170-173 CH2-868876 1/12/05 3:11 AM Page 170 Islamic ...€¦ · WH7.2.1 Identify the physical features and describe the climate of the Arabian peninsula, its relationship to surrounding

c. A.D. 610Muhammadreceivesprophetic call

A.D. 750 Abbasids overthrowUmayyads

A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200 1500A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200 1500

Muslims gather around the Kaaba at the Great Mosque in Makkah.

Islamic Civilization

c. 1375Ibn Khaldunwrites histories

c. 1100Omar Khayyamwrites theRubaiyat

368–

369

Nab

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The Rise of IslamReligion influences how civilization develops and how culture spreads.

The religion of Islam originated in Arabia. It was based on theteachings of Muhammad.

Islamic EmpiresExploration and trade spreads ideas and goods. Followers of Islam,

called Muslims, built large empires and spread their faith throughtrade and conquest throughout the Middle East and theMediterranean.

Muslim Ways of LifeThe Interaction of different societies brings about the development of

new ideas, art, and technology. Muslims were skilled traders andbuilders. They established large cities and made many advances inmathematics, science, and the arts.

View the Chapter 2 video in the Glencoe Video Program.

Chapter Overview Visitca.hss.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 2.

171

Categorizing Information Make the following foldable to organize informationabout the people and places of Islamic civilization.

Reading and WritingAs you read, use yourfoldable to write downwhat you learn aboutIslamic civilization.Write facts on eachappropriate tab.

Step 1 Collect two sheets of paper and place themabout 1 inch apart.

Keep theedges

straight.

Islamic CivilizationThe Rise of IslamIslamic Empires

Muslim Ways of Life

Staple along the

fold.

This makes allthe tabs thesame size.

Step 2 Fold down the top edgesof the paper to form four tabs.

Step 3 When all the tabs are thesame size, crease the paper to holdthe tabs in place and staple the sheetstogether. Turn the paper and labeleach tab as shown.

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http://ca.hss.glencoe.com

172

Can you predicthow people willreact to these ideas?

What do you know about the beliefs ofother religions compared to Islam?Predict how followers of other religionswill react.

Think about whatyou may alreadyknow aboutIslam. Predicthow popular itwill become.

Making Predictions

Read titles and headings

to help you predict what

details are covered in

each section.

A prediction is a guess, based on what you already know.Making predictions before you read can help you understand andremember what you read. One way to predict while reading is toguess what the author will tell you next. Read the paragraph belowfrom Section 1. Make predictions about what you will read in therest of the section.

After you read the rest of the chapter, go back tosee if your predictions were correct.

Muhammad also preached that all peo-ple were equal and that the rich shouldshare their goods. In Makkah, where mostpeople lived humbly, this vision of a justsociety was very powerful. Muhammadwas saying that wealth was not as impor-tant as leading a good life. When the Day ofJudgment arrived, he said God wouldreward the good people and punish theevildoers.

— from page 176

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Read the paragraph below from Section 3 of this chapter.

Select one photographin this chapter.Without reading thecaption, write aprediction of what youthink the captionmight say. Check thecaption to see if yourprediction is correct.

Read to Write

Predict what information will be discussed throughout this sec-tion, and write down your predictions. Then as you read this sec-tion, discuss your guesses with a partner, and decide if they werecorrect.

Before you read the chapter, skim thequestions on pages 200–201 in theChapter Assessment. Choose threequestions and predict what theanswers will be.

173

What Were Muslim Cities Like? Trade helped the lead-ing Muslim cities grow. Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascuswere located on trade routes that ran from theMediterranean Sea to central Asia. However, Muslimcities were not only places of trade. They also becameimportant centers of government, learning, and the arts.

—from page 192

Arab bazaar

Paul Dupuy Museum, Toulouse, France/Lauros-Giraudon, Paris/SuperStock

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The Rise of Islam

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH7.2 Studentsanalyze the geographic,political, economic,religious, and socialstructures of thecivilizations of Islam inthe Middle Ages.

Looking Back, Looking AheadPreviously, you learned about

early empires in southwest Asia.During the A.D. 600s, people calledArabs began a new empire in theregion. The driving force behind their empire building was the religion of Islam.

Focusing on the • The deserts, coastline, and oases of

Arabia helped shape the Arab way of life. (page 175)

• The prophet Muhammad brought themessage of Islam to the people ofArabia. (page 176)

• The Quran provided guidelines forMuslims’ lives and the governmentsof Muslim states. (page 179)

Locating PlacesMakkah (MAH•kuh)Kaaba (KAH•buh)Madinah (mah•DEE•nah)

Meeting PeopleBedouin (BEH•duh•wuhn)Muhammad (moh•HAH•muhd)

Content Vocabularyoasis (oh•AY•suhs)sheikh (SHAYK)caravan (KAR•uh•VAN)Quran (koh•RAHN)

Academic Vocabularyintense (ihn•TEHNS)transport (trans•POHRT)

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Use adiagram like the one below to identifythe Five Pillars of faith.

Five Pillars of Faith

A.D. 570Muhammad is born

c. A.D. 610Muhammad receivesprophetic call

A.D. 630Makkah surrendersto Muhammad

Makkah (Mecca)

Madinah

A.D. 550 A.D. 600 A.D. 650A.D. 550 A.D. 600 A.D. 650

174 CHAPTER 2 • Islamic Civilization

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WH7.2.1 Identify the physical features and describe the climate of the Arabian peninsula, its relationship to surrounding bodies ofland and water, and nomadic and sedentary ways of life. WH7.2.5 Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel,new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society.

Daily Life in Early ArabiaThe deserts, coastline, and oases of

Arabia helped shape the Arab way of life.

Reading Connection Do you ever think about howrainfall shapes your life? Read on to find out how lack ofrain helped shape the Arabs’ way of life.

Surrounded by the Red Sea on the west,the Persian Gulf on the east, and the ArabianSea to the south, the Arabian Peninsula ismostly a desert. The heat is intense, and asandstorm can blind any traveler. Water isfound only at oases (oh• AY• seez), green areasfed by underground water. Not all of Arabiais dry, however. In the mountains of thesouthwest, enough rain falls to supportplants such as juniper and olive trees.

In ancient times, the peninsula wasbounded by many different civilizations. Forexample, Egypt and Kush were to the west,Mesopotamia and Persia were to the north andeast, and the Israelites, the Greeks, andRomans were to the north and west. Recordsfrom these civilizations indicate that manypeople visited or crossed the ArabianPeninsula, but few stayed.

To survive the Arabian climate, earlyArabs organized into tribes whose memberswere very loyal to one another. The head of

Bedouin womanmaking bread

Today, many Bedouins still roam the desert andlive in tents. Where did Bedouins graze theiranimals in the desert?

175

the tribe was called a sheikh (SHAYK). Sometribes lived a settled lifestyle in villages nearoases or wells, or in mountain valleys.

Who Are the Bedouins? Some Arabs weredesert herders. To water and graze theircamels, goats, and sheep, they went fromoasis to oasis. They were called Bedouins(BEH • duh • wuhnz). Bedouins lived in tentsand ate dried fruits and nuts. They drankthe milk of their animals. Only rarelywould they eat meat. Their animals weremuch too valuable to be used as food.

Trade and Towns Many Arabs lived in vil-lages where they farmed or raised animals.These villages were near oases or in themountain valleys. Some villagers were mer-chants who transported goods across thedesert. To fend off attacks by Bedouins,many traveled in a caravan (KAR • uh• VAN), orgroup of traveling merchants and animals.

