Where?
- Began in the Arabian Peninsula (cities of Mecca and Medina)
- Spread across Northern Africa and into Spain
- Expansion into Europe was stopped by the Franks at the Battle of Tours
- Spread into the Fertile Crescent, Iran, and Central Asia
- By 1500 AD, Islam had spread to Egypt, Persia, Western Africa, and India
Allah
- The name for God in Arabic
Muhammad
- Founder of Islam
- Considered a prophet
The Qur'an
- The holy book of Islam
- Muslims believe the only way to TRULY read Allah's words is by reading the Quran in Arabic
The Five Pillars of Islam
- Make a declaration of faith
- Pray five times a day facing the city of Mecca
- Give charity
- Fast during the holy month of Ramadan
- Make a pilgrimage (Hajj) to the city of Mecca once in your life
Sunni-Shi'a Split
- There was a split in Islam after the death of Ali over who would be the next leader
- Cause:
- Sunni Muslims:
- Believed the next leader could be any good Muslim, no matter who he was related to
- Shi'a Muslims:
Link to Judaism and Christianity
- Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are all Abrahamic religions
- Muslims believe Allah is the same God as the God of Judaism and Christianity
- Muslims consider Jews and Christians to be "people of the book"