Spread of Islam Background Essay Questions

When and where did Muhammad first receive words from Allah?

• 610 CE in a cave on Mount Hira

• 610 CE in the city of Mecca

• 612 CE in a cave on Mount Hira

• 612 CE in the city of Medina

What were the two main ideas expressed by the words of Allah?

• Allah is the one god

• Charity-sharing wealth with the weak and the poor

• Islam is the true religion

• The Five Pillars

What were the three religious groups one could find in Mecca before Muhammad's revelations?

• Christians

• pagans

• Jews

• Muslims

Why did Muhammad leave Mecca for Medina?

• There was resistance to his teachings because Meccan feared pilgrimages to the pagan shrines would end and business would slack off

• too many people liked his teachings

• Meccans feared pilgrimages to the pagan shrines would increase and businesses could not handle it

• He just wanted to spread Islam to other cities

True or False: Muhammad turning from Jerusalem and facing Mecca is a symbolic break with the past because Jerusalem was the spiritual center of Judaism and Christianity and by turning towards Mecca, Muhammad was saying that Islam was its own separate religion.

• True

• False

Confession of belief; prayer five times a day; an annual month long fast; giving alms to the poor; and pilgrimage to Mecca are all part of what?

• The Five Pillars

• The Five Duties

• The Five Commandments

• The Five Tasks

the supreme being in the Muslim religion; God

• Allah

• pagan

• Kaaba

• Islam

• Qur'an

one who believes in many gods; common before Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

• Allah

• pagan

• Kaaba

• Ramadan

• Qur'an

holy shrine in Mecca

• Allah

• Islam

• Kaaba

• Ramadan

• Qur'an

the religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad

• Allah

• Islam

• Kaaba

• Ramadan

• Qur'an