Global 11.1 The Rise of Islam

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 * Islam originated from a merchant named Muhammad, a descendant of Arab nomads called Bedouins. Muhammad, upset about the moral lives of the people around him, went into solitude to meditate. In a cave, Allah spoke to Muhammad, telling him to spread god's message to mankind.
 * Muhammad was kicked out of his home city of Mecca and forced to go to the city of Medina. This trip is known as the hijra.
 * Muhammad was accepted in Medina. After gathering a large following, he went back to Mecca and defeated the city in battle.
 * The Muslim holy book is called the Quran, or Koran.
 * Muslim mosques are where Muslims worship.
 * Sharia is a body of law that is based off the Quran. Since the Muslim law is based on the the Quran, there is no distinction between religious and criminal, or civil, laws.
 * 5 Pillars of Islam
 * Confession of faith: "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet"
 * Pray five times a day facing Mecca
 * Fast during the month of Ramadan
 * Giving alms to the poor
 * Take a hajj once during your life (a holy trip to the city of Mecca)
 * After Muhammad's death, he was succeeded by the first Muslim Caliph (successor to Muhammad) was his close follower Abu Bakr.
 * Abu Bakr united the Islamic people under his rule after the death of Muhammad, and lead them on a very successful military campaign across Africa and into Europe.
 * The Muslim invaders were often very tolerant of the people they conquered, typically giving special consideration to Christians and Jews, as "people of the Book."
 * After the death of Muhammad, a split occurred within Islam.
 * Sunnis- believe that the caliph should be a pious Muslim and leader, but not a religious authority.
 * Shiites- believe that the caliph should be a spiritual leader and a divinely inspired direct descendant of Muhammad.


 * Sufi- a much smaller branch that includes Muslim mystics that try to gain communion with Allah through meditation. They helped to spread Islam through their extensive missionary work.