By about A.D. 500, Arabian merchantshandled most trade between India and theMediterranean Sea. As their trade grew,Arab merchants founded towns along thetrade routes in Arabia. Makkah (MAH • kuh),also known as Mecca, became the largestand richest of them all. It was a crossroadsfor merchants, and it was also an importantreligious site.

(l)DiMaggio/Kalish/CORBIS, (r)Kevin Fleming/CORBIS

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WH7.2.2 Trace the origins of Islam and the life and teachings of Muhammad, including Islamic teachings on the connection withJudaism and Christianity. WH7.2.4 Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing thecultural blending within Muslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language.

N

S

W E

500 km

500 mi.0

0Lambert AzimuthalEqual-Area projection

40°E

20°N

40°N

40°E

60°E

ARABIANPENINSULA

CAUCASUS MTS.

SAHARA

ASIAMINOR

MediterraneanSea

Black Sea

Red

Sea

Persian Gulf

ArabianSea

CaspianS

ea

Euphrates R.

TigrisR

.

Nile

R.

SYRIA

EGYPT

PERSIA

YEMEN

Constantinople

Alexandria Jerusalem

Damascus

Yathrib

Makkah(Mecca)

Baghdad

Persepolis

The Middle East c. A.D. 600

In the middle of Makkah was the Kaaba(KAH • buh), a low square building sur-rounded by statues of gods and goddesses.Arabs believed that the great stone insidethe Kaaba was from heaven. Pilgrims, peo-ple who travel to a holy place, flocked toMakkah. Arabians worshiped many gods,but the most important was Allah. Allahwas considered to be the creator.

Analyze How did geographyshape life in Arabia?


Muhammad: Islam’s ProphetThe prophet Muhammad brought the

message of Islam to the people of Arabia.

Reading Connection Have you ever heard someonespeak and been moved to tears? The following para-graphs tell about a prophet who moved the Arab peoplewith his words.

Muhammad’s Message In A.D. 570 a mannamed Muhammad (moh • HAH • muhd) wasborn in Makkah. An orphan, he was raisedby an uncle. As a teenager, he worked in the trusted job of caravan leader and even-tually became a successful merchant. Hemarried and had children.

Despite his success, Muhammad wasdissatisfied. He felt that the wealthy townleaders should return to the old ways. Hethought they should honor their families,be fair in business, and help the poor.

Muhammad went into the hills to pray.In about A.D. 610, he said he was visited byan angel and told to preach Islam. Islammeans “surrendering to the will of Allah.”Allah is the Arabic word for “God.”

Inspired, Muhammad returned toMakkah. Everywhere he went, he told people to destroy statues of false gods andto worship only Allah, the one true God.

Muhammad also preached that all peo-ple were equal and that the rich shouldshare their goods. In Makkah, where mostpeople lived humbly, this vision of a justsociety was very powerful. Muhammadwas saying that wealth was not as impor-tant as leading a good life. When the Day ofJudgment arrived, he said God wouldreward the good people and punish theevildoers.

Opposition to Islam Slowly Muhammadconvinced people that his message wastrue. At first, only his family became

Islam, one of the world’s majorreligions, began in the Arabianpeninsula.1. Location Which empire was

located north and west of theArabian Peninsula?

2. Location About how far is itfrom Makkah to Yathrib?

Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

KEYByzantine EmpirePersian Empire

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http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

Journay to MakkahJourney to Makkah

177

A pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah often involved a long,difficult journey across deserts and other rough country.Muslim travelers carried palm leaves to show that they wereon a pilgrimage. Where was Muhammad born?

A pilgrimage to Makkah

Muslims, or followers of Islam. Soon, how-ever, many of the poor were attracted to hismessage that goods should be shared.

Wealthy merchants and religious lead-ers did not like Muhammad’s message.They thought he was trying to take awaytheir power. They made his life difficult andbeat and tortured his followers.

In A.D. 622 Muhammad and his follow-ers left Makkah. They moved north to atown called Yathrib (YA • thruhb). The jour-ney of Muhammad and his followers toYathrib became known as the Hijrah (HIH •jruh). The word comes from Arabic andmeans “breaking off relationships.” LaterMuslims made the year A.D. 622 the firstyear of a new Muslim calendar. Yathrib wel-comed Muhammad and his followers. Theircity was renamed Madinah (mah • DEE • nah),which means “the city of the prophet.”

Muhammad’s Government The people ofMadinah accepted Muhammad as God’sprophet and their ruler. Muhammadproved to be an able leader. He applied thelaws he believed God had given him to allareas of life. Muhammad created anIslamic state—a government that uses itspolitical power to uphold Islam. Herequired all Muslims to place loyalty to theIslamic state above loyalty to their tribe.

To defend his new government,Muhammad built an army. The leaders ofMakkah feared he would attack. In A.D. 630they agreed to a treaty to give control of thecity to Muhammad. He then made it a holycity of Islam. Two years later, Muhammaddied. By this time, Islam had begun tospread to all of Arabia.

Explain Why didMuhammad’s message appeal to the poor?

Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris/Bridgeman Art Library

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MUHAMMADA.D. 570–632Muhammad experienced great poverty and many

hardships early in his life. His father, Abd Allah, died beforehe was born. His grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, took care ofMuhammad in Makkah for a short time. Abd al-Muttalibfelt that Makkah was an unhealthy place to raise a baby,but he could not leave because he was a political leader inthe city. So he entrusted Muhammad to a tribe of nomads.They took the baby Muhammad to their home, the desert.

When Muhammad was six years old, his mother died.Two years later, when Muhammad was eight, hisgrandfather also died. Arab custom did not allow minors toinherit anything, so the property and money fromMuhammad’s father and grandfather could not be passeddown to him. To survive, Muhammad needed the protectionof Abu Talib, his uncle who now headed the family.

Under the care of Abu Talib, Muhammad traveled bycamel on trading journeys to Syria. On one of these trips,when he was about twenty-five years old, Muhammad meta wealthy woman named Khadijah. She and Muhammadmarried and had four daughters. They also had at least two sons who did not live past childhood.

Muhammad’s marriage to Khadijah made him a wealthy man and a member of Makkah’s prosperous merchant class.However, Muhammad could not forget his early experiences.His childhood had deeply influenced Muhammad and made him a thoughtful person. He often would go up into the hills near Makkah and spend nights in a cave. Alone there, he would reflect on the problems he saw in Makkah. It was in these hills that Muhammad claimed an angel told him, “You are the Messenger of God.”

178

Are any of the problems Muhammad saw inMakkah similar to problems in society we seetoday? Explain.

WH7.2.2 Trace the origins of Islam andthe life and teachings of Muhammad,including Islamic teachings on theconnection with Judaism and Christianity.

The Mosque of the Prophetin Madinah containsMuhammad’s tomb.

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WH7.2.2 Trace the origins of Islam and the life and teachings of Muhammad, including Islamic teachings on the connection withJudaism and Christianity. WH7.2.3 Explain the significance of the Qur’an and the Sunnah as the primary sources of Islamic beliefs,practice, and law, and their influence in Muslims’ daily life.

CHAPTER 2 • Islamic Civilization 179

Islam’s Teachings The Quran provided guidelines for

Muslims’ lives and the governments of Muslim

states.

Reading Connection Do you ever wonder how youshould act in certain situations? In the following para-graphs, you will learn where Muslims looked for guidance.

Islam, Judaism, and Christianity havesome beliefs in common. Like Jews andChristians, Muslims believe in one God.Muslims believe this one God holds allpower and created the universe. They alsobelieve that God determines right andwrong. People are expected to obey God’slaws if they want to be blessed in the afterlife.

