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The

Page 1 of 3

Muslim World,

6001250
Connect History and Geography
Islam emerged as a major religion in the 600s and became a
driving force in the Muslim conquest of the Middle East and North
Africa. As the map to the right shows, by 1200 the Muslim Empire
stretched from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to India in the east.
Many different lands and peoples fell under the civilizing influence
of Muslim rule. Use the map to answer the questions that follow.
1. What areas of the world shown on this map were not part of
the Muslim Empire in 1200?
2. What were some major cities of the Muslim world?
3. What do you think might have happened if the Muslims had
won a key battle at Tours in 732?
For more information about
the Muslim world . . .

[Link]

This illustration of a Muslim

celebration comes from a book of
poetry by al-Hariri.

622 Muhammad returns

to Mecca after making
the Hijrah to Medina.

230

762
Muslim capital moves
to Baghdad.

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Muslim World, 1200

0

30W

30E

60E

Arctic Circle

30W

Sea

60N

Cyprus

Alexandria

ph

Jerusalem

EGYPT

ea
d S

Ri
v

Nile

Re

A F R I C A

PERSIA
er
In

G u lf

er

R iv

an
rsi
Pe

Cairo

Baghdad

ra

tes

d i t e r rCrete
a n e a n S eDamascus
a

30N

U ral

Ti

Sicily

Eu

Me

Tangier

Seljuk Turks

s R.
gri

Granada

s River

Sardinia

Sea

Balearic
Is.

Black Sea
Constantinople

an

SPAIN
Cordoba

Riv

A S I A

du

Rome

nub

spi

Corsica

Da

r
Ri ve

Ca

Venice

Riv
er

FRANCE

ive

er

Tours

Do n R

HOLY
ROMAN
EMPIRE

River

E U R O P E
Dniep e r

ATLANTIC
OCEAN

ti c

Volga

Bal

Medina
Mecca

Tropic of Cancer

ARABIAN
PENINSULA

Arabian
Sea
N

Byzantine Empire
Muslim World
Equator

0
0

500
500

1000 Miles

INDIAN OCEAN

1000 Kilometers

Winkel II Projection
0

800s
Al-Khwarizmi writes the
first algebra textbook.

60E

1000s
Muslim scholars, who preserved Greek
medical works, share them with Europeans.

1100s
Muslim literature
flourishes.

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Interact with History

round 825, an Arab mathematician, al-Khwarizmi of

Baghdad, studied Indian math and wrote a book
on using Hindu numerals. He suggested that not only
mathematicians but also merchants should use the numerals.
You are an ambitious Italian merchant in the 1400s, visiting
Muslim lands. You hear about these Arabic numerals that are
widely used in transactions with Muslim traders. You wonder if
they have any advantages for your business.
In the marketplace, you buy four necklaces at a cost of 23
dinars each. You ask the merchant to show you the calculation
using Roman and then Arabic numerals. The problem is IV
necklaces at XXIII dinars, or 4 23. You observe that computation with Arabic numerals is much easier and quicker.

Jeweler sells customer four necklaces

at 23 dinars each.

Apothecary weighs out

medicinal products.

What
makes
an idea
useful?
Butcher divides
a carcass.

Baker measures flour.

EXAMINING
Do the math problem using both
sets of numerals. What is the
advantage of using the Arabic
numerals?
Of what use would this system of
numbers be to a businessperson?
In what ways is the Arabic numeral
system like a universal language?
The mathematical idea of Arabic
numbers spread to many cultures.
In what ways do ideas move from
one culture to another?

232 Chapter 10

the

ISSUES

Discuss these questions with your

classmates. In your discussion, consider
what makes an idea useful and what
kinds of ideas spread fastest. Think
about ideas that have to do with
business, as well as ideas in such areas
as religion and science.
As you read about the spread of Islam

and the development of Muslim culture

in this chapter, notice in what ways ideas
are accepted and spread.

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TERMS & NAMES

The Rise of Islam

MAIN IDEA

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

Muhammad unified the Arab people

both politically and through the religion
of Islam.

As the worlds fastest growing major

religion, Islam has a strong impact on
the lives of millions today.

Allah
Muhammad
Islam
Muslim
Hijrah
Quran
mosque
hajj
Sunna
sharia

SETTING THE STAGE The cultures of the Arabian Peninsula were in constant contact
with each other for centuries. Southwest Asia (often referred to as the Middle East)
was a bridge between Africa, Asia, and Europe, where goods were traded and new
ideas were shared. One set of shared ideas would become a powerful force for change
in the worldthe religion of Islam.

Deserts, Towns, and Travelers

Vocabulary
oases: places in the
desert made fertile by
the presence of water.

The Arabian Peninsula is a crossroads of three continents

Africa, Europe, and Asia. At its longest and widest points, the
peninsula is about 1,200 miles from north to south and 1,300
miles from east to west. Only a tiny strip of fertile land in
south Arabia and Oman and a few oases can support agriculture. The remainder of the land is desert, which in the past
was inhabited by nomadic Arab herders.
Desert and Town Life On this desert, the nomads, called

Bedouins (BEHD oo ihnz), were organized into tribes and

groups called clans. These clans provided security and support
for a life made difficult by the extreme conditions of the
desert. The tribesmen took pride in their ability to adapt to
the desert conditions and to defend themselves against raids
by other clans seeking water, grazing territory, livestock, or
food supplies. Because of the desert nomads fighting ability,
they eventually became the core of armies who would build a
huge empire in the 600s and 700s. The Bedouin ideals of
courage and loyalty to family, along with their warrior skills,
would become part of the Islamic way of life.
The areas with more fertile soil and the larger oases had
enough water to support farming communities. By the early
600s, many Arabs had chosen to settle in an oasis or in a market town. A few generations earlier, the town dwellers had
themselves been nomads. They, however, left the Bedouin life
behind for life in settled areas. Larger towns near the western coast of Arabia became
market towns for local, regional, and long-distance trade goods.

Crossroads of Trade and Ideas By the early 600s, trade routes connected Arabia
to the major ocean and land trade routes. Trade routes through Arabia ran from the
extreme south of the peninsula to the Byzantine and Sassanid empires to the north.
Merchants from these two empires moved along the caravan routes, trading for
goods from the Silk Roads of the east. They transported spices and incense from
Yemen and other products to the west. They also carried information and ideas from
the world outside Arabia. By the early 600s, cities such as Petra and Palmyra had

Petra, one of the

early Arab trading
cities, was literally
a rock city. Buildings were carved
out of the red sandstone cliffs. The
name Petra means
rock in Greek.

The Muslim World 233

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40E

Trade Routes, A.D. 570

0

Aral
Sea

500 Miles

Black Sea
0

Constantinople

1,000 Kilometers

Bukhara

40N

Caspian
Sea

R.
ris

Tig
Aleppo
Palmyra

To Spain

Eu

Damascus

Mediterranean Sea

Jerusalem
Alexandria

phr

ate

Nishapur

To the
Silk Roads

Mosul

R.

