Islam

Islam

By Paul Kingston

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Islam is an Abrahamic-monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (l. 570-632 CE, after whose name Muslims traditionally add “peace be upon him” or, in writing, PBUH). Alongside Christianity and Judaism, it is a continuation of the teachings of Abraham (featured in both Jewish and Christian scriptures

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lglIENhbgJo

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Multiple Choice

Islam is a monotheistic faith based on the teachings of the prophet ___________.

• Abraham

• Jesus

• Mohammed

• Mary Magdalen

​Although initially spread by conquest, Islam would later flourish through trade to expand beyond its initial borders and around the world. In the present day, it is the world's fastest-growing religion.

​570 C.E. Muhammad is born in Mecca. He comes from a noble family and is well-known for his honesty and upright character.

Multiple Choice

What city is the birthplace of Mohammed and a holy city for Muslims?

• Caesaria

• Mecca

• Jerusalem

• Constantinople

​610 C.E. According to Muslim belief, at the age of 40, Muhammad is visited by the angel Gabriel while on retreat in a cave near Mecca. The angel recites to him the first revelations of the Quran and informs him that he is God's prophet. Later, Muhammad is told to call his people to the worship of the one God, but they react with hostility and begin to persecute him and his followers.

​622 C.E. After enduring persecution in Mecca, Muhammad and his followers migrate to the nearby town of Yathrib (later to be known as Medina), where the people there accepted Islam. This marks the "hijrah" or "emigration," and the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In Medina, Muhammad establishes an Islamic state based on the laws revealed in the Quran and the inspired guidance coming to him from God. Eventually he begins to invite other tribes and nations to Islam.

Multiple Choice

What is the Holy book of Islam called.

• The Bible

• The Torah

• The Vedas

• The Quran

​630 C.E. Muhammad returns to Mecca with a large number of his followers. He enters the city peacefully, and eventually all its citizens accept Islam. The prophet clears the idols and images out of the Kaaba and rededicates it to the worship of God alone. 633 C.E. Muhammad dies after a prolonged illness. The Muslim community elects his father-in-law and close associate, Abu Bakr, as caliph, or successor.

​Though the two main sects within Islam, Sunni and Shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, a bitter split between the two goes back some 14 centuries. The divide originated with a dispute over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Islamic faith he introduced.

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Today, about 85 percent of the approximately 1.6 billion Muslims around the world are Sunni, while 15 percent are Shia, according to an estimate by the Council on Foreign Relations. While Shia represent the majority of the population in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan and a plurality in Lebanon, Sunnis are the majority in more than 40 other countries, from Morocco to Indonesia.

​The cause of the split in Islam after Muhammad's death was a difference of opinion concerning - ? expansion ? leaders ? prayer ? pilgrimages

Multiple Choice

The cause of the split in Islam after Muhammad's death was a difference of opinion concerning ----- ?

• leadership

• expansion

• prayer

• pilgrimages

​638 C.E. Muslims enter the area north of Arabia, known as "Sham," including Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. 641 C.E. Muslims enter Egypt and rout the Byzantine army. Muslims consider their conquest as the liberation of subjugated people, since in most instances they were under oppressive rule. 655 C.E. Islam begins to spread throughout North Africa. 661 C.E. Imam Ali is killed, bringing to an end the rule of the four "righteous caliphs": Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. This also marks the beginning of the Umayyad rule.

Multiple Choice

The Islamic religion was initially spread by

• The Angel Gabriel

• military conquest

• peaceful persuasion

• religious tolerance

​711 C.E. Muslims enter Spain in the west and India in the east. Eventually almost the entire Iberian Peninsula is under Islamic control.

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732 C.E. Muslims are defeated at Potiers in France by Charles Martel.

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750 C.E. The Abbasids take over rule from the Umayyads, shifting the seat of power to Baghdad.

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1000 C.E. Islam continues to spread through the continent of Africa, including Nigeria, which served as a trading liaison between the northern and central regions of Africa.

Multiple Choice

Islam spread to Africa including modern day Nigeria.

• True

• False

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQbY8xIAQuo

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Multiple Choice

The Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain was controlled by Muslims in the eight century

• True

• False

​1099 C.E. European Crusaders take Jerusalem from the Muslims. Eventually Muslims defeat the Crusaders and regain control of the holy land. 1120 C.E. Islam continues to spread throughout Asia. Malaysian traders interact with Muslims who teach them about Islam. 1299 C.E. The earliest Ottoman state is formed in Anatolia, Turkey. 1453 C.E. Ottomans conquer the Byzantine seat of Constantinople and change its name to Istanbul.

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcGzQ3ga5R8

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Multiple Choice

Why did Europeans want to liberate Jerusalem during the Crusades?

• Jerusalem is a holy city for all Abrahamic religions.

• To expel the Mongols

• To restore the glory that was Rome.

• To convert the Muslims to Polytheism.

Multiple Choice

The Ottomans renamed Constantinople, and it is now called ______________.

• Jerusalem

• Istanbul

• Rome

• Mecca