Jews, Christians, and Muslims alsobelieve that God spoke to people throughprophets. For Muslims, early prophets were Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally

Muhammad. For Christians, Jesus wasmore than a prophet. He was the son ofGod and therefore divine. In Islam,Muhammad is seen as a prophet and a verygood person but not as divine.

What Is the Quran? Muslims wrote downthe messages that Muhammad said hereceived from Allah. These writings becamethe Quran (koh • RAHN), or holy book ofIslam. For Muslims, the Quran is God’swritten word. For this reason, Muslimsstrive to follow the Quran.

The Quran instructs Muslims abouthow they should live. Many of its moralteachings are like those of the Bible. Forexample, Muslims are told to be honest andto treat others fairly. They are to honor theirparents, show kindness to their neighbors,and give generously to the poor. Murder,lying, and stealing are forbidden.

Muslim pilgrims surround the Kaaba in Makkah. When didMuhammad’s soldiers take control of Makkah?

A child studiesthe Quran

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Reading SummaryReview the • In the desert of the Arabian

Peninsula, the Arab people weremostly herders and traders.

• In the town of Makkah,Muhammad began to preach anew religion, Islam, which soonspread to all of Arabia.

• Muslims believe that Muhammadwas Allah’s final prophet and thattheir holy book, the Quran, isAllah’s written word.

1. What are oases, and why werethey important to Arabs?

2. Name some activities theQuran prohibits.

Critical Thinking3. Compare and Contrast

Draw a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Islam,Judaism, and Christianity.

4. Conclude Why do you thinkMuhammad’s teachings werepopular with poorer people?

5. How didMuhammad link religion andgovernment?

6. Writing Summaries Preparea summary of the basic beliefsof Islam.

7. MakingPredictions Before readingSection 2, write a short essaypredicting where and why Islamwould spread from Arabia. Referto the region’s geography aswell as Islam’s beliefs. CA CS3.

CA 7WA2.5

CA 7RC2.3

CA HR5.

CA 7RC2.0

What Did You Learn?


Islam Judaism

Christianity

AllThree

Belief Muslims must declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet.

Prayer Muslims must pray five times per day facing toward Makkah.

Charity Muslims must give to the poor.

Fasting Muslims must not eat from dawn to dusk during the sacred holiday of Ramadan.

Pilgrimage Muslims should visit Makkah once in their life.

The Five Pillars of IslamThe Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars are acts of worship that allMuslims must carry out. How many timesshould Muslims pray each day?

Many rules in the Quran apply toMuslims’ daily life. According to these rules,Muslims should not eat pork, drink liquor,or gamble. The Quran also has rules aboutmarriage, divorce, family life, propertyrights, and business practices.

Muslims are expected to fulfill the FivePillars of Islam, or acts of worship. Theseare shown in the chart at the right.

Scholars of Islam also created a law codethat explains how society should be run.This code is taken from the Quran and theSunna (SUH • nuh). The Sunna is the namegiven to customs based on Muhammad’swords and deeds. Islam’s law code coversall areas of daily life. It applies the Quran tofamily life, business, and government.

Evaluate What role do theQuran and Sunna play in Muslim daily life?

Study Central Need help with the beginningsof Islam? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click onStudy Central.

174-180 CH2S1-868876 1/12/05 3:39 AM Page 180


Islamic Empires

Looking Back, Looking AheadIn Section 1, you learned how

Islam spread from Madinah toMakkah. In time, Islam’s followersbrought their beliefs to all ofSouthwest Asia and parts ofSoutheast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Focusing on the • Arabs spread Islam through teaching,

conquest, and trade. (page 182)

• While Muslims split into two groups,the Arab Empire reached new heights.(page 185)

• Turks and Moguls built Muslim empiresin Asia, Africa, and Europe. (page 187)

Meeting PeopleUmayyad (oo•MY•uhd)Sufi (SOO• fee)Abbasid (uh•BA•suhd)Suleiman I (SOO• lay•MAHN)Mogul (MOH•guhl)Akbar (AK•buhr)

Locating PlacesDamascus (duh•MAS•kuhs)Indonesia (IHN•duh•NEE•zhuh)Timbuktu (TIHM•BUHK•TOO)Baghdad (BAG•dad)Delhi (DEH• lee)

Content Vocabularycaliph (KAY• luhf)Shiite (SHEE•EYET)Sunni (SU•nee)sultan (SUHL•tuhn)

Academic Vocabularypolicy (PAH• luh•see)devote (dih•VOHT)style

impose (ihm•POHZ)

Reading StrategyCause and Effect Create a diagram toshow why the Arabs were successfulconquerors.


Arabs were successful conquerors.

A.D. 750Abbasids overthrowUmayyads

1258Mongols burnBaghdad

1526Moguls ruleIndia from DelhiConstantinopleC´ordoba

BaghdadDelhi

A.D. 500 1100 1700A.D. 500 1100 1700


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WH7.2.4 Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending withinMuslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language. WH7.2.5 Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society.

The Spread of IslamArabs spread Islam through teaching,

conquest, and trade.

Reading Connection When you come up with a newidea, how do you let others know about it? Read on tofind out how Arabs spread Islam.

Muhammad died in A.D. 632, and con-flicts began in the Muslim community overwho should be the caliph (KAY • luhf), orsuccessor to the Messenger of God. A pow-erful group of Muslim leaders chose thenew leader, but disagreements continued.

The first four caliphs were Abu Bakr,Umar, Uthman, and Ali. They ruled fromMadinah. Each of the four had a personalconnection to Muhammad. For example, thefirst caliph was Muhammad's father-in-law,

Abu Bakr. The fourth caliph was Ali, his firstcousin and son-in-law. Each of the fourcaliphs wanted to spread Allah’s message toeveryone.

These four caliphs lived simply, treatedothers fairly, and also fought hard for Islam.They wanted to make sure that Islam flour-ished. However, Abu Bakr had to put downa rebellion by many Arabs who were notcertain whom to follow after Muhammad’sdeath. He also began the conquest of Syriabut died in A.D. 634.

His successors continued the conquestof the region by following the land routesnorth, east, and west. In A.D. 636 Muslimarmies began the conquest of Persia. Theysoundly defeated the Persian armies andsoon captured the Persian capital. In A.D.642 they destroyed another Persian army in

N

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AFRICA

ASIAMINOR

Mediterranean Sea

ArabianSea

Persian Gulf

Red

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us

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Euphrates R.

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SPAIN

GRANADA

MOROCCO

EGYPT

FRANCE

SYRIA

ARABIA

PERSIA

INDIA

MESOPOTAMIA

Makkah(Mecca)

Madinah

CairoJerusalem

Damascus Baghdad

ConstantinopleC´ordoba

The Spread of Islam A.D. 632–750

Byzantine Empire, A.D. 750

Islamic territory atMuhammad's death, A.D. 632Islamic expansion, A.D. 632–661

Islamic expansion, A.D. 661–750

KEY1. Location What area of Europe

came under Muslim control?2. Place Describe the territories

conquered by the Arabs by theyear A.D. 661.