To India

Ctesiphon

PERSI A

Petra
Siraf

Pe

EGYPT

rsi

Ni
le

Sea route

Medina

Gu

lf

Sea

Land route

Red

Tropic of Cancer

Mecca

Muscat

To India

ARABI A

Hijrah
Byzantine Empire
Sassanid Empire

long been prosperous trading centers on

the caravan routes.
The city of Mecca, in western
Arabia, became an important stop on
the trade route. During certain holy
months, caravans stopped in Mecca.
They brought religious pilgrims who
came to worship at an ancient shrine in
the city. Mecca housed a simple house
of worship called the Kaaba
(KAH buh). The Arabs associated this
house of worship with Abraham, a
believer in one God. Over the years,
they had introduced the worship of
many gods and spirits to the place. The
Kaaba contained over 360 idols brought
here by many tribes. Many people traveled to this site as a pilgrimage.
The concept of belief in one God,
called Allah (AL luh) in Arabic, was no
stranger to the Arabian Peninsula. A tradition of belief in one God had long
been followed by a few people, known
as hanifs. Many Christians and Jews
lived in Arab lands and practiced
monotheism. Into this mixed religious
environment of Mecca, around A.D. 570,
Muhammad was born.

Arabian
Sea

YEMEN

Aden

To East
Africa

G E O G R A P H Y S K I L L B U I L D E R : Interpreting Maps
1. Location Why is Arabias location a good one for trade?
2. Movement Why was the location of Mecca ideal for the
spread of ideas?

The Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad (mu HAM id) was born into the clan of a powerful Meccan family.
Orphaned at the age of six, the boy was raised by his grandfather and uncle. He
received little schooling and began working in the caravan trade as a very young man.
Muhammad became a trader and business manager for Khadijah (kah DEE juh), a
wealthy businesswoman. When Muhammad was 25, he and Khadijah married. Theirs
was both a good marriage and a good business partnership.

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

A. Summarizing
What religious traditions were in practice
in the Arabian
Peninsula?
A. Possible Answer
Belief in one god and
also belief in many
gods and spirits.

Revelations Muhammad took great interest in religion and often spent time alone
in prayer and meditation. At about the age of 40, Muhammads life was changed
overnight when a voice called to him while he meditated in a cave outside Mecca.
According to Muslim belief, the voice was that of the angel Gabriel, who told
Muhammad that he was a messenger of God. What shall I proclaim? asked
Muhammad. The voice answered:
T H E Q U RA N
Proclaim! In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created man out of a (mere) clot
of congealed blood. Proclaim! And thy Lord is most bountiful. He who taught (the use
of) the pen taught man that which he knew not.
Quran Surah 96:15

After much soul-searching, Muhammad came to believe that the Lord who spoke to
him through Gabriel was Allah. Muhammad became convinced that he was indeed the
last of the prophets. He taught that Allah was the one and only God and that all other
gods must be abandoned. People who agreed to this basic principle of Islam were
called Muslims. In Arabic, Islam (ihs LAHM) means submission to the will of Allah.

234 Chapter 10

Background
Muhammad is often
referred to as The
Prophet.

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Muslim (MOOZ lim) means one who has submitted. Muhammads wife, Khadijah,
and several close friends and relatives were his first followers.
By 613, Muhammad had begun to preach publicly in Mecca. At first, he had little
success. Many Meccans believed his revolutionary ideas would lead to neglect of the
traditional Arab gods. They feared that Mecca would lose its position as a pilgrimage
center if people accepted Muhammads monotheistic beliefs. Some of his followers
were even beaten up or stoned in the streets.

The Hijrah Facing such hostility, Muhammad decided to leave Mecca. In 622, following a small band of supporters he sent ahead, Muhammad resettled in the town of
Yathrib, over 200 miles to the north of Mecca. This migration became known as the
Hijrah (hih JEE ruh). The Hijrah to Yathrib marked a turning point for Muhammad.
He attracted many devoted followers. Later, Yathrib was renamed Medina, meaning
city of the Prophet.
In Medina, Muhammad displayed impressive leadership skills. He fashioned an
agreement that joined his own people with the Arabs and Jews of Medina as a single
community. These groups accepted Muhammad as a political leader. As a religious
leader, he drew many more converts who found the message and the Messenger
appealing. Finally, Muhammad also became a military leader in the hostilities
between Mecca and Medina.

Returning to Mecca Many of the regions Bedouin tribes converted to Islam and

joined Muhammad and his followers. During the years that the Muslims and the
Meccans battled against each other, Meccas power as a city
declined. In 630, the Prophet and 10,000 of his followers marched to
POTLIGHT N
the outskirts of Mecca. Facing sure defeat, Meccas leaders surrenThe Dome of the Rock
dered. The Prophet entered the city in triumph.
The
Dome of the Rock, located in
When he entered the city, Muhammad went to the Kaaba and
Jerusalem, is the earliest surviving
declared, Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Then he
Islamic monument. It was comdestroyed the idols in the Kaaba and had the call to prayer made
pleted in 691. It is situated on Mount
from the roof of the Kaaba.
Moriah, the site of a Jewish temple
destroyed by Romans in A.D. 70.
Most Meccans pledged their loyalty to Muhammad, and many
The rock on the site is the spot
converted to Islam. By doing so, they joined the umma, or Muslim
from which Muslims say Muhamreligious community. Muhammad died two years later, at about the
mad ascended to heaven to learn
age of 62. However, he had taken great strides toward unifying the
of Allahs will. With Allahs blessing,
Muhammad returned to earth to
entire Arabian Peninsula under Islam.

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

B. Summarizing
Identify four major
events in the life of
Muhammad.
B. Possible Answer
Revelations from God,
first preaching, Hijrah,
return to Mecca.

bring Gods message to all people.

Jews identify the same rock as the
site where Abraham was prepared
to sacrifice his son Isaac.
The dome itself is wooden and
about 60 feet in diameter. The
supporting structure includes
mosaic designs, columns, and
many windows.

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Beliefs and Practices of Islam

The main teaching of Islam is that there is only one God, Allah. All other beliefs and
practices follow from this teaching. Islam teaches that there is good and evil, and
that each individual is responsible for
the actions of his or her life. The holy
book of the Muslims, the Quran
(kuh RAN), states, And if any one
earns sin, he earns it against his own
soul (Surah 4:111). Muslims believe
that each person will stand before Allah
on a final judgment day and enter either
heaven or hell.

Artists decorating
the Quran do it as a
holy act. The design
is geometric and
often repeats to
show the infinite
quality of Allah.
Muslims use
abstract designs
because they are
not permitted to
picture Muhammad
or the angels.

