Global 11.2 Muslim Society

Page Index


 * Islam absorbed and blended the many traditions and many backgrounds of the people that converted to its beliefs.
 * Muslims could move freely up the social ladder through religious, economic, or military achievements.
 * Slaves that converted to Islam were guaranteed the freedom of their children. Any slave that married her owner became free also.
 * Muslim merchants built an extensive network across the world.
 * These merchants not only carried goods, but also ideas, helping to spread Islam as well as mathematical advancements.


 * Muslim Art
 * Calligraphy
 * Textiles
 * Architecture
 * Literature
 * Quran
 * The Thousand and One Nights
 * Muslims are forbidden from displaying pictures of Allah or Muhammad. They are seen as worship of idols.


 * Muslim learning
 * Philosophy
 * Muslim scholars translated Greek, Hindu, and Buddhists texts. Like the Scholastics, the Muslim people tried to integrate their faith with reason (logic).
 * Mathematics
 * Pioneered the study of algebra
 * Astronomy
 * Studied eclipses, observed Earth's rotation, and calculated the circumference of the Earth.
 * Medicine
 * Had a medical system that was far more advanced than the medical practices being performed in Europe during this time.