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Relationship to Muhammad

Abu Bakr

father-in-law

A.D. 632–634

Umar

Career

Caliphate

Achievements as Caliph

merchant

spread Islam to all of Arabia; restored peace after death of Muhammad; created code of conduct in war; compiled Quran verses

friend

A.D. 634–644

merchant

spread Islam to Syria, Egypt, and Persia; redesigned government; paid soldiers; held a census; made taxes more fair; built roads and canals; aided poor

Uthman

son-in-law, member of theUmayyad family

A.D. 644–656

merchant

spread Islam into Afghanistan and eastern Mediterranean; organized a navy; improved the government; built more roads, bridges, and canals; distributed text of the Quran

Ali

first cousin, son-in-law

A.D. 656–661

soldier, writer

reformed tax collection and other government systems; spent most of caliphate battling Muawiya, the governor of Syria

The First Four CaliphsThe First Four Caliphs


Islamic glass horse

Under the caliphs, Islam spread through theMiddle East and into North Africa.1. Which caliph organized a navy?2. Compare What achievements did Umar

and Ali have in common?

They also explored the North African coastof the Mediterranean. The sea made travelwestward easy, but the mountains anddeserts made it difficult to travel south intocentral Africa.

The Muslims Build an Empire Just 100years after Muhammad’s death, the Islamicstate became a great empire. Why were theArabs so successful?

Arabs had always been good on horse-back and good with the sword, but asMuslims, they also were inspired by theirreligion. They were fighting to spreadIslam. Muslims believed anyone who diedin battle for Islam would go to paradise.

central Persia. In A.D. 651 the last Persianruler was killed, and the former kingdom ofPersia came under the rule of the caliph.

Meanwhile, Muslim armies conqueredSyria and the lands along the east coast ofthe Mediterranean. By A.D. 637, bothDamascus and Jerusalem had surrendered.Later, the Muslims defeated a Byzantinearmy that was defending Egypt, and in A.D. 642 Egypt surrendered. By the year A.D. 661, when the fourth caliph died, theArab Empire had expanded to include all ofsouthwest Asia.

Expansion continued under theUmayyad (oo • MY • uhd) caliphs, whoruled from A.D. 661 to A.D. 750. They chosethe city of Damascus (duh •MAS •kuhs) inSyria to be their capital. Muslims thenspread eastward into the lands beyondPersia. They entered India and travelednorthwest to the mountains of Afghanistan.

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Some Arab merchants crossed theSahara to trade with kingdoms inWest Africa. In the 1300s, the westAfrican city of Timbuktu (TIHM • BUHK •TOO) became a leading center ofMuslim learning.

The Muslims in Spain As theMuslims crossed from North Africainto Spain, they carried their religion,customs, and traditions with them.They made the city of Córdoba thecenter of politics and culture in

Spain. Muslim scholars and philosophersstudied the works of the ancient Greeks andwrote commentaries on them. In fact,Muslims in Spain helped to preserve manyancient texts.

Many of Islam’s great philosopherscame from Spain. For example, Averroës,also known as Ibn Rushd, was a lawyer anddoctor in Córdoba. He is best known, how-ever, for his writings about Aristotle. Hisworks later influenced the thinking ofChristian and Jewish philosophers duringthe Middle Ages.

The Islamic culture in Spain wasfriendly toward other cultures. In particu-lar, the Jewish population in Córdobathrived. One Jewish scholar known asMaimonides organized a collection ofJewish oral law. He also wrote other legaland philosophical works, including one inArabic.

Another Spanish Jew of the period,Solomon ben Gabirol, wrote poetry andphilosophy. One of his pieces dealt with aGreek philosophy called Neoplatonism.Ben Gabirol could also write in Arabic.After one of his pieces called The Well of Lifewas translated into Latin, it influenced thethinking of many philosophers in Europe.

Explain How did Arabsspread the religion of Islam through trade?


The Arabs were also successful becausethey usually let conquered peoples practicetheir own religion. They called Christiansand Jews “People of the Book,” meaningthat these people, too, believed in one Godand had holy writings. Muslims did nottreat everyone equally, though. Non-Muslims had to pay a special tax.

When a people are conquered, they tendto adopt the religion and customs of theirnew rulers. In the Arab Empire, many con-quered people converted to Islam andlearned Arabic. The customs of the con-quered countries also influenced the Arabicrulers. Eventually, the term Arab meant onlythat a person spoke Arabic, not that he or shewas from Arabia.

Preaching and Trading Muslims alsospread Islam by preaching. A group calledSufis (SOO • feez) spent their time prayingand teaching Islam. They won many fol-lowers throughout the Arab Empire.

Arab merchants also helped to spreadIslam. They set up trading posts throughoutsoutheast Asia and taught Islam to the peo-ple there. Today, the country of Indonesia(IHN •duh •NEE • zhuh) includes more Muslimsthan any other nation in the world.

The Umayyad Mosque, also known as theGreat Mosque of Damascus, took about 10 years to build.

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WH7.2.1 Identify the physical features and describe the climate of the Arabian peninsula, its relationship to surrounding bodies ofland and water, and nomadic and sedentary ways of life. WH7.2.4 Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending within Muslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabiclanguage. WH7.2.5 Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the productsand inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society.


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Struggles Within Islam While Muslims split into two groups,

the Arab Empire reached new heights.

Reading Connection Have you ever belonged to aclub whose members could not agree on a leader? Readto find out what happened when Muslims disagreedabout who should lead them.

From the moment Muhammad died,Muslims began arguing about who had the right to be caliph. The quarrel over who should succeed Muhammad eventu-ally split the Muslim world into twogroups, the Sunnis and the Shiites. This

division has remained to the present day.Today most Muslims are Sunnis. Iran andIraq have the largest populations of Shiites.

How Did Islam Split? Shiites (SHEE • EYETS)believed that Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law,should succeed him and that all futurecaliphs should be Ali’s descendants.According to the Shiites, the Umayyadcaliphs in Damascus had no right to rule.

Sunnis (SU • nees), who outnumberedShiites, accepted the Umayyad dynasty asrightful caliphs, though they did not alwaysagree with their policies. Over time, theShiites and Sunnis developed different reli-gious practices and customs.

A mosquein Baghdad

1. Movement What empire blocked Abbasid expansion tothe northwest?

2. Place Does Baghdad appear to be well located for trade?Explain.

Abbasid capitalFormer Umayyad capitalTrade route through Baghdad

Abbasid empire during reignof Harun al-Rashid, A.D. 800

KEY

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Who Were the Abbasids? The Abbasids(uh •BA • suhds) were the dynasty that cameafter the Umayyads. The Umayyads lostpower in A.D. 750 because they angeredmany Muslims, especially in Persia. PersianMuslims felt that Arab Muslims got specialconsideration. They got the best jobs andpaid fewer taxes.

When these Muslims rebelled, people allover the empire joined them. They over-threw the Umayyads, and a new dynastybegan. The new caliph was a descendant ofMuhammad’s uncle. His name was Abu al-Abbas. The new Abbasid dynasty lasteduntil 1258.

The Abbasids devoted their energies totrade, scholarship, and the arts. They alsobuilt a new capital, Baghdad (BAG • dad).Baghdad prospered because it was besidethe Tigris River and near the EuphratesRiver. It was a good location to trade sincemany people used the rivers to ship goodsnorth and south.

The Abbasid dynasty is also known forbringing Persian influence into the empire.Baghdad was very close to Persia, and theAbbasid rulers came to know and love theart and literature of Persia.

The Seljuk Turks Time brought manychanges in the 500 years of Abbasid rule. InEgypt and Spain, the Muslims wanted theirown caliphs. About the same time, a newpeople, the Seljuk Turks of central Asia,began moving south into the Arab Empire.The Abbasids were losing control.

The Seljuk Turks were nomads andgreat warriors. At first, the Abbasids hiredthem as soldiers. Soon, however, the SeljukTurks decided to take power for them-selves.