The Five Pillars To be a Muslim, all believers have to carry out five duties. These

duties demonstrate a Muslims submission to the will of God. These duties are known
as the Five Pillars of Islam.
Faith To become a Muslim, a person has to testify to the following statement of
faith: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This
simple statement is heard again and again in Islamic rituals and in Muslim daily life.
Prayer Five times a day, Muslims face toward Mecca to pray. They may assemble
at a mosque (mahsk), an Islamic house of worship. Or they may pray wherever
they find themselves. The duty of praying serves to bring Muslims closer to God.
Alms Muhammad taught that all Muslims have a responsibility to support the
less fortunate. Muslims meet that social responsibility by giving alms, or money
for the poor, through a special religious tax.
Fasting During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast. They eat and
drink nothing between dawn and sunset. A simple meal is eaten at the end of the
day. The duty of fasting reminds Muslims that they have greater needs than bread.
Pilgrimage All Muslims perform the hajj (haj), or pilgrimage to Mecca, at least
once in a lifetime. In the past, this involved a grueling journey across deserts,
mountains, and seas. Today, many pilgrims arrive by airplane. During the pilgrimage events in Mecca, pilgrims wear identical garments so that all stand as
equals before God.
A Way of Life Muslims do not separate their personal

life from their religious life. Carrying out the Five Pillars
of Islam ensures that Muslims live their religion while
serving in their community. Along with the Five Pillars,
there are other customs, morals, and laws for Islamic
society that affect Muslims daily lives. Believers are forbidden to eat pork or to drink wine or other intoxicating
beverages. Friday afternoons are set aside for communal
worship and prayer. Muslims who are able to do so
gather at a mosque to worship. Unlike many other religions, Islam has no priests or central religious authority.
Every Muslim is expected to worship God directly. Islam
does, however, have a scholar class called the ulama, who
are concerned with learning and law. The ulama includes
religious teachers who study the words and deeds of
Muhammad and apply them to everyday life.
Sources of Authority The original source of authority

for Muslims is Allah. According to Islamic belief, Allah

expressed his will through the Angel Gabriel, who

236 Chapter 10

This tenth-century
Turkish prayer rug
has a traditional
design. The design
has an arch at one
end. The arch must
point to Mecca
while the prayers
are taking place.

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revealed it to Muhammad as the Quran. While Muhammad lived,

his followers listened to his prayers and teachings and memorized
and recited the Revelations. Soon after the Prophets death, it was
suggested that the revelations of Muhammad be collected in a book.
This book is the Quran.
The Quran is written in Arabic, and Muslims consider only the
Arabic version to be the true word of God. Only Arabic can be used
in worship. Wherever Muslims carried the Quran, Arabic became
the language of worshipers and scholars. Thus, the Arabic language
spread widely as Muslim control expanded into different lands.
Muslims believe that Muhammads mission as a prophet was to
receive the Quran and to demonstrate how to apply it in life. To
them, the Sunna (SOON uh), or Muhammads example, is the best
model for proper living. The guidance of the Quran and Sunna was
assembled in a practical form to aid Muslims in applying the will of
Allah to their daily lives. This body of law is known as sharia
(shah REE ah). This system of law regulates the family life, moral
conduct, and business and community life of Muslims. It does not
separate religious matters from criminal or civil matters, but brings all
aspects of life together. Because sharia applies to all who follow the
teachings of the Prophet, it brings a sense of unity to all Muslims.

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

C. Summarizing
What are the sources
of authority for
Muslims?
C. Answer Allah,
Quran, Sunna.

Background
Arab Muslims consider themselves
descended from
Abrahams son Ismail.

Links to Judaism and Christianity To Muslims, Allah is the same

God that is worshiped in Christianity and Judaism. However, Muslims

view Jesus as a prophet, not the Son of God. The Quran is regarded as
the word of God as revealed to Muhammad, in the same way that Jews
and Christians believe the Torah and the Gospels were revealed to
Moses and the New Testament writers. Muslims believe that the
Quran perfects the earlier revelations from God. To them, it is the
final book, and Muhammad was the final prophet. All three religions
believe in heaven and hell and a day of judgment. The Muslims trace
their ancestry to Abraham, as do the Jews and Christians.
The bonds among the three monotheistic religions were reflected
in the way the Muslims treated Christians and Jews. Both Christians
and Jews were known as people of the book, because each religion
had a holy book with teachings similar to those of the Quran. Sharia
law required Muslim leaders to extend religious tolerance to Christians and Jews. A huge Muslim empire, as you will learn in Section 2,
grew to include people of many different cultures and religions.

Daily Life
Muslim Prayer
Five times a daydawn, noon, midafternoon, sunset, and evening
Muslims face toward Mecca to pray.
Worshipers are called to prayer by a
muezzin. The call to prayer
sometimes is given from a minaret
tower like those pictured above. In
large cities, muezzins call worshipers
to prayer using public address
systems and even the radio.
Because they believe that
standing before Allah places them
on holy ground, Muslims perform a
ritual cleansing before praying so
that they will not contaminate the
holy ground. They also remove their
shoes.
Muslims may pray at a mosque,
called a masjid in Arabic, meaning
place of kneeling to God. This
term refers to the movements of
prayer, which involve both the body
and the mind in worship.

Section 1 Assessment
1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify
Allah
Muhammad
Islam
Muslim
Hijrah
Quran
mosque
hajj
Sunna
sharia

2. TAKING NOTES

3. RECOGNIZING EFFECTS

Create a diagram like the one

shown below. Fill in at least three
details for each category.
Islam
Events in the
Life of
Muhammad

Beliefs of
Islam

Explain how the beliefs and

practices of Islam created unity
and strength among Muslims in
the 600s.

THINK ABOUT
Sources of
Authority

Based on your notes, write three

paragraphs on Islam.

why individuals felt they were

part of a community
what Muslims did to carry out
the Five Pillars of Islam
how Muslims viewed the
relationship between religion
and politics

4. THEME ACTIVITY

Religious and Ethical

Systems With a small group,
write a conversation that involves
a supporter of Muhammad, a
person who opposes Muhammad,
and a pilgrim visiting Mecca who
knows nothing about Muhammad.
Place the conversation in a
marketplace setting in Mecca.
Read or perform your conversation for the class.

The Muslim World 237

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TERMS & NAMES

The Spread of Islam

MAIN IDEA

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

In spite of internal conflicts, the

Muslims created a huge empire that
included lands on three continents.

Muslims influence on three continents

produced cultural blending that has
continued into the modern world.

caliph
Umayyads
Shia
Sunni
Sufi
Abbasids
al-Andalus
Fatimid

SETTING THE STAGE When Muhammad died in 632, the community faced a crisis.
Muslims, inspired by the message of Allah, believed they had a duty to carry the word
of God to the world. However, they lacked a clear way to choose a new leader. Eventually, the issue of leadership would divide the Muslim world.

Muhammads Successors Spread Islam

Muhammad had not named a successor or instructed his followers how to choose
one. Relying on ancient tribal custom, the Muslim community elected as their leader
Abu-Bakr, a loyal friend of Muhammad and a man respected for his devotion to
Islam. In 632, Abu-Bakr became the first caliph (KAY lihf), a title that means successor or deputy.

Rightly Guided Caliphs Abu-Bakr and the next three elected caliphsUmar,
Uthman, and Aliall had known Muhammad and supported his mission. They used
the Quran and Muhammads actions as guides to leadership. For this, they are known
as the rightly guided caliphs. Their rule was called a caliphate (KAY lih FAYT).
Abu-Bakr had promised the Muslim community he would uphold what Muhammad
stood for. Shortly after the Prophets death, some tribes on the Arabian Peninsula abandoned Islam. Others refused to pay taxes, and a few individuals even declared themselves prophets. For two years, Abu-Bakr used military force to reassert the authority
of Muhammads successors in the Muslim community. In that time, his troops gained
experience and organized themselves into an effective mobile army.
By the time Abu-Bakr died in 634, the Muslim state controlled all
of Arabia. Under Umar, the second caliph, swift and highly disciplined armies conquered Syria and lower Egypt, which were part of the
Byzantine Empire. They also took parts of the Persian Empire. The next two
caliphs, Uthman and Ali, continued to expand Muslim territory both eastward and
westward. The rightly guided caliphs were able to gain the support of military
and naval forces of the conquered lands. They used these forces to aid in further
conquests. By 750, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River, the Muslim
Empire stretched 6,000 milesabout two times the distance across the continental United States. (See the map on page 241.)

