L19 Muslim Innovations and Adaptations

Which type of design took its beauty from the natural world?

• arabesques

• calligraphy

• geometric shapes

• mosaics

Why did Muslims reject the use of images of humans or animals in their visual art?

• They believed that only God could create something that is alive.

• They thought that humans and animals were too ordinary to be represented in art.

• They did not have the artistic skills to represent living creatures.

• They believed that realistic images of people or animals in art would steal their souls.

Muslims learned a new way to write numbers from

• Indian scholars.

• Egyptian holy men.

• Spanish traders.

• ancient Greek mathematicians.

The Muslims' great experience with trade helped advance their knowledge of

• geography.

• history.

• psychology.

• agriculture.

Which navigational instruments did Muslims adapt and perfect?

• the compass and the astrolabe

• the chronometer and the ring dial

• the octant and the quadrant

• the sounding line and the back staff

How did Muslims use technology to meet the challenges of living in a dry land?

• They built dams and aqueducts to provide water for households, mills, and fields.

• They perfected techniques of cloud-seeding to create rain during periods of drought.

• They created a massive pipeline network to bring fresh water from Europe to the Middle East.

• They figured out how to take the salt out of seawater for irrigation and household use.

What impact did the work of Muslim astronomers have on religious practices?

• Astronomers were so respected and so knowledgeable that many of them became imams.

• Astronomers found proof that confirmed the teachings of the Qur'an about the world God made.

• Astronomers helped Muslims know the exact time for prayers and the length of Ramadan.

• Astronomers cast doubt on many Muslim beliefs, and brought science and religion into conflict.

Like the ancient Greeks, Muslim philosophers tried to prove important truths using

• primary sources.

• religious faith.

• intuition and opinion.

• reason and logic.

What advantage did acceptance of the Arabic language provide?

• Scholars in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East could share ideas more easily.

• Sharing the same language slowed down the process of cultural diffusion.

• The Arabic language could express philosophical ideas more precisely than any other language.

• Muslim and Christian leaders all spoke the same language and could work together for peace.

Ibn Sina is an important example of a Muslim medical contributor to world civilization. Why has he been called the prince of physicians?

• He wrote a widely used textbook.

• He treated the caliph's family.

• He was descended from Muhammad.

• He was very highly paid.