The Seljuks took over much of what isnow Iran and Turkey. Then, in 1055, theyboldly took Baghdad. The Seljuks were sat-isfied to rule only the government andarmy. They let the Abbasid caliph remain asthe religious leader. The Seljuk ruler calledhimself sultan (SUHL • tuhn), or “holder ofpower.”

For 200 more years, the Seljuks ruledwith the Abbasid caliphs. Then, in the1200s, another people attacked the empire.These were the fierce Mongols of centralAsia you will read about in Chapter 4. In1258 they captured Baghdad and burned itto the ground. The Mongol attack broughtan end to the Arab Empire.

Contrast What is the dif-ference between Shiite and Sunni Muslims?

Royal CaliphsIbn Khaldun recorded historical events andhis interpretation of them.

“When one considerswhat God meant thecaliphate to be, nothingmore needs [to be said]about it. God made thecaliph his substitute tohandle the affairs ofHis servants. He is tomake them do thethings that are good forthem and forbid themto do those that areharmful. He has beendirectly told so.A person who lacks the power to do a thing is never told to do it.”

—Ibn Khaldun,“The Muqaddimah”

According to Khaldun, what is therelationship between God and the caliph?

The Great Mosqueof Damascus built by theUmayyad caliphs


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WH7.2.4 Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending withinMuslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language.

WH7.2.5 Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products andinventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society.

Later Muslim Empires Turks and Moguls built Muslim empires

in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Reading Connection How do you react when some-one treats you unfairly? Read on to find out howMuslims in Turkey and India treated the people theyconquered.

The Arabs built—and lost—the firstMuslim empire. Later on, other Muslimgroups created empires in Asia, Africa, andEurope. One of the largest and most power-ful of these empires was the Ottomanempire that began in Turkey. Another wasthe Mogul empire in India.

Who Were the Ottomans? In the late 1200s, a group of Turks in the northwestcorner of Asia Minor began to build a newempire. The ruler of these Turks was namedOsman, and as a result, these Turks becameknown as the Ottoman Turks.

The Ottomans quickly conquered mostof the land that today makes up the countryof Turkey. They attacked the ByzantineEmpire and pushed north into Europe. In1453 they seized Constantinople, theByzantine capital. They changed the city’sname to Istanbul and made it the center oftheir empire.

Ottoman armies also marched south,conquering Syria, Palestine, Egypt,Mesopotamia, and parts of Arabia andNorth Africa. They used guns and cannonsto fight their battles and built a large navyto control the Mediterranean Sea.

Like the Seljuks, the Ottomans calledtheir leader a sultan. The most famous of


Muslims pray beneath the large decorated dome of Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey.

Suleiman built this beautiful mosque for hisson Selim II. What were some of the reasonsthat Suleiman was called “the Magnificent”?

the sultans was Suleiman I (SOO • lay • MAHN),who ruled in the 1500s. Suleiman was a manof many talents. He was enthusiastic aboutarchitecture and built many schools andmosques.

Suleiman was also a brilliant general,who brought Ottoman armies north intoEurope. He even threatened the greatEuropean capital of Vienna. For all these rea-sons, Ottomans called him Suleiman theMagnificent.

After his rule, the Ottoman empirebegan to weaken. Little by little, they lostterritory. The empire finally collapsed at theend of World War I.

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As the empire grew, the sultans begangiving more responsibility for running thegovernment to officials called viziers. Overtime, the viziers gained great politicalpower, and some were even more powerfulthan the sultan.

The sultans also created a new army ofsoldiers called the janissaries. The janis-saries were slaves, usually Christians orother conquered peoples from Europeanlands. These soldiers became Muslims, weretrained in warfare, and were loyal only tothe sultan. This new army helped the sultanmaintain power over the nobles and otherconquered people who might rebel.

The Ottoman Government The Ottomanempire ruled many different people, includ-ing Turks, Arabs, Greeks, Albanians,Armenians, and Slavs. These groups prac-ticed several religions. While many wereMuslims, others were Christians or Jews.

The government made different laws fornon-Muslims. They had to pay a special tax,and in return, they were allowed to practicetheir religion. They also could make theirown laws to run their own communities.These groups chose leaders to present their views to the sultan. Many of them,serving as slaves, helped the sultan run thegovernment.

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The Ottomans used eliteslave soldiers called janis-saries who were loyal onlyto the sultan.

Ottoman lands, c. 1300

c. 1300–1326 (Osman)1326–14511451–14811481–15201520–1566 (Suleiman I)1566–1699

New Territory Gained:

KEY

1. Location How far west into Europe didthe Ottoman empire expand?

2. Movement During what time period didthe Ottoman empire expand to thePersian Gulf?

Chester Beatty Library, Dublin/Bridgeman Art Library

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Reading SummaryReview the • Arab armies spread Islam as far

west as Spain and as far east asIndia. Muslim traders helpedspread the religion to southeastAsia and west Africa.

• Despite splitting into two groups,the Sunni and the Shiite, Muslimpower reached its greatest heightunder the Abbasids.

• In the 1400s and 1500s, twogreat Muslim empires, theOttoman and the Mogul, arose.

1. How did the Muslims treatconquered peoples?

2. How far did the Arab Empirespread under the Umayyads?

Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information

Draw a chart to organize infor-mation about the Ottomanand Mogul empires.

4. Contrast Describe the differ-ences between the Shiite andSunni Muslims.

5. Besides con-quests by Arab armies, how wasIslam spread?

6. Evaluate What evidence inthe text suggests that Akbarwas a great ruler?

7. Persuasive Writing WhichMuslim empire—the Umayyads,the Ottomans, or the Moguls—treated its non-Muslim subjectsthe most fairly? Write a para-graph to defend your answer.

CA 7WA2.4

CA 7RC2.4

CA CS3.

CA 7RC2.0

CA 7RC2.2

What Did You Learn?

OttomanEmpire

MogulEmpire

Who Were the Moguls? During the 1500s, the Moguls (MOH • guhlz) createdanother Muslim empire in India. TheseMuslim warriors came from the mountainsnorth of India through the Khyber Pass. TheMoguls used guns, cannons, elephants, andhorses to conquer territory. In 1526 theymade the city of Delhi (DEH • lee) the centerof their empire.

The greatest Mogul ruler was Akbar(AK •buhr). He brought peace and stability tothe part of India he ruled by treating all hissubjects fairly. Most of India’s people wereHindu. He allowed them to practice theirreligion. Both Hindus and Muslims servedin Akbar’s government.

Times were good in India under Akbar.Farmers and artisans produced more foodand goods than the Indians needed. As aresult, trade increased. Muslim merchantsbrought paper, gunpowder, and fine porce-

lain from China to India. In addition,Muslim architects introduced new buildingstyles, such as the arch and dome, to India.

After Akbar, the Mogul empire began todecline. Later rulers spent too much moneytrying to expand the empire and imposedheavy taxes on the people. Others tried toforce the Hindus to convert to Islam andbanned the building of Hindu temples.These policies led to many rebellions, andparts of the empire broke away.

At the same time the Moguls began los-ing power over their subjects, they had todeal with European merchants who wantedto take over their land. The merchants cameto India to trade but used their militarypower to take over Mogul territory.Eventually, the Mogul empire collapsed, andGreat Britain took control of most of India.

Describe How didConstantinople change in 1453?

Study Central Need help understanding thespread of Islam? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

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Muslim Ways of Life


Looking Back, Looking AheadIn Section 2, you learned that

many Muslim rulers brought peaceand order to their empires. Peace andorder helped trade to increase. Trade,in turn, brought great wealth to theMuslim empires.

