The Rise of Islam

• Muhammad united the Arab people politically and through Islam
• Islam is the world's fastest-growing major religion and impacts millions of lives
• Key terms and people include: Allah, Muhammad, Islam, Muslim, Hijrah, mosque, hajj, Qur'an, Sunna, and shari'a

The Rise of Islam

• Southwest Asia, referred to as the Middle East, is a bridge between Africa, Asia, and Europe
• Cultures of the Arabian Peninsula were in constant contact for centuries
• Goods and ideas were traded
• Shared ideas became a powerful force for change in the world- the religion of Islam

Deserts, Towns, and Trade Routes

• The Arabian Peninsula is a crossroads of Africa, Europe, and Asia
• The peninsula is about 1,200 miles from north to south and 1,300 miles from east to west
• Only a tiny strip of fertile land in south Arabia and Oman and a few oases support agriculture
• The rest is desert, inhabited by nomadic Arab herders
• Arab nomads, called Bedouins, were organized into tribes and clans
• Clans provided security and support
• Bedouin ideals of courage, loyalty to family, and warrior skills would become part of Islamic life
• Areas with fertile soil and larger oases had enough water to support farming communities
• By the early AD 600s, many Arabs settled in an oasis or market town
• Larger towns near the western coast of Arabia became market towns
• By the early AD 600s, trade routes connected Arabia to major ocean and land trade routes
• Trade routes through Arabia ran from the southern peninsula to the Byzantine and Sassanid (Persian).
• Larger towns located to the west of Arabia, became market towns

Additional Facts

• Arab nomads are Bedouins, organized in tribes

• Tribes are clans

• Islamic life of the Bedouins involves:

  • Warrior skill
  • Loyalty to the family
  • Providing security and support

• Trade routes go through:

  • The Arabian south peninsula
  • Byzantine and Sassanid