Pre-Islam Mecca was trade center people traveled on pilgrimages to Mecca to visit the Kaaba –contained statues of over 360 deities; they brought wealth.

Pre-Islam• Mecca was trade center• people traveled on pilgrimages to Mecca to

visit the Kaaba– contained statues of over 360 deities; they brought

wealth

Bedouin Tribes

The Life of Muhammad—570-632

• Born in Mecca; married his boss at age 25 (she was wealthy)

• 610 C.E.—The Night of Power—he experienced a revelation (vision)– His teachings: only one God that all must worship

• Most Meccans persecuted him (afraid would lose $)– Muhammad fled to Medina

• Muslims eventually returned and defeated the Meccans and won support– Muslims entered Mecca—destroyed idols in the Kaaba—turned

it into a sanctuary believed to be built by Abraham• Muhammad was the last and greatest of the prophets

Mecca pre-Islam

Connection Between Islam and Judaism

Abraham

Sarah Hagar

Isaac Ishmael

Jews/Hebrews Islam/Arabs

Muhammad

Beliefs of Islam:• Quran (Koran) = holy book• Mecca = most holy city/Medina = 2nd most

holy/Jerusalem = 3rd most holy• Mosque = place of worship

– No symbols of God or pictures of living things inside (to help focus on God)

Ka’aba

Black Stone—originally white, but turned black by

absorbing the sins of those who touch and kiss it

A white stone given to Adam

Quran

The Grand Mosque in Bur Dubai, Iran

Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock and Wailing Wall

Beliefs about Christianity• Jesus was a prophet of God, not God incarnate• He did not marry and have children

– He was not crucified; God would not have one of His prophets killed

• Islam is a continuation of Judaism and Christianity (“people of the book”)

Prayer

Five Pillars of Islam1. “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is

his prophet”2. Pray 5 times a day (facing Mecca)3. Charity or alms4. Fasting during month of Ramadan5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)

A group of Muslims break their daily Ramadan

fast with an Iftar meal in Riyadh on Nov. 11.

Hajj—circling the Ka’bah

The Spread of Islam• After Muhammad died, a caliph—successor—was

designated (he left no clear instructions on how to chose one) to spread Islamic message

• Two sects of Islam were created because of disputes about caliphs:– Shi’a (Shi’ite or Shi’i) = acknowledge Ali and his descendants as

rightful successors to Muhammad as caliph; had to be a relative of Muhammad (minority)

– Sunni = acknowledge the 1st 4 caliphs as rightful successors (majority)

Islamic Empires• 1st 4 caliphs had strong militaries that

conquered regions around them• 750 C.E. Muslim Empire was from Atlantic

Ocean to Indus River (6,000 miles) [even into Spain]– Conquered people were allowed to have their own

religions, but they were restricted and heavy taxes were imposed (Quran forbid forced conversions)

Advancements• House of Wisdom in Baghdad—library,

academy, and translation center• Math: corrections to Greek algebraic and

geometric theories– advances in trigonometry– Algebra – Arabic numerals (originally from India)

Advancements• Astronomy: sophisticated

instruments developed, remapped constellations (used by later civilizations)

– to know exact location of Mecca)

• Chemistry: calculated specific weights of different minerals

Other Advancements• Medicine: formal

examinations and regular courses of study for doctors– advances in optics – some of world’s best

hospitals

Other Advancements• Trade: papermaking,

silk-weaving• Geography: some of

the world’s best maps