The Muslim Empire

Question 1

Where did the Islamic empire begin?

Answer 1

The Arabian Peninsula

Question 2

What is the land of the Arabian Peninsula like?

Answer 2

Desert with small strips of fertile land

Question 3

Who were the first people to live on the Arabian peninsula? How did they organize themselves?

Answer 3

the bedouins, into tribes made up of clans

Question 4

How did they connect with other parts of the world?

Answer 4

Through major trade routes

Question 5

What was Ka’aba?

Answer 5

An shrine in Mecca

Question 6

Who was Muhammad?

Answer 6

A major prophet of the Muslim faith who was contacted by the angel Gabriel who spoke for Allah

Question 7

What is the meaning of “Islam” in Arabic?

Answer 7

submission to the will of Allah

Question 8

What is the meaning of “Muslim” in Arabic?

Answer 8

one who has submitted

Question 9

What was the Hijrah to Yathrib?

Answer 9

Muhammads migration of Yathrib after being driven from Mecca

Question 10

What was Yathrib re-named?

Answer 10

Medina

Question 11

What was the Umma?

Answer 11

the Muslim religious community

Question 12

What are the 5 pillars of Islam?

Answer 12

1. Faith 2. Prayer 3. Alms 4. Fasting 5. Pilgrimage

Question 13

What is unique about Islam different from other religions?

Answer 13

No official ‘clergy’, only a religious scholar called Ulama

Question 14

What is the Qu’ran?

Answer 14

the holy book of Islam, a collection of revelations from Muhammad and Gabriel

Question 15

What is the sunna?

Answer 15

Muhammad’s example of living an Islamic life

Question 16

What is the shari’a?

Answer 16

law that regulates Muslim life

Question 17

Who was Abu-Bakr?

Answer 17

The first Caliph

Question 18

What is Jihad?

Answer 18

Holy war/conquering used to spread religion (conquering the enemies of Allah

Question 19

Who were the Umayyads?

Answer 19

The family that took over after Abu-Bakr

Question 20

What is the difference between the Shi’a and the Sunni?

Answer 20

Shi’a believe that the Caliph needs to be a direct descendant of Muhammad, and Sunni believe that the leader merely should follow Muhammad’s example

Question 21

Who were the Abbasids?

Answer 21

The family that overthrew the Umayyads in 750 and took control

Question 22

What did Abd al Rahim establish?

Answer 22

An Umayyad caliphate with the Berbus in Spain

Question 23

What happened at the Battle of Tours?

Answer 23

Abd al Rahim’s expansion into Europe was stopped

Question 24

Abbasids moved the Muslim capital to…

Answer 24

Baghdad

Question 25

What was the Fatimid caliphate?

Answer 25

the rival caliphate that emerged, who claimed descent from Fatima (Muhammad’s daughter)

Question 26

What were the four classes of Muslims?

Answer 26

1. Muslims from birth 2. converts 3. ‘protected peoples’ (Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians) 4. slaves

Question 27

Muslim society took great interest in…

Answer 27

Scholarship, specifically medicine and science

Question 28

What was the House of Wisdom?

Answer 28

an academy, library, and translation center

Question 29

What field showed the greatest example of ‘blending’ cultures in the empire?

Answer 29

Architecture

Question 30

Why was calligraphy created?

Answer 30

It is an Islamic belief that no one except Allah can create life, so their art comes in the form of pretty writing

Question 31

What field was al-Razi involved in?

Answer 31

medicine

Question 32

What did Al- Khwaeizmi create?

Answer 32

Algebra

Question 33

What is the “ideal man”?

Answer 33

The balance of intellectual and spiritual growth that takes the best of all cultures

Question 34

The breakup of the Muslim empire led to three smaller empires, the…

Answer 34

Ottoman, Safeuid, and Mughal