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| Where is the Arabian peninsula? | It is at the crossroads of three continents: Africa, Europe, and Asia. |
| What is an oases? | desert made fertile by the presence of water. There was only a tiny strip of fertile land in South Arabia and Oman that had enough water to support the farming communities. |
| Who were the Bedouins? | They were nomads organized into tribes and groups called clans. Tribesmen took pride in their ability to adapt to desert conditions and to defend themselves against raids by other clans seeking water, grazing territory, livestock or food supplies. |
| Why were the market towns located on the western coast of Arabia? | Easy access to land and sea transportation routes and the links to all three continents. |
| What was the Ka'aba? | An ancient shrine in the city of Mecca where people travel to on their pilgrimage. The Arabs associated the house of worship with Abraham, a believer in one God. |
| Who were the hanifs? | A small group of people who followed the tradition of one God in the early 600s. |
| What is monotheism? | belief in one God. |
| Describe Muhammad's life preceding the visit from the Angel Gabriel? | He was born around AD 570 in Mecca into the clan of a powerful Meccan family. He was raised by his grandfather and Uncle. He became a trader and a business manager for Khadijah, a wealthy businesswoman. He married Khadijah at 25 years of age. |
| How was Muhammad's life changed at the age of 40? | The voice of the Angel Gabriel called to him while he meditated inside a cave outside Mecca. The voice told Muhammad that he was the messenger of Allah, the one and only God. Muhammad became convinced that he was the last of the prophets. |
| What does "Muslim" mean? | One who has submitted to the will of God. |
| What does "Islam" mean in Arabic? | Islam means a submission to the will of God. |
| What was the Hijrah? | It was the migration from Mecca to Yathrib. |
| Why was the Hijrah to Yathrib market a turning point for Muhammad? | The migration allowed Muhammad to attract many devoted followers. Muhammad was eventually accepted as a political leader in Medina and also became a military leader in the hostilities between Mecca and Medina. |
| Why was Yathrib renamed Medina? | It means city of the prophet. |
| How did Muhammad make great strides in unifying the entire Arabian Peninsula under Islam? | Many of the region's Bedouin tribes converted to Islam and joined Muhammad and his followers. The Muslims defeated the Meccans and destroyed the idols in the Ka'aba. Muhammad had the call of prayer made from the roof of the Ka'aba. Most Meccans pledged loyalty of Muhammad and converted to Islam. |
| What is umma? | the Muslim religious community. |
| What is the Qur'an? | the holy book of the Muslims |
| What are the Five Pillars of Islam? | 1) FAITH: there in only one God, Allah. 2)PRAYER:Muslims face Mecca to pray five times a day. 3) ALMS:special religious tax to give money to the poor. 4)FASTING:fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to stress the importance of greater needs than bread. 5)PILGRIMAGE:haji or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. Wear identical garments so they all stand as equals before God. |
| Why aren't there priests of central religious authorities in Muslim? | Every Muslim is expected to worship God directly because Allah is the original source of authority for Muslims. |
| What is forbidden in Muslim life? | believers are forbidden to eat pork or drink wine or any intoxicating beverages. Friday afternoons are set aside for communal worship and prayer. |
| What is the Ulama? | religious teachers who study the words and deeds of Muhammad and apply them to everyday life. |
| Why did the Arabic language spread widely? | The Qur'an is written in Arabic and only the Arabic version can be used in worship because it is the "true word of God." |
| What is the Sunna? | Muhammad's example, the best model for proper living. |
| What is Shari'a? | A system of law that regulates the family life, moral conduct, and business and community life of the Muslims. Does not separate religious matters from criminal or civil matters. |
| How is Muslim similar to Judaism and Christianity? | Allah is the same God that is worshipped in Christianity and Judaism. The word of God was revealed to Muhammad just as the Torah and Gospels were revealed to Moses. All three believe in heaven and hell as a day of judgement. All three trace there ancestry back to Abraham. |
| How is Muslim different from Christianity and Judaism? | Muslims view Jesus as a prophet, not the son of man. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the final book and Muhammad was the final prophet. |
| How did a huge Muslim empire grow to include people of many different cultures and religions? | Shari'a law required Muslim leaders to extend religious tolerance to Christian and Jews. |
