HIST 1111: Quiz 2
Why were Judaism and Christianity significant religious breaks from older religions?
They rejected both polytheism and atheism.
What was life like for the Bedouin as nomad-pastoralists?
They travelled from place to place with a flock of livestock.
How was Muhammad's character described?
Faithful and trustworthy
What contributed to the Caliphates' quick rise to power?
The strength of the Islamic community and the military conquests by the caliphs
How did the Abbasids promote political stability in the Middle East?
They maintained an unbroken line of caliphs for over 300 years
How did the caliphs maintain authority over conquered territories?
They provided greater local autonomy, lowered taxes, and offered more religious freedom
Who were Muhammad's first converts to Islam?
Younger brothers and sons and foreigners
What is the Hadith?
A collection of Muhammad's teachings outside of the Quran.
What was the Islamic Golden Age?
A period of intellectual, cultural, and scientific developments
What is the Kaaba?
A sacred Islamic building in Mecca that was once covered in polytheistic symbols.
How would pre-Islam Bedouin religion be described?
Animistic: the belief that non-human entities have a spiritual essence.
What is the significance of Muhammad being ummi?
Being illiterate suggests he could not have merely read and repeated previous phrophecies.
Where did Muhammad receive his first revelation?
In a cave on Mount Hira
What is the significance of the Constitution of Medina?
It is the basis for continuing concordance between the surviving Arabian cultures.
What was the Hijra in 622 CE?
Muhammad's journey to Medina as he fled Mecca.
Why was Mecca a prominent trading city?
Overland trade routes used Mecca as an intersection between the Bedouins and Byzantines
What are the key themes of the Quran?
Responsibility of man toward his creator and God in all aspects of life
How did the Islamic Golden Age contribute to global knowledge?
The Arabs assimilated the knowledge and translated the literature from other cultures
Which clan did Muhammad belong to?
The Banu Hashim
What was the outcome of the Battle of Uhud?
The Muslims were defeated by the Meccans.
Which major tribe controlled the city of Mecca?
The Quraysh
What is the Jahiliyyah?
The pre-Islamic "period of ignorance".
What was the political status of Arabia in 632 CE?
United under Islam.
How does Sharia law direct women to dress?
With a covering such as a Hijab.
What was the legal status of most women before Islam?
Women had little to no legal status under customary tribal law
