Chapter 9: The Rise and Spread of Islam
Why is the Muslim year shorter than the Christian year?
The Muslim year is based on lunar cycles
Why are practitioners of Islam's mystical branch called Sufi (from the Arabic suf)?
They write intense metaphorical poetry
Why did Mohammad allow Muslim men to have up to four wives?
To provide protective charity
Why did Islam split into two main groups around 661?
Disagreement over ways of choosing a caliph
What does the Arabic word masjid mean?
Place of prostration
Why was Islam able to spread so quickly after Muhammad's death?
A long war had exhausted the Byzantine and Persian empires
Why was Mecca important to the Bedouin traders?
It had natural springs
Why was the Kaaba significant to the Bedouins?
It housed images of their gods
Why do Muslims believe that the Qur'an cannot be translate?
It is the direct word of God
Why is the Kaaba significant to Muslims today?
It represents the physical center of the planet and universe
Why do Muslims decorate their mosques without figurative images?
Mohammad warned that image makers would face punishment at Judgment
What structure inspired the design of most mosques?
Mohammad's house in Medina
What is the Hadith?
Mohammad's sayings
What does the world Islam mean?
Submission
Why did the Spanish Jews welcome the Muslim invasion?
The Visigoth rulers had persecuted them
