5.2 The Arab Empire expands

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 1

The age of monks and knights

5.2 The Arab Empire expands

What is this lesson about?

At the beginning of the seventh century, the Arab Muhammed established a new religion, Islam. He and his successors created a large empire stretching from India to Spain. Jews and Christians were allowed to live peacefully in this Arab Empire.

Word Duty

Bedouins -  nomadic tribes that lived in Arabia

Muhammed - the prohet and, according to Muslims, messenger of God, who laid the foundations for the Islamic religion.

Revalations - visions or other forms of communication recieved from a god.

Quran - the book that contains all the revelations Muhammed recieved from God.

Prohet - Messenger from God.

Islam - monotheistic religion started by Muhammed in the seventh century

Muslims - the followers of Muhammed, who believed in one God only;  Allah

Hijarah - the journey of Muhammed and his followers from Mecca to Medina.

Ummah - community of Muslims

Jihad - Islamic struggle for God

Caliph - political and religious leader of the Ummah

KEY WORDS

In your textbook, read "Geography and people of Arabia".
1. Do you think that many people
visited cities such as Mecca and Medina?
Explain your answer

In your textbook, read "Muhammad and the beginning of Islam".
Muhammad’s main message to the people of Mecca was
that there was only one God.
2a. Why did many people in Mecca reject this idea?

2b) What effect did this have on Muhammad and his followers?

Although the Christian calendar starts with the birth of Jesus,
the Islamic calendar does not start with the birth of Muhammad.
3a. Explain this difference by identifying the
different roles of Muhammad and Jesus.

3b) Use the information from the language box.
Can you calculate what year we live in
now according to the Islamic calendar?

4. Read "struggles and spread of Islam"
After conquering the Quraysh in Mecca,
Muhammad had all the statues of gods removed from the Ka’aba.
What did he want to prove by this?

5. A lot of Muslims argue that it is forbidden to make statues
or images showing Muhammad.
Can you argue why Muhammad did not want people
to make statues and images of him?

6. Put the events in chronical order.

1

2

3

4

5

 Muhammad receives revelations from God

 Muhammad removes all statues from the Ka’aba

 Muhammad flees from Mecca to Medina.

 The Arabs believe in several gods at the same time.

 Muhammad starts preaching that there is only one God.

        7. Drag the pictures to the right discription.

Dome of the Rock

Ka'aba

Quran

8. Complete the graphic overview.

Jesus

God

church

Allah

Muhammad

Quran

Bible, New Testament

9. Read "Jews and Christians"
Jews and Christians were not forced to convert to Islam.
Why did many of them
eventually convert to Islam as well?

Write down one question about something from this lesson that you find difficult.

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