Reasons for Success The four rightly guided caliphs made great

progress in their quest to spread Islam. Muslims of the day saw

the victories as a sign of Allahs support of Islam. Muslims drew
energy and inspiration from their faith and were willing to struggle to extend and defend Islam. Historians have identified many
reasons for the Muslims military success in addition to the faith
of the Muslim soldiers. The Muslim armies were well disciplined and expertly commanded. Their tactics enabled them
to overwhelm forces unaccustomed to their style of warfare.

238 Chapter 10

From 632 to 750,

highly mobile
troops mounted on
camels were
successful in
conquering lands in
the name of Allah.

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Page 2 of 4

The success of the Muslim armies was also due to weakness in the two empires
north of Arabia. The Byzantine and Persian empires had been in conflict for a
long period of time. By the time the Muslim army invaded their lands, they
were exhausted militarily. Another reason for Muslim success was the persecution of Byzantine or Persian populations who did not support the official state religions, Christianity or Zoroastrianism. The persecuted people
often welcomed the invaders, seeing them as liberators.
Treatment of Conquered Peoples Many conquered peoples chose to

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

A. Recognizing
Causes For what
reasons were
Muslims successful in
conquering others?
A. Answer Army
was well-disciplined
and well-commanded;
other empires were
weak; some groups
welcomed them as
liberators.

accept Islam. They were attracted by the appeal of the message of Islam, as
well as by the economic benefit for Muslims of not having to pay a poll tax.
Because the Quran forbade forced conversion, Muslims allowed conquered
peoples to retain their own religion. Christians and Jews, as people of the
book, received special consideration. They paid a poll tax each year in
exchange for exemption from military duties. They were also subject to various
restrictions on their lives. The following account by an Arab army officer
shows how he treated people in Persia:
A V O I C E F R O M T H E PA S T
In the name of God, the Merciful and the Compassionate. This is what Suwayd ibn
Muqarrin gave to the inhabitants of Qumis and those who are dependent on them, concerning safe-conduct for themselves, their religions, and their property, on condition
they pay the jizya [a poll tax] from the hand for every adult male, according to his capacity, that they show goodwill and do not deceive, that they guide [the Muslim traveler],
and that they accommodate Muslims who make a halt with them for a day and a night
with their average food. If they change this or make light of their obligations, the pact
[dhimma] with them is void.

Ceremonial
weapons such as
this battleax were often
decorated with
fine artistic
designs.

SUWAYD IBN MUQARRIN quoted in Islam: From the Prophet Muhammad to the Capture of Constantinople

In practice, tolerance like this was extended to other groups as well. Though they
were not allowed to spread their religion, Christians and Jews played important roles
as officials, scholars, and bureaucrats in the Muslim state.

Internal Conflict Creates a Crisis

Despite spectacular gains on the battlefield, the Muslim community had difficulty maintaining a unified rule. The murder of Uthman in 656 triggered a civil
war, with various groups struggling for power. Ali, as
Muhammads cousin and son-in-law, was the natural choice as a
successor to Uthman. However, his right to rule was challenged
by Muawiya, a governor of Syria. Then, in 661, Ali too was assassinated. The elective system of choosing a caliph died with him.
A family known as the Umayyads (oo MYE yadz) came to
power. They set up a hereditary system of succession. The
Umayyads also made another important change. The Muslim
capital was moved to Damascus, a distant city in the
recently conquered province of Syria. This location,
away from Mecca, made controlling conquered territories easier. However, the Arab Muslims felt it
was too far away from their lands. In addition, the
Umayyads abandoned the simple life of previous
caliphs and began to surround themselves with
wealth and ceremony similar to that of non-Muslim
rulers. These actions, along with the leadership
issue, gave rise to a fundamental division in the
Muslim community.

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SunniShia Split In the interest of peace, the majority of Muslims accepted the
Umayyads rule. A minority did continue to resist, and around some of these groups
an alternate view of the office of caliph developed. In this view, the caliphthe person most responsible for spreading Muhammads messageneeded to be a relative of
the Prophet. This group was called Shia, meaning the party of Ali. Those who did
not outwardly resist the rule of the Umayyads later became known as Sunni, meaning
followers of Muhammads example. Among those who did not actively resist Umayyad
rule were many who believed that the Umayyads had become too concerned with
worldly affairs and had lost touch with their religion.
Another group, the Sufi (SOO fee), reacted to the luxurious life of the Umayyads
by pursuing a life of poverty and devotion to a spiritual path. They tried to achieve
direct personal contact with God through mystical means, such as meditation and
chanting. In some ways they were similar to Christian and Buddhist monks. The Sufis
played an important role in keeping Muslims focused on the Quran and tradition.
Later, they became very active as missionaries in newly conquered lands. Another religious development was the growth of scholarship in various branches of Islamic learning and law. The study of the traditions of Muhammad, Arabic language, and the
development of schools of sharia established standards of Islamic conduct.
Vigorous religious and political opposition to the Umayyad caliphate led to its
downfall. Rebel groups overthrew the Umayyads in the year 750. The most powerful
of those groups, the Abbasids (AB uh SIHDZ), took control of the empire.

B. Answer Sunni,
Shia, Sufi.
Sunni follow the
Sunna and believe the
Muslim leader should
be capable of leading
the community. Shi'a
are followers of Ali
and believe the leader
should be a descendant of Muhammad.
Sufi pursue a life of
meditation and personal contact with
God.

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

B. Summarizing
What are three
groups within Islam
and how do they
differ?

Muslims Control Areas of Three Continents

When the Abbasids came to power in 750, they ruthlessly murdered the remaining
members of the Umayyad family. One prince named Abd al-Rahman escaped the
slaughter and fled to Spain. There he set up an Umayyad dynasty. Spain had already
been conquered and settled by Muslims from North Africa, who were known as
Berbers. The Berbers were led by Tariq, a powerful military figure. So revered was
Tariq that a famous rock peninsula was named for him. The name today reflects his
presence: Jabal TariqGibraltar. The Berber armies advanced north to within 100
miles of Paris before being halted at the Battle of Tours in 732. The Berbers then settled back into southern Spain, where they helped form an extraordiGlobalImpact nary Muslim state called al-Andalus (al an duh LUS).

Elephant Diplomacy
The Abbasids ruled a huge empire
and were constantly searching for
ways to hold it together and hold off
outside attacks. The Abbasids
viewed their relationship with the
Kingdom of the Franks, ruled by
Charlemagne, as essential to their
ability to remain strong. They saw the
Franks as possible allies against the
Umayyads in al-Andalus (Spain).
To cement the relationship with
Charlemagne, Caliph Harun alRashid sent an envoy with gifts to
the court of Charlemagne. Among
the gifts sent to the Frankish king
was an elephant named Abu alAbbas. It was the only elephant the
caliph possessed.
The diplomatic trip was successful. Charlemagne marched against
the Umayyad lands early in his reign.