Focusing on the • Although Muslim traders enjoyed

great success and cities grew, mostMuslims lived in villages in thecountry. (page 191)

• Muslims made valuable contributionsin math, science, and the arts.(page 193)

Locating PlacesGranada (gruh•NAH•duh)Agra (AH•gruh)

Meeting PeopleMamun (mah•MOON)al-Razi (ahl•RAH•zee)Ibn Sina (IH•buhn SEE•nuh)Omar Khayyam (OH•MAHR KY•YAHM)Ibn Khaldun (IH•buhn KAL•DOON)

Content Vocabularymosque (MAHSK)bazaar (buh•ZAHR)minaret (MIH•nuh•REHT]crier (KRY•uhr)

Academic Vocabularywidespread (WYD•SPREHD)innovate (IH•nuh•VAYT)

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Create apyramid to show the social classes in the early Muslim world.

190

c. A.D. 900Al-Razi writesmedical texts

c. 1100Omar Khayyam writes theRubaiyat

c. 1375Ibn Khaldunwriteshistories

A.D. 800 1100 1400A.D. 800 1100 1400

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WH7.2.5 Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products andinventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society.

Muslims shop at a textile market.What was a bazaar in a Muslim city?

The Success of Muslim Traders Severalthings explain the success of Muslim trade.When Muslim empires expanded, theyspread the Arabic language. As a result,Arabic became the language of trade andgovernment. Muslim rulers also madetrade easier by providing merchants withcoins for buying and selling goods.

Muslim merchants kept detailed recordsof their business deals and the money theymade. In time, these practices developedinto a new business—banking. Muslimsrespected traders for their skills and thewealth they created.

Trade and Everyday LifeAlthough Muslim traders enjoyed great

success and cities grew, most Muslims lived in vil-

lages in the country.

Reading Connection Have you ever visited a mall ora farm market? These are both places where peoplegather to sell goods. Read to learn about Muslimtraders and their marketplaces.

Muslims were the leading merchants inthe Middle East and northern Africa untilthe 1400s. Their caravans traveled overlandfrom Baghdad to China. Their ships crossedthe Indian Ocean to India and SoutheastAsia. They carried a variety of goods,including spices, cloth, glass, steel and car-pets. On their return, they brought rubies,silk, ivory, gold, and slaves. Islamic tradersalso traded a number of crops, includingsugar, rice, lemon, spinach, oranges, saf-fron, plums, and cotton.


Web Activity Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 2—Student Web Activities tolearn more about Islamic civilization.

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Connecting to the Past1. What animals were needed

to make carpets?

2. What is the main reason Muslim carpetshave continually been in demand?

What Were Muslim Cities Like? Tradehelped the leading Muslim cities grow.Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus werelocated on trade routes that ran from theMediterranean Sea to central Asia. However,Muslim cities were not only places of trade.They also became important centers of government, learning, and the arts.

Muslim cities looked very similar. Themajor buildings were palaces and mosques.Mosques (MAHSKS) are Muslim houses ofworship. They also serve as schools, courts,and centers of learning.

Another important part of everyMuslim city was the bazaar (buh •ZAHR), ormarketplace. Stalls and shops made up thebazaars. Sellers in the stalls and shops soldgoods from Asia. Buyers from all over,including Europe, searched for goods topurchase, take home, and sell.

Although cities were important, mostMuslims lived in villages and farmed theland. Because water was scarce, Muslimfarmers used irrigation to bring water totheir crops. They grew wheat, rice, beans,and melons in the fields. They raisedalmonds, blackberries, apricots, figs, andolives in their orchards. Some farmers alsoraised flowers for use in perfume.

At first, Muslim villagers owned smallfarms. Later, wealthy landowners took oversome of these farms and formed largeestates. Farmers and enslaved peopleworked for the landowners.

Muslim Society Muslim people weredivided into social groups based on powerand wealth. At the top were governmentleaders, landowners, and traders. Belowthem were artisans, farmers, and workers.The lowest group were enslaved people.

As in other civilizations, slavery waswidespread. Because Muslims could not beenslaved, traders brought enslaved people

Muslim Carpets and WeavingsCarpets were woven in the Middle Eastlong before the coming of Islam. Theybecame popular in the Islamic worldbecause Muslims used them in theirdaily worship.

Carpets were often made of sheep’swool or goat hair. Shepherds might knotthem by hand, or the carpets might bemade on portable looms. Flowers andgeometric shapes were popular designs.

The carpets used for the Muslims’daily prayers are called prayer rugs. Nomatter where Muslimslive, they pray five timesdaily.They kneel downon their prayer rugs andpray facing towardMakkah. Prayer rugs aresmall and can be foldedand carried from placeto place.

Fine carpets of silkand wool are oftenhung on the walls ofmosques and publicbuildings. They areconsidered fine art.

A Muslimwomanweaving a rug

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WH7.2.6 Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholarsmade to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature.

Hijab today ranges fromcolorful scarves to black robes. Somewomen wear hijab, and some do not.

Many wear hijab to follow Muslimtradition. Others think it allows them to

be judged for themselves and not their bodies.In certain countries, the government requires

women to wear hijab. Why do you think only upper-class women wore hijab in the early centuries of Islam?

Hijab

The teachings of Muhammad state thatwomen’s garments should not attract attention.The female Muslim custom of hijab—wearinggarments that cover the head and body—was followed only by upper-class womenduring the first few hundred years of Islam. In the Middle Ages, hijabbecame more common.

Traditional Muslim women

Modern Muslim women

from non-Muslim areas. Many of these peo-ple were prisoners of war. They oftenserved as servants or soldiers and couldbuy back their freedom.

Men and women had distinct roles inthe Muslim world. As in other parts of theworld, men ran government, society, andbusiness. Women, on the other hand,helped run Muslim families. They also couldinherit wealth and own property. Manyplaces had laws requiring women to covertheir faces and to wear long robes in public.

Explain How did Muslimrulers give their merchants an advantage?

Muslim AchievementsMuslims made valuable contributions

in math, science, and the arts.

Reading Connection Did you know that the num-bers you use are called Arabic numerals? Read on to findout what other contributions Muslims made.

Arabic was the common language of theMuslim empires. You have already readhow Arabic language encouraged trade. Italso helped different people in the empiresto share knowledge. For example, in A.D. 830the Abbasid caliph Mamun (mah • MOON)

CHAPTER 2 • Islamic Civilization 193(t)R & S Michaud/Woodfin Camp & Assoc., (b)Paul Dupuy Museum, Toulouse, France/Lauros-Giraudon, Paris/SuperStock

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founded the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.Mamun staffed his center with Christian,Jewish, and Muslim scholars. These scholarsexchanged ideas and rewrote Greek, Persian,and Indian works in Arabic.

Scholars in Muslim lands saved much ofthe learning of the ancient world.Europeans in the West had lost this knowl-edge after the Western Roman Empire fell.Through Muslim scholars, westernEuropeans found out about Aristotle andother ancient Greek thinkers.

Mathematics and Science Muslims madeimportant innovations in mathematics.Later, they passed on these discoveries to

The Mystery of Smallpox

The Muslim scientist al-Razi urged scientistsand doctors to search for the causes of disease, rather than just treatments.

“Although [scholars] have certainlymade some mention of the treatment of the Small-Pox . . .there is not one of them who has mentioned the cause of theexistence of the disease, and how it comes to pass that hardly anyone escapes it . . .”

—Al-Razi, “On the Causes of Small-Pox”

Al-Razi’s own theory about thecause of smallpox was incorrect.His efforts to find the cause, however, helped change how doctors and scientists investi-gated diseases.

Why was al-Razi concerned about previousscholars’ studies of smallpox?

