.

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Important Events:

 * **570 A.D.** This was the birth of Muhammad, the prophet of Allah and founder of Islam.
 * **622 A.D.** July 16th of this year marks the first day of the first Muslim Calendar.
 * **632 A.D.** In this year, Muhammad died and was then placed at the Dome of the Rock where he ascended into Paradise. Abu Bakr, Muhammad's father in law became the Caliph, or successor to the prophet.
 * **700-1000 A.D.** This time marks the Islamic Golden Age where Ilm, or knowledge, was important. During this time Medicine and Math excelled, and the Astrolabe was created.
 * **711 A.D**. The Muslim General Tariq led forces into Spain for the Rock of Gibraltar.
 * **717 A.D.** The Battle of Constantinople where the Byzantine Empire defeated the Muslims.
 * **732 A.D.** The Battle of Tours in which Charles Martel stopped the spread of Islam to the West, marking one of the greatest battles in history.
 * **750 - 1258 A.D**. The Abbasid Dynasty in which Abu Al-Abbas overthrew the Umayyads, and began Baghdad as the new capital.
 * **1000 A.D.** The Seljuk Turks conquer the Eastern Abbasid Provinces, and conquer Baghdad in 1055 A.D.
 * **1258 A.D.** The Mongol take over and destroy Baghdad, killing 1 million Muslim soldiers.