Abbasids Consolidate Power The Abbasids strength lay in the

former Persian lands, including Iraq, Iran, and central Asia. To solidify power, in 762 they moved the capital of the empire to a newly
created city, Baghdad, in southern Iraq. The location on key trade
routes gave the caliph access to trade goods, gold, and information
about parts of the empire in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The Abbasids developed a strong bureaucracy to conduct the huge
empires affairs. A treasury kept track of the money flow. A chancery
prepared letters and documents. A special department managed the
business of the army. Diplomats from the empire were sent to courts
in Europe (for example, Charlemagnes court), Africa, and Asia to
conduct imperial business. To support this bureaucracy, the Abbasids
taxed land, imports, and exports, and non-Muslims wealth.
Rival Groups Divide Muslim Lands The Abbasid caliphate lasted

from 750 to 1258. During that time, the Abbasids increased their
authority by consulting religious leaders. But they failed to keep
complete political control of the immense territory. Independent
Muslim states sprang up, and local leaders dominated many smaller
regions. The Fatimid (FAT uh MIHD) Dynasty, named after

240 Chapter 10

Background
The Spanish name for
Arabs and Berbers
was Moors, because
they came from the
old Roman province of
Mauritania.

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Muhammads daughter Fatima, began in

North Africa and spread across the Red
Sea to western Arabia and Syria.
Although politically divided, the Abbasid
Empire and the smaller powers
remained unified in other ways.
Religion, language, trade, and the economy tied the lands together.

Growth of Islam to 1200

EUROPE
ASIA

40N

Cordoba

Baghdad

Damascus
Cairo
Tropic of Cancer

Mecca

Muslim Trade Network The two

40E

C. Recognizing
Effects Why would a
single language and a
single currency be
such an advantage to
a trader?
C. Answer There
would be no problem
in changing money to
a local currency and
no need for interpreters, who might
make mistakes.

major sea-trading zonesthose of the

Arabian
AFRICA
Mediterranean Sea and the Indian
Sea
Oceanlinked the Muslim Empire
into a world system of trade by sea.
0 Equator
The land network connected the Silk
Roads of China and India with Europe
INDIAN
and Africa. Muslim merchants needed
OCEAN
ATLANTIC
only a single language, Arabic, and a
OCEAN
single currency, the Abbasid dinar, to
Muslim lands at the
travel from Crdoba to Baghdad and
death of Muhammad, 632
Tropic of Capricorn
on to China.
Lands conquered by Muslims
under first four caliphs by 661
To encourage the flow of trade,
Lands conquered by
Muslim money changers set up banks in
0
1,500 Miles
Muslims by 750
Lands under Muslim
cities throughout the empire. Banks
0
2,500 Kilometers
influence in 1200
offered letters of credit, called sakks, to
merchants. A merchant with a sakk from
G E O G R A P H Y S K I L L B U I L D E R : Interpreting Maps
a bank in Baghdad could exchange it for
1. Location To which continents did Islam spread by 1200?
cash at a bank in any other major city in
2. Movement In which time period was the largest amount of
land conquered?
the empire. In Europe, the word sakk
was pronounced check. Thus, the practice of using checks dates back to the Muslim Empire.
At one end of the Muslim Empire was the city of Crdoba in al-Andalus. In the
tenth century, this city had a population of 500,000; Paris, in contrast, had 38,000. The
citys mix of Muslims, Christians, and Jews created a cosmopolitan atmosphere that
attracted poets and philosophers as well as scientists and doctors. Many non-Muslims
adopted the Arabic language and Muslim customs. Crdoba became a dazzling center
of Muslim culture, boasting 70 libraries, 700 mosques, and 27 free schools.
In Crdoba, Damascus, Cairo, and Baghdad, a cultural blending of people fueled a
period of immense achievements in the arts and the sciences.
0

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

INDIA

Section 2 Assessment
1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify
caliph
Umayyads
Shia
Sunni
Sufi
Abbasids
al-Andalus
Fatimid

2. TAKING NOTES

Create a table like the one below.

For each group of rulers, identify
the period of their rule and at least
two developments that affected
the growth or strength of Islam
during that period.
Rulers
Rightly Guided
Caliphs

Period Developments
of Rule
in Islam

3. HYPOTHESIZING

How do you think Shia Muslims

felt about the Abbasids taking
power in 750?

THINK ABOUT
how the Shia viewed the
Umayyads
where the Shia lived
actions of Abbasids while in
power

4. ANALYZING THEMES

Empire Building What

evidence supports the conclusion
that the Islamic empires were
well-run?

THINK ABOUT
relationships between Muslims
and non-Muslims
efforts to promote trade
the role of the military

Umayyads
Abbasids

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Muslim Achievement

MAIN IDEA

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

Muslims combined and preserved the

traditions of many peoples and also
advanced learning in a variety of areas.

Many of the ideas developed during

this time became the basis of todays
scientific and academic disciplines.

SETTING THE STAGE The Abbasids governed during a prosperous age of Muslim
history. Riches flowed into the empire from all over Europe, Asia, and Africa. Rulers
could afford to build luxurious cities. They supported the scientists, mathematicians,
and philosophers that those cities attracted. In the special atmosphere created by
Islam, the scholars preserved existing knowledge and produced an enormous body of
original learning.

Muslim Society
Over time, the influence of Muslims grew as the empire encompassed people from a
variety of lands. Jobs in the bureaucracy and in the army were available to many different groups. At centers of learning in Syria, Persia, Spain, and Egypt, the halls
echoed with the Arabic language, the language of the Quran. The
many cultural traditions combined with the Arabic culture to creUrban Centers, A.D. 900
ate an international flavor. Muslim society had a sophistication
matched at that time only by the Tang Empire of China. That cos1,000,000
mopolitan character was most evident in urban centers.
The Rise of Muslim Urban Centers Throughout the empire,

Population

800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0

Ba

gh

Co

da

nst

R
C
rdo ome
tin ba
op
le

an

Source: Tertius Chandler and Gerald Fox,

3,000 Years of Urban Growth.

SKILLBUILDER:
Interpreting Graphs
1. How much larger in population
was Baghdad than Crdoba?
2. How would the population of
the largest city in your state
compare to the population of
Baghdad in A.D. 900?

market towns blossomed into cities. Migrants from the countryside and new converts came to cities looking for opportunities.
Until the construction of Baghdad, Damascus was the leading city.
Damascus was known for fine cloth called damask and for outstanding steel swords and armor. It was also the cultural center of
Islamic learning. Other cities grew up around power centers, such
as Crdoba, the Umayyad capital, and Cairo, the Fatimid capital.
(See the map on page 241.) Urban centers, which symbolized the
strength of the dynasty, grew to be impressive.
The Abbasid capital, Baghdad, impressed all who saw it. Caliph
al-Mansur chose the site for his capital on the west bank of the
Tigris River, in 762. Extensive planning went into the citys distinctive circular design, formed by three circular protective walls. The
caliphs palace of marble and stone sat in the innermost circle,
along with the grand mosque. Originally, the main streets between
the middle wall and the palace were lined with shops. Later, the
marketplace moved to a district outside the walls. Baghdads population approached one million at its peak.
Four Social Classes Baghdads population, made up of different

cultures and social classes, was typical for a large Muslim city in
the eighth and ninth centuries. Muslim society was made up of
four classes. The upper class included those who were Muslims at birth. Converts to
Islam were found in the second class. This class paid a higher tax than the upper class,

242 Chapter 10

TERMS & NAMES

House of
Wisdom
calligraphy

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A. Answer
(1) Muslims at birth,
(2) converted Muslims,
(3) protected people,
and (4) slaves.