Europeans. For example, Muslims inventedalgebra, a type of mathematics still taughtin schools today. The Arabs also borrowedthe symbols 0 through 9 from Hindu schol-ars in India. These numbers were later usedby Europeans. Today, they are known as“Arabic numerals.”

Muslims also made progress in science.Muslim scientists who studied the heavensperfected the Greek astrolabe. Sailors uti-lized this tool to study the stars and thendetermine their location at sea. Muslim sci-entists used the astrolabe to measure thesize and distance around the earth. Basedon their measurements, they realized thatthe earth is round.

Other Muslim scientists experimentedwith metals and kept records of their work.As a result, the Arabs are considered thefounders of chemistry. One of the best-known Muslim chemists was al-Razi (ahl•RAH•zee), who lived from A.D. 865 to A.D. 925.Al-Razi developed a system for categoriz-ing substances as animal, mineral, or veg-etable. He also wrote books for doctors thathelped them to identify diseases.

Arab doctors were the first to discoverthat blood circulates, or moves to and fromthe heart. The Persian doctor Ibn Sina (IH•buhn SEE•nuh) showed how diseases spreadfrom person to person. As they worked,Muslim doctors published their findings.

Muslim scientiststook the Greekastrolabe and madeit better. It helpedsailors determinetheir longitude andlatitude and eventell the time of day.What were Muslimscientists able to tellabout the worldwhen they used anastrolabe?

Muslimmedicaldrawing


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6.4.6. Compare and contrast life in Athensand Sparta, with emphasis on their rules inthe Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.

OMAR KHAYYAM1048–1131

and IBN KHALDUN1332–1406Omar Khayyam—who was born in Persia—was a

mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher, but he is bestknown as a poet. Scholars believe that Khayyam wrote onlyparts of his most famous poem, the Rubaiyat, but they arecertain that at least 120 verses and the main concepts arehis. Stanza XII reads:

“A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou Beside me singing the Wilderness—Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow [enough]!”

—Omar Khayyam, Rubaiyat

Khayyam wrote books on algebra and music before he was 25 years old. He led an observatory for 18 years and developed a more accurate calendar.

Ibn Khaldun is one of the most famous Arab scholars. He was ahistorian, geographer, sociologist, and politician. He was born in Tunisiaand worked for the rulers of Tunis and Morocco. He also served asambassador to one of the Spanish kingdoms and as a judge in Cairo,Egypt. He wrote much about social and political change. His best-known work is Muqaddimah (Introduction), written in 1375. It is thefirst volume of his book Kitab al-Ibar (universal history). In this book,he tried to develop a scientific way to analyze events. He is one of thefirst historians to study how geography, economics, and culture affecthistory.

195

The Rubaiyat is a collection of 4-line versescalled quatrains. Find a modern poem that ismade up of quatrains.

Omar Khayyam

Ibn Khaldun

WH7.2.6 Understand the intellectual exchangesamong Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa andthe contributions Muslim scholars made to latercivilizations in the areas of science, geography,mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, andliterature.

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196 CHAPTER 11 Islamic Civilization

MinaretsFrom the mosque’s towers, called

minarets, religious officials call Muslims to prayer five times a day.

DomeBeneath the dome is a wall that faces the holy site of Makkah.

Muslims pray facing this direction.

Courtyard Worshipers gather in the

courtyard for prayers.WellEvery mosque has a well or fountain at

which worshipers can wash their faces, arms, hands, and feet to show respect for God.

Islamic MosqueIslamic Mosque

In Islamic cities and towns, mosques were centers of religiousand daily life. Besides being places of worship, mosques alsoserved as meeting places, schools, and courts. What was themost striking architectural feature of a mosque?

Muslim Writing The Quran is probably themost famous collection of writings in theMuslim world, but Muslims producedother famous works, as well. One of themost well known is The Thousand and OneNights, also called The Arabian Nights. Itincludes tales from India, Persia, andArabia.

Another Muslim, the Persian poet OmarKhayyam (OH • MAHR KY • YAHM), wroteparts of the Rubaiyat (ROO • bee • AHT) around1100. Many consider it one of the finestpoems ever written.

In addition to stories and poems,Muslims wrote history. The great Muslimhistorian Ibn Khaldun (IH • buhn KAL • DOON)wrote in 1375 that all civilizations rise,

grow, and then fall. He also was one of thefirst historians to study the effect of geogra-phy and climate on people.

Art and Buildings Muslims developed adistinct form of art based on Islam.Muslims are not allowed to show images ofMuhammad or the events of his life in art.They believe that such images might causepeople to worship Muhammad instead ofAllah. Instead, designs entwined with flow-ers, leaves, and stars make up most Muslimart. Muslims use these designs to decoratewalls, books, rugs, and buildings.

Muslims were known for their beautifulbuildings. Mosques filled Muslim cities likeBaghdad, Damascus, Cairo, and Istanbul.

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Reading SummaryReview the

• There were many Muslim citiessuch as Baghdad, Cairo, andDamascus, but most Muslimsremained farmers in small villages.

• Muslim scholars made importantdiscoveries in fields such as alge-bra and chemistry, and Muslimwriters, artists, and architectsalso produced important works.

1. Describe the three Muslimsocial groups.

2. What contributions did Muslimsmake in the field of medicine?

Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information

Draw a chart like the one below.Fill in details about Muslimcontributions in the areas ofmath, science, and the arts.

4. Which Muslimcontribution do you think hadthe greatest effect on later civ-ilizations?

5. Summarize Describe severalfactors that made Muslimtrade strong.

6. Analyze How did the Arabiclanguage and Muslim leadershelp preserve and advance theworld’s knowledge?

7. DistinguishingFact From Opinion Use theInternet or your local library tolearn more about Ibn Khaldun.Were his writings based onopinion or fact? Explain.

CA HR2.

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What Did You Learn?

Today, the Muslim empires are gone.However, Islam is still a major world reli-gion. About one out of every six persons inthe world is a Muslim.

Identify What contribu-tions did Muslims make in math and science?

Domes top many of the mosques, but amosque’s most striking feature is itsminarets (MIH • nuh • REHTS). These are towersfrom which a crier (KRY • uhr), or announcer,calls believers to prayer five times a day.

Islamic rulers lived in large brick palaces.These palaces often had courtyards at theircenter. To cool the courtyards, palace buildersadded porches, fountains, and pools. To pro-vide protection, they surrounded thepalaces with walls. The most famous exam-ple of a Muslim palace is the Alhambra (al •HAM • bruh) in Granada (gruh • NAH • duh),Spain. It was built in the 1300s.

Another famous Muslim building is theTaj Mahal in Agra (AH • gruh), India. TheMogul ruler Shah Jahan built it as a tombfor his wife after she died in 1629. Made ofmarble and precious stones, the Taj Mahal isone of the world’s most beautiful buildings.

Math Science Arts

The Taj Mahal took more than 20 years to build.Where is the Taj Mahal located?

Study Central Need help understanding Islamic culture? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

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The Rubaiyat of

Omar Khayyam

Many of the stanzas of Omar Khayyam’sfamous poem include ideas about our shorttime on Earth. They also ask questions aboutwhat happens when we die.

27Myself when young did eagerly frequentDoctor and Saint, and heard great ArgumentAbout it and about: but evermoreCame out by the same Door as in I went.

28With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,And with my own hand labour’d it to grow:And this was all the Harvest that I reap’d—"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."

51The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor WitShall lure it back to cancel half a Line,Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

—Edward Fitzgerald,The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

A Glimpse Into theWorld of Islam

The most important book in the Islamic world is the Quran.However, poetry and literature were also widely read in theMiddle Ages and were often used to discuss important ideasand morals.

