| A | B |
|---|
| algebra | a system of mathematics developed by the Arabs using both letters and numbers |
| minaret | slender high towers by a mosque from which a crier called the people to prayer |
| Kaaba | a holy building for the Arabs, once contained a black stone and over 350 idols |
| alms | money or gifts given to those in need (the poor) |
| mosque | building used by Muslims for public worship |
| Muslims | believers of the teachings of Muhammad |
| caliph | a leder of the Islamic faith after the death of Muhammad |
| polygamy | the marriage of more than one wife to the same husband |
| Islam | the name for the religion of Muhammad, word means "submission" |
| Hegira | the flight from Mecca to Medina made by Muhammad |
| zero | a special numeral whose use was developed by the Arabs |
| Koran | the sacred book of Islam |
| Mecca | city which is the religious center of Islam |
| Moors | offspring of Arabs married to Berbers from North Africa; conquered Spain |
| Battle of Tours | stopped the spread of Islam in western Europe when Charles Martel drove back the Moors |
| 1492 | the year that Columbus set sail on a famous voyage, the Middle Ages were ending, the Moors were driven out of Spain |
| Ramadan | name for the month spent in fasting during the daylight hours |
| Baghdad | the capital of the Muslim Empire was moved to this city |
| Arabia's location | between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea |
| Damascus steel | Arabs made swords from this metal which were famous and highly prized |
| Pyrenees Mountains | for many years, the barrier between the Moors in Spain and the rest of Western Europe |
| Friday | sacred day of the Muslims; the day Muhammad arrived in Medina after the Hegira |
| Allah | Muhammad's name for the god he believed in |
| Cordova, Spain | site of a famous university founded by the Muslims |