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

A. Summarizing
What were the four
classes of Muslim
society?

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but lower than other classes of non-Muslim

people. The third class consisted of the protected people and included Christians, Jews,
and Zoroastrians. The lowest class was composed of slaves. Many slaves were prisoners of
war, and all were non-Muslim. Slaves most
frequently performed household work or
fought in the military.
Role of Women The Quran states, Men
are the managers of the affairs of women, and
Righteous women are therefore obedient.
However, the Quran also declares that men
and women, as believers, are equal. The
sharia gave Muslim women specific legal
rights concerning marriage, family, and property. Muslim women had more rights than
European women of the same time period.
The Quran provided for the care of widows
and orphans, allowed divorce, and protected
the womans share of an inheritance.
Responsibilities of Muslim women varied
with the income of their husbands. The wife
of a poor man would often work in the fields
with her husband. Wealthier women supervised the household and its servants. They
had access to education, and among them
were poets and scholars. Rich or poor, the
woman was responsible for the raising of the children. In the early days of Islam,
women could also participate in public life and gain an education.

Muslim Scholarship Extends Knowledge

Muslims had practical reasons for supporting the advancement of science. Rulers
wanted qualified physicians treating their ills. The faithful throughout the empire
relied on mathematicians and astronomers to calculate the times for prayer and the
direction of Mecca. The energy that Muslims devoted to preserving and extending
knowledge, however, went beyond practical concerns. Their attitude reflected a deepseated curiosity about the world and a quest for truth that reached back as far as the
Prophet. Muhammad himself believed strongly in the power of learning:
THINK THROUGH HISTORY
B. Recognizing
Effects What are the
nine valuable results
of knowledge according to Muhammad?
B. Answer Distinguish right from
wrong, way to
heaven, friend in
desert, society in solitude, companion,
guide to happiness,
sustainer, ornament
among friends,
armour against
enemies.

In a miniature
painting from
Persia, women are
shown having a
picnic in a garden.
Gardens were seen
as earthly representations of
paradise.

A V O I C E F R O M T H E PA S T
Acquire knowledge. It enableth its possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it lighteth
the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion
when friendless; it guideth us to happiness; it sustaineth us in misery; it is an ornament
amongst friends, and an armour against enemies.
MUHAMMAD, quoted in The Sayings of Muhammad

The Prophets emphasis on study and scholarship led to strong support of places of
learning by Muslim leaders. After the fall of Rome in A.D. 476, Europe entered a
period of upheaval and chaos, an era in which scholarship suffered. The scientific
knowledge gained up to that time might have been lost. Thanks to Muslim leaders
and scholars, much of that knowledge was preserved and expanded. Both Umayyads
and Abbasids encouraged scholars to collect and translate scientific and philosophical
texts. In the early 800s, Caliph al-Mamun opened in Baghdad a combination library,
academy, and translation center called the House of Wisdom. There, scholars of
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different cultures and beliefs worked side by side translating texts from Greece, India,
Persia, and elsewhere into Arabic.

Arts and Sciences Flourish in the Muslim World

Scholars at the House of Wisdom included researchers, editors, linguists, and technical
advisers. These scholars developed standards and techniques for research that are a part
of the basic methods of todays research. Some Muslim scholars incorporated Greek
ideas into their own work in fresh new ways. Others created original work of the highest
quality. In these ways, Muslims in the Abbasid lands, especially in Crdoba and
Baghdad, set the stage for a later revival of European learning. Muslim contributions
in the sciences were most recognizable in medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.

GlobalImpact

Medical Advances A Persian scholar named al-Razi (Rhazes) was

the greatest physician of the Muslim world and, more than likely, of
world civilization between A.D. 500 and 1500. He wrote an encyclopedia called the Comprehensive Book that drew on knowledge from
Greek, Syrian, Arabic, and Indian sources as well as on his own
experience. Al-Razi also wrote a Treatise on Smallpox and Measles,
which was translated into several languages. He believed patients
would recover more quickly if they breathed cleaner air. To find that
location, he hung shreds of meat all around Baghdad. He observed
which shreds spoiled more slowly, perhaps because of cleaner air.
Then he made a recommendation for the location of a hospital.

Background
Europeans changed
Arabic names to ones
they could pronounce.
You will see the
European names in
parentheses.

Medical Reference Books

When Europeans learned that
Muslims had preserved important
medical texts, they wanted to
translate the texts into Latin. In the
11th century, scholars traveled to
libraries in places such as Toledo,
Spain, where they began translating
but only after they learned to
read Arabic.
Through this process, European
medical schools gained access to
vital reference sources such as alRazis Comprehensive Book and Ibn
Sinas The Canon of Medicine. Ibn
Sinas five-volume encyclopedia
guided doctors of Europe and
Southwest Asia for six centuries.
For nearly 500 years, al-Qasims
work, The Method, which contained
original drawings of some 200
medical tools, was the foremost
textbook on surgery in Europe.

Math and Science Stretch Horizons Among the ideas that Muslim scholars introduced to modern math and science, two especially
stand out. They are the reliance on scientific observation and experimentation, and the ability to find mathematical solutions to old problems. As for science, Muslims translated and studied Greek texts. But
they did not follow the Greek method of solving problems. Aristotle,
Pythagoras, and other Greek thinkers preferred logical reasoning over
uncovering facts through observation. Muslim scientists preferred to
solve problems by conducting experiments in laboratory settings.
Muslim scholars believed, as Aristotle did, that mathematics was
the basis of all knowledge. Al-Khwarizmi, a mathematician born in
Baghdad in the late 700s, studied Indian rather than Greek sources.
He wrote a textbook in the 800s explaining the art of bringing
together unknowns to match a known quantity. He called this technique al-jabrtoday called algebra.
Many of the advances in mathematics were related to the study of
astronomy. The sciences of mathematics and optics, along with scientific observation, led to major advances in astronomy. Muslim observatories charted stars, comets, and planets. Ibn al-Haytham
(Alhazen), a brilliant mathematician, produced a book called Optics
that revolutionized ideas about vision. Through thoughtful experiments, Ibn alHaytham showed that people see objects because rays pass from the objects to the
eyes, not from the eyes to the objects as was commonly believed. His studies about
optics were used in developing lenses for telescopes and microscopes.
Philosophy and Religion Blend Views In addition to scientific works, scholars

at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad translated works of philosophers like Aristotle

and Plato into Arabic. In the 1100s, Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd (Averros),
who lived in Crdoba, tried in his writings to harmonize Aristotles and Platos
views with those of Islam. Some Islamic religious thinkers attacked Ibn Rushd for
using Greek philosophical methods to interpret the sharia. However, Ibn Rushd

244 Chapter 10

Background
Ibn is a word used to
mean the son of.