Read the passages on pages 198 and 199, and then answer thequestions that follow.

piety (PY•uh•tee): religious faithwit: intelligence

maharaja (MAH•huh•RAH•juh): Hinduprince

incurred (ihn•KUHRD): brought upononself

Reader’s Dictionary

The Muslim poetOmar Khayyam

WH7.2.6 Understand theintellectual exchanges amongMuslim scholars of Eurasia andAfrica and the contributions Muslimscholars made to later civilizationsin the areas of science, geography,mathematics, philosophy, medicine,art, and literature.

The Quran

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The Thousand and

One Nights

The Thousand and One Nights is one of theworld’s greatest storybooks. Also known as TheArabian Nights, these stories originally werehanded down orally for centuries in the Arabworld. A European editor added some tales thathave become well-known, but were not in themedieval Arabic collection, such as “The Story ofAladdin,” “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor,”and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” In the fol-lowing excerpt from “The First Voyage ofSindbad the Sailor,” Sindbad arrives on an islandafter being forced overboard by a sea monster.

The ship arrived in which I had embarkedat Bussorah. I at once knew the captain, and Iwent and asked him for my bales. “I am Sind-bad,” said I, “and those bales marked with hisname are mine.”

When the captain heard me speak thus,“Heavens!” he exclaimed, “whom can wetrust in these times! I saw Sindbad perish withmy own eyes. . . . [W]hat a false tale to tell, inorder to possess yourself of what does notbelong to you!” . . . The captain was at lengthpersuaded that I was no cheat; for there came people from his ship who knew me. . . .

I took out what was most valuable in mybales, and presented them to the maharaja. . . .He was pleased at my good luck, accepted mypresent, and in return gave me one muchmore considerable. Upon this I took leave ofhim, and went aboard the same ship after Ihad exchanged my goods for the commoditiesof that country. I carried with me wood ofaloes, sandals, camphire, nutmegs, cloves,pepper, and ginger.

—From Arabian Nights’ Entertainments

The QuranThe Quran is the holy book of Islam. The versesbelow come from Chapter 1, verses 2-7.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds,The Compassionate, the Merciful,Master of the Day of Judgement,Only You do we worship, and only You do we

implore for help.Lead us to the right path, The path of those You have favouredNot those who have incurred Your wrath or

have gone astray.

—Quran

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

1. In the first two stanzas, what does Khayyamexplain about science and religion?

2. In the last stanza, what is Khayyam sayingabout life?

The Thousand and One Nights

3. Why do you think Sindbad gave the maharajahis most expensive items?

4. What is different about the Sindbad storycompared to the quotes from Khayyam andfrom the Quran?

The Quran

5. What qualities does Allah have, according tothis quote?

6. What do you think the speaker means by “theright path”?

Read to Write

7. Compare the three primary sources you havejust read. Each presents a different view oflife. Write a short essay describing thesedifferent views. CA 7WA2.0CA HR5.

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Critical Thinking17. Compare How are Islam, Judaism, and

Christianity similar?

18. Evaluate Do you think a government thatallows people to practice any religion theychoose will be stronger than one that doesnot? Explain.

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the follow-ing questions.19. Movement Why was the Abbasid empire

unable to expand to the Black Sea?

20. Region What bodies of water couldAbbasid merchants use to trade with the outside world?

21. Place Look at the locations of Damascusand Baghdad. Which do you think wouldhave been the best location for a capitalcity? Why? CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA HI2.

Review Content VocabularyWrite the key term that completes each sentence.

a. caravan e. sheikhb. caliph f. bazaarc. sultan g. Sunnisd. minaret h. Shiites

1. A crier called Muslims to prayer from the___ of a mosque.

2. After Muhammad died, his followerschose a ___ to lead them.

3. The most famous ___ was Suleiman I.4. In each Muslim city, a ___ sold goods to

local and out-of-town merchants.5. Arab merchants traveling in a ___ used

camels to carry goods across the desert.6. Each tribe of early Arabs was led by a ___.7. The ___ believed that Muhammad’s son-

in-law should succeed him.8. According to the ___, the Umayyad

dynasty were the rightful caliphs.

Review the Section 1 • The Rise of Islam

9. How did geography affect Arab life?

10. What guidelines did the Quran provide forthe governments of Muslim states?

Section 2 • Islamic Empires11. How did the Arabs spread Islam?

12. Why did Muslims split into two groups?

13. What two empires continued to spreadIslam after the Arab Empire collapsed?

Section 3 • Muslim Ways of Life

14. What three major Muslim cities were ontrade routes from the Mediterranean?

15. What scientific advances were made byearly Muslims?

16. What is significant about Ibn Khaldun’srecording of history?

Standard WH7.2

500 km

500 mi. 0

0Lambert AzimuthalEqual-Area projection

N

S

W E

60°E40°E

40°N

20°N

Black Sea

Mediterranean Sea

CaspianSea

AralSea

Persian GulfRedSea

Euphrates R.

TigrisR

.

Nile

R .

Danube R.

EGYPT

SYRIA PERSIA

BYZANTINEEMPIRE

Damascus

Jerusalem

Madinah

Makkah(Mecca)

Baghdad

Abbasid Empire

Abbasid capitalFormer Umayyad capital

Abbasid empire during reign of Harun al-Rashid, A.D. 800

KEY

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Read to Write22. Creating Maps Use informa-

tion from the text and a world atlas to cre-ate a map that shows major trade routes inMuslim areas. What kinds of goods weretraded? How did these trade routes affectthe spread of Islam?

23. Using Your Write a poem orshort story using the facts from your completed foldable.

Using Academic Vocabulary24. Complete the chart below to fill in the

missing adjectives and verbs.

Adjective Verbimpose

devotedintense

innovatestyle

Linking Past and Present25. Evaluating Impact Which Islamic inven-

tion or development do you think has thegreatest effect on the world today? Explainyour choice.

Building Citizenship26. Analyzing Documents Do research to

find out how the United States Constitutionprotects religious freedoms. Do you thinkthe religious policies of the Muslimempires would be allowed under the U.S.Constitution? Explain.

Economics Connection27. Researching Routes throughout Arabia

brought traders to and from the Muslimworld. Arab traders were able to buy and sellgoods from all over the world. Use your locallibrary and the Internet to find out whatkinds of items were traded by the Arabs.Write a research report describing these itemsand the different values that they had.Include details about the lives and times ofArab traders and the impact that trade hadon the economies of Arab peoples andempires. CA HI6.CA 7WA2.3

CA 7WA2.3

CA HI2.

CA 7WA2.1

CA CS3.


Reviewing Skills

28. Making Predictions Usethe maps that appear throughout thischapter to help you predict whichcountries practice the Islamic faith today.Keep track of all the countries that youthink have a majority of Muslims. Useyour local library to find out if you arecorrect.

29. Creating Time Lines Useinformation from the chapter to create atime line that follows the rise of Islam inthe world. For each time line entry, give abrief summary of the person or event andthe impact that followed. CA CS1.; CS2.

CA CS3.

Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare forthe Chapter Test, visit ca.hss.glencoe.com

Select the best answer for eachof the following questions.

The religion of Islam is basedon the teachings of

A Abraham.B Omar Khayyam.C Muhammad.D Bedouin herders.

How did Islam spread through-out Europe, Africa, and Asia?

A followers made pilgrimages toMakkah (Mecca)

B European kings converted toIslam

C the Quran was printed in ChinaD through Arab merchants and

traders

31

30

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