Chapter 11 Section 1

Who is Muhammad?

A man born in Mecca into a poor clan of Mecca's ruling tribe. He made a living as a caravan trader, and as a trader he came in contact with a variety of people.

What was the leader of a Bedouin tribe called?

A sheikh, and this title was a sign of respect that was given to a man because of his knowledge or position.

What increased tensions between Mecca and Medina?

After the move to Yathrib, Muhammad gained followers in greater numbers. Desert tribes began to accept his ideas, which led to war.

What are Bedouins?

Arab herders who herd sheep and camels because the desert dwellers could not grow crops.

What language was the Qur'an written in? Why was it not translated into other languages?

Arabic. Because Muslims believed that God's revelations might be lost or changed. As a result, Arabic became the common language of Muslims in religion, law, and literature. Muslims memorize and recite the Qur'an in Arabic.

What happened through trade?

Arabs in the towns met and were influenced by people from many different cultures.

Where are the largest Muslim communities?

Asia, North Africa, and parts of eastern Europe

Most of the Arabian Peninsula is what land feature?

Desert

When Muhammad went in search of a more accepting place, where did he settle? What is his journey called?

He and his followers settled in the town of Yathrib. The journey from Mecca to Yathrib is known as the hijrah ("flight or migration")

How old was Muhammad when the Angel Gabriel visited him? What did he tell him?

He was 40 and he told him that he was called to be a prophet of God (Allah) and revealed verses that Muhammad was to recite.

By the time Muhammad died, where had Islam spread?

Islam had spread across Arabia and the Middle East and into North Africa.

What did Yathrib become known as?

It became known as the Medina, or Al-Madinah, "city of prophet"

What is the jihad?

It is "the struggle to defend the faith" and Islam emphasizes the importance of it. Some Muslims believed that anyone who died in this struggle would be rewarded in heaven.

What is the Arabian Peninsula bordered by, and on what sides are the features?

It is bordered on the south by the Arabian Sea, on the east by the Persian Gulf, on the west by the Red Sea, and to the north by the Syrian Desert.

What was the significance of Mecca?

It was on a caravan route running north across the desert to Syria.

Who submitted first in the war between Mecca and Medina?

Mecca

Who guide people in worship?

Men who are trained in the Qur'an and Islamic law, because there is no official clergy in Islam.

Where do Muslims worship? What do they NOT have in their surroundings while praying.

Mosques. Mosques have no furnishings, only mats or rugs on which to kneel, and they never contain images of people or even animals.

What are followers of Islam called?

Muslim

What happens on Friday at Noon?

Muslims gather together for congregational prayer and sermons.

Were Arabs polytheistic or monotheistic?

Polytheistic

What is the Islamic Holy Book?

The holy book of Islam is the Qur'an . According to Muslims, the Qur'an is the word of God as revealed to Muhammad.

What happened after Muhammad went back to Mecca?

The idols in the Kaaba were destroyed, and it then became a holy place for Muhammad's followers. Muhammad rededicated the Kaaba to the worship of the One God, Allah.

Who was against Muhammad's teachings, and why did they think that?

The merchant rulers at Mecca were very much against Muhammad's teaching. They thought his ideas criticized their conduct and attitudes and threatened their authority. The merchant rulers may have feared that Muhammad's teachings about one god might stop such pilgrimages. Before long, they began to harass Muhammad and his followers. Eventually Muhammad looked for a more accepting place.

What became the first year of the Muslim calendar?

The year of the hijrah

What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

They are five basic acts of worship required of all Muslims. There are other rules for Muslims to follow as well, such as living humble lives, being tolerant and generous, and not eating pork or drinking alcoholic beverages.

What are the climates like along the coast?

They are milder and can support greater numbers of people.

Every year Arab pilgrims came to Mecca to worship where?

They came to the Kaaba and it was a stone building filled with idols that some people worshiped.

Where did goods from Asia and Africa go?

They entered the port of Jidda on the Red Sea. From there they were transported inland to the city of Mecca.

How did Bedouins live?

They were nomadic. Whole bedouin families moved with their flocks from one grazing area to another. The bedouins were organized into tribes.

For what reasons did Arabs join Muhammad's new religion, Islam?

Through a combination of wise policies, tolerance, and force,

Many townspeople hold what occupation?

Traders

Muhammad taught that God had revealed the Qur'an as what?

a sacred guide for all people

What is included in the Qur'an?

rules and instructions for right living

What is Islam based on?

the central beliefs that there is only one God, and that each believer must obey God's will. In fact, in Arabic the word Islam means "submission to [the will of] God."

In most Islamic cultures, where do Women pray?

women say the same prayers at home or in a section of the mosque set aside for them.