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SCIENCE

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&TECHNOLOGY

Astronomy
Muslim interest in astronomy developed from the need to fulfill
three of the Five Pillars of Islamfasting during Ramadan,
performing the hajj, and praying toward Mecca.
A correct lunar calendar was needed to mark religious periods
such as the month of Ramadan and the month of the hajj. Studying
the skies helped fix the locations of cities so that worshipers could
face toward Mecca as they prayed. To correctly calculate the
locations, Muslim mathematicians developed trigonometry.
Cartographers (mapmakers) illustrated the information.
The cartographer al-Idrisi prepared this map
as part of a series of maps for a ruler of
Sicily. The maps were done in the 1100s.
The map below of the world looks upside
down to modern eyes because North is at
the bottom. The body of water at the right
is the Mediterranean, and the
Arabian Peninsula juts out into
the Indian Ocean.

Before telescopes, observations of the skies were

made with the naked eye. The device shown above is
called an armillary sphere. By aligning the top rings
with various stars, astronomers could calculate the
time of day or year. This aided in setting the calendar
correctly. Muslims had a number of observatories. The
most famous one was located at Samarkand, which is
in modern Uzbekistan.

Connect to History

The astrolabe was an early scientific

instrument used by Muslims and others
to measure the angles of the sun and
the stars above the horizon. It was
like a very simple computer. The
device was a brass disk engraved
with a star map and having a
movable bar used for sighting the
angle of the sun or stars. To find the
location north or south of the equator,
the user rotated the rings to the
positions of the stars on any given night.

Recognizing Effects How did

fulfilling religious duties lead
Muslims to astronomy and a
better understanding of the
physical world?
SEE SKILLBUILDER
HANDBOOK, PAGE R6

Connect to Today
Researching Muslim astronomers
developed instruments to improve
their observations of the sky. Today,
there are telescopes both on earth
and in space. Do some research to
find out what new information is
being discovered from the Hubble
telescope in space.

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argued that Greek philosophy and Islam both had the same goal:
HISTORY
MAKERS

to find the truth.
Ibn Khaldun
13321406
Ibn Khaldun was literally a history
maker. He produced a massive
history of Muslim North Africa.
However, Arnold Toynbee, a 20thcentury historian, called Ibn
Khalduns Islamic history masterpiece Muqaddimah (an
introduction to history) the
greatest work of its kind that has
ever yet been created by any mind
in any time or place.
In his six-volume study of world
civilization, Ibn Khaldun introduced
the ideas of sociology, economics,
politics, and education and showed
how they combined to create
historical and social change.
He also established principles
for writing about history that
required historians to examine
critically all facts they presented.

Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides), a Jewish physician and

philosopher, was born in Crdoba and lived in Egypt. Like Ibn
Rushd, he faced strong opposition for his ideas, but he came to be
recognized as the greatest Jewish philosopher. Writing during the
same time as Ibn Rushd, Maimonides produced a book, The Guide
of the Perplexed, that blended philosophy, religion, and science.

Muslim Literature Literature was a strong tradition in Arabia

before Islam. Bedouin poets, reflecting the spirit of desert life, composed poems celebrating ideals such as bravery, love, generosity, and
hospitality. Those themes continued to appear in poetry written after
the rise of Islam.
The Quran, held sacred by Muslims, is the standard for all Arabic
literature and poetry. Early Muslim poets sang the praises of the
Prophet and of Islam and, later, of the caliphs and other patrons who
supported them. During the age of the Abbasid caliphate, literary
tastes expanded to include poems about nature and the pleasures of
life and love.
The Sufis were especially known for their poetry that focused on
mystical experiences with God. The following poem by the greatest
of all Sufi poets, Rumi, describes an experience of sensing God:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E PA S T
As salt resolved in the ocean
I was swallowed in Gods sea,
Past faith, past unbelieving,
Past doubt, past certainty.

Suddenly in my bosom
A star shone clear and bright;
All the suns of heaven
Vanished in that stars light.

JALAL AL-DIN RUMI, translated by A. J. Arberry, Persian Poems

This interior view

of the Great
Mosque of Crdoba
shows a new
architectural style.
Two tiers of arches
support the ceiling.

246

Popular literature included The Thousand and One Nights, a collection of entertaining stories that included fairy tales, parables, and legends. The core of the collection has been linked to India and Persia, but peoples of the Muslim Empire added
stories and arranged them, beginning around the 10th century.
Muslim Art and Architecture As they expanded, the Arabs entered regions that

had rich artistic traditions. These traditions continued, with modifications inspired,
and sometimes imposed, by Islam. For example, Islam forbade the depiction of living
beings, based on the idea that only Allah can create life.
Thus, picturing living beings was considered idolatry.
With the drawing of such images prohibited, many artists
turned to calligraphy, or the art of beautiful handwriting. Others expressed themselves through the decorative
arts, such as woodwork, glass, ceramics, and textiles.
It is in architecture that the greatest cultural blending
of the Muslim world can be seen. To some extent, the
location of a building reflected the culture of people of
the area. For example, the Great Mosque of Damascus
was built on the site of a Christian church. In many ways,
the huge dome and vaulted ceiling of the mosque blends
Byzantine architecture with Muslim ideas. In Syrian
areas, the architecture includes features that were very
Roman, including baths using Roman heating systems. In
Crdoba, the Great Mosque incorporated multi-lobed
interwoven arches in a style unknown before. The style

Background
Aladdin and Ali
Baba and the Forty
Thieves are popular
tales from The
Thousand and One
Nights.

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HISTORY THROUGH ART: Calligraphy

Calligraphy, or ornamental writing,
is important to Muslims because it
is considered a way to reflect the
glory of Allah. In pictorial calligraphy, pictures are formed using
the letters of the alphabet. Prayers
are written in the shape of a bird,
plant, boat, or other object.
Connect

This picture of a man

praying is made up
of the words of the
Muslim declaration
of faith.

to History

Clarifying How would these

images help Muslims practice their
religion?
SEE SKILLBUILDER HANDBOOK,
PAGE R3

Connect

The birds body is made

up of words of a
statement of faith.

to Today

Comparing With what kinds of

art do other religions in the modern
age express their religious ideas?

was based on principles used in earlier mosques. These blended styles appear in all
the lands occupied by the Muslims.
The values of many cultures were recognized by the Muslims and combined with
Islamic values. A 9th-century Muslim philosophical society showed that it recognized
the empires diverse nature when it described its ideal man:

C. Answer The very

best parts of each
culture can combine
to produce an outstanding one.

THINK THROUGH HISTORY

C. Drawing
Conclusions What
is the advantage of
blending various traditions within a culture?

A V O I C E F R O M T H E PA S T
The ideal and morally perfect man should be of East Persian derivation, Arabic in faith,
of Iraqi education, a Hebrew in astuteness, a disciple of Christ in conduct, as pious as a
Greek monk, a Greek in the individual sciences, an Indian in the interpretation of all
mysteries, but lastly and especially a Sufi in his whole spiritual life.
IKHWAN AS-SAFA, quoted in The World of Islam

The elements of Muslim life remained and blended with local culture wherever
Islam spread. Though the unified Muslim state broke up, Muslim culture continued.
Three Muslim empires, the Ottoman, the Safavid, and the Mughal, would emerge
that would reflect the blended nature of the culture of this time. The knowledge
developed and preserved by the Muslim scholars would be drawn upon by European
scholars in the time known as the Renaissance, beginning in the 14th century.

