Muhammad and the Rise of Islam

Shahada

Declaration of Faith

• Must be said in Arabic 3x in front of witnesses

• Must be said with complete sincerity and full understanding of what it means

Salat

Daily prayers

• Requires Muslims to pray 5x per day

• Must face east towards Mecca

• Must be cleansed before saying prayers

• Establishes a community because everyone stop to pray. People attend mosques together

Zakat

Alms for the poor

• 2.5% tax (annually) of your income

• It is an obligation, not charitable act

• Rich should help poor

• When people die they don’t take anything with them, so they should give to those that need help

• Doesn’t have to be money, could be donating time or goods

Sawm

Fasting

• Ramadan: fasting during the 8th month of the Islamic calendar. 29-30 days of fasting

• Significance: shows self-discipline, spiritual strength, appreciation, community, and empathy

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca

• Annual pilgrimage to Mecca

• Requires all capable Muslims to make the trip at least once in the lifetime

• Promotes community

• Shows equality through simple, white clothing

What is the name of Muhammad’s wife?

Khadja

Which angel called Muhammad?

Gabriel

Who was the Kaaba originally thought to be built by?

Abraham

When was the first year of the Muslim Calendar?

When Muhammad’s journey to Medina started

What is Jihad? Lesser Jihad? Greater Jihad?

Jihad: the struggle

Lesser Jihad: external struggle against non-believers. This has been coined as the “Holy War” against enemies of Islam. In Islam, violence is acceptable to defend the religion, but only as a LAST resort.

Greater Jihad: internal struggle against yourself. In Islam, there is an internal conflict within yourself to overcome egoistical/material desires for the sake of inner piece.

Did women have more or less rights after Islam?

More

What is a caliph?

The title that Muslims use for the highest leader in Islam. They are political and religious leaders. It is believer that they are the successor to Muhammad,

What is a sect?

A religious or political group that is connected to a large group but that has beliefs that differ greatly from those of the main group?

What do Sunni’s believe in?

• Believe that any good male Muslim can be caliph. Elected from Muslim families - political leader of community (no spiritual leader).

• Support the rule of the 1st 3 caliphs

• Believe every individual has a direct connection with Allah

• Earn your place in heaven through beliefs and good deeds

What do Shiites believe in?

• Believe that leadership is limited to male descendants of Muhammad (Imams). These people are divine and cannot be elected.

• Reject the rule of the 1st 3 caliphs (only Ali)

• Feel that only Imams provide a spiritual link to Allah

• Everyone that follows the Imams goes to heaven

What is the Sahel?

The semi-arid transition between the Sahara desert to the north and wetter regions of equatorial Afrcia to the South

What is the order of the kingdoms?

Ghana → Mali → Songhai

What did Askia Muhammad do for the Songhai Empire?

He set up a bureaucracy with separate departments for farming, military, and the treasury. Each department was supervised by officials appointed by the emperor.

Who was Ibn Battuta?

Famous for his journey to Mecca and travels around the world, along with his book, Rihlah.