what in Muhammad's background may have influenced his acceptance of monotheism?
Muhammad was engaged in long-distance trade and he came in contact with monotheists
according to Islamic tradition, how was the Quran compiled?
revelations from Allah to Muhammad
in what way did the expansion of the Islamic faith progress through the rest of the Arab peninsula?
in violent warfare as Islam challenged both polytheists and the ruling elite
classify the Five Pillars of Islam
1. Shahadah-Profession of faith (There is no other god than Allah)
2. Salat-Ritual prayer five times a day
3. Zakat- Alm's giving (giving to charity/less fortunate)
4. Sawm-Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
5. Hajj- The pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once in a lifetime)
why was there a split between the Shia and Sunnis?
succession problems
with the assistance of the ulama and qadis, how was the Abassid empire administered?
it was developed under the guidelines of the quran and sharia
within dar al-Islam, economics proved very successful, what was responsible for this success?
a zone of commerce and communication
describe women's roles in Islamic societies. how were these roles defined?
interaction between religion and region
Islam quickly expanded through military means but why were Sufi missionaries so successful later on?
they combined deep personal devotion to Islam with a tolerance for regional culture
as the Arabs moved into India, what did they adopt? what is their best known and most widely borrowed idea?
they adopted Indian methods of math, science, and medicine - their best known idea is hindi numerals