Section 3 Assessment
1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify
House of Wisdom
calligraphy

2. TAKING NOTES

3. EVALUATING

Create a web diagram like the one

below, showing the key elements
of Muslim culture. In each circle
write 3 aspects of that element.
Science and Math

Urban Life

THINK ABOUT

Muslim
Culture
Arts and Literature

List what you consider to be the

five most significant developments
in scholarship and the arts during
the reign of the Abbasids. Explain
the standards you used to make
your selections.

Society

reasons for each development

immediate and practical impact
long-term significance

4. THEME ACTIVITY

Cultural Interaction Look

at the Voice from the Past above.
On a map, mark the location of
each of the specific places
identified. Link the points together.
Shade in the area. About how
large an area in miles is covered?
What might be learned about
cultural blending from this map?

Which of these most strengthened

the Abbasid rule? Explain.

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Chapter 10 Assessment
TERMS & NAMES

REVIEW QUESTIONS

Briefly explain the importance of each of the following

to the people in the Muslim world between 600 and
1200.

SECTION 1 (pages 233237)

The Rise of Islam

11. Describe the geographic setting in which Islam developed.

1. Islam

6. caliph

12. Why did many people in Mecca reject Muhammads ideas at first?

2. Allah

7. Shia

13. List the Five Pillars of Islam and explain their significance.

3. Hijrah

8. Sufi

14. How did early Muslims view and treat Jews and Christians?

4. hajj

9. House of Wisdom

5. sharia

10. calligraphy

Interact

with History

In this chapter, you learned that

ideas spread through trade, war
and conquest, and through scholarly exchange. With a partner,
make a list of at least five ways to
spread an idea in todays world
ways that were not available to
Muslims in A.D. 6001250.

SECTION 2 (pages 238241)

The Spread of Islam

15. List three reasons why the rightly guided caliphs were so successful in
spreading Islam.
16. Summarize the main reasons for the split between the Sunni and the
Shia.
17. Why did trade flourish under the Abbasids?
SECTION 3 (pages 242247)

Muslim Achievement
18. In what ways did urban life in Muslim lands reflect Muslim culture?
19. Explain why Muslim scholars were so productive, particularly in the
areas of mathematics, science, and medicine.
20. How did the art and the architecture of the Muslims differ from that of
other cultures you have studied?

Visual Summary

The Muslim World

Empire Building

Religion
Muhammad receives
revelations from Allah.

Four major Muslim dynasties

build empires on parts of three
continents.

The Five Pillars of Islam are

Muslims basic religious duties.

661750: Umayyad Dynasty

Islam

756976: Umayyads of alAndalus (Spain)

The sources of authoritythe

Quran and the Sunnaguide
daily life.

9091171: Fatimid Dynasty

(North Africa, Egypt, Western
Arabia, and Syria)

Islam divides into several

branches, including Sunni
and Shia.

7501258: Abbasid Dynasty

Achievements
Muslim scholars preserve, blend, and expand
knowledge, especially in mathematics, astronomy,
architecture, and medical science.

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CRITICAL THINKING

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

1. ISLAM AND OTHER CULTURES

1. LIVING HISTORY: Unit Portfolio Project

How did the development of Islam influence the

blending of cultures in the region where Europe,
Africa, and Asia come together? Consider ways that
Islam encouraged or discouraged interaction among
people of various cultures.
2. ISLAMS EXPANSION
Create a time line listing the
five most important events in the development and
expansion of Islam between 570 and 1200. Explain
the significance of each selection and why you left
other important dates off the time line.
THEME EMPIRE BUILDING

3. RELIGIOUS DUTIES
In what way did the religious duty of prayer affect
the lives of Muslims everywhere?
4. ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
Abd al-Latif, a legal and medical scholar who lived in
Baghdad in the late 1100s and early 1200s, urged
young people to become scholars. Among his suggestions is one urging people to learn history. Read
the paragraph and answer the questions below it.
A V O I C E F R O M T H E PA S T
One should read histories, study biographies
and the experiences of nations. By doing this,
it will be as though, in his short life space, he
lived contemporaneously with peoples of the
past, was on intimate terms with them, and
knew the good and the bad among them. . . .
You should model your conduct on that of
the early Muslims. Therefore, read the biography of the Prophet, study his deeds and concerns, follow in his footsteps, and try your
utmost to imitate him.
ABD AL-LATIF, quoted in A History of the Arab Peoples

Why does al-Latif advocate studying history?

Why does he want people to study the life of
Muhammad?
Do you agree with him about the importance of
studying history? Explain. What about studying
about Muhammad? Or other significant leaders?
Explain your answer.

Additional Test Practice,

pp. S1S33

TEST PRACTICE
CL ASSZONE .COM

THEME RELIGIOUS AND ETHICAL SYSTEMS Your unit portfolio project focuses on
how religious and ethical systems affected all aspects of the lives of people
at this time. For Chapter 10, you might use one of the following ideas.

Create a poster showing the Five Pillars of Islam. Draw, trace, or photocopy
images that demonstrate the responsibilities of believers. Add notes to
clarify these responsibilities.
With several other students, create a talk show with members representing
various religionsa Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jew, a Christian, and a Muslim.
Discuss the issue of leading an ethical or proper life based on ones religious
beliefs. Present the talk show to the class or videotape it for presentation.
Write a letter to Muhammad, describing for him what happened in the
centuries immediately following his death and telling about his legacy today.
2. CONNECT TO TODAY: Cooperative Learning
THEME CULTURAL INTERACTION Between 600 and 1200, Islam provided a
powerful force of unity, eventually linking lands from Spain to Iran. Islam
became established in many lands. Work with a team to create maps and
charts showing countries where Muslims live in our world.

Using the Internet or almanacs, do research to find the countries in

which Islam is practiced today.
Using a world map, identify by colors the countries of the world where
Muslims can be found as a part of the culture. Devise a color code that
shows countries where Islam spread between 600 and 1200.
3. INTERPRETING A TIME LINE
Revisit the Unit time line on pages 228229. In the events for Chapter 10,
find the date for the establishment of the House of Wisdom. What event
was occurring about the same time in Europe? Which other areas
experienced contact with the Muslims?

FOCUS ON CHARTS
The Muslim culture spread to
Europe and the Americas.
Here are some countries in
those regions with Muslim
populations.
Which nations have a population of Muslims that is similar
to that of the United States in
terms of percentage?
Which nations have
approximately the same
population of Muslims in
actual numbers?
Connect to History
Why is the percentage figure
for Spain surprising?
Source: The Cambridge Illustrated History
of the Islamic World

Muslim Population, 1990s

% of Total
Population Population

Country
Europe

Albania
Bulgaria
France
Germany
Spain
United Kingdom

2,275,000
1,200,000
3,500,000
1,700,000
300,000
1,500,000

70.0
13.0
6.1
2.1
0.8
2.7

370,000
500,000
350,000
130,000
150,000
6,000,000

1.1
0.3
1.3
13.0
30.0
2.4

Americas

Argentina
Brazil
Canada
Guyana
Surinam
USA

The Muslim World 249