A
What's Arabic?
the language of Arabia and one of the most spoken languages in the world
What's Arabia?
large peninsula between Africa and India on the continent of Asia
What's the True Cross?
the relic of the cross on which Christ died; found by Emperor Constantine’s mother St. Helena; currently is lost
Who are Arabs?
the people who are native to Arabia
What's Allah?
the Arabic word for God
What's an infidel?
a person who does not believe in a certain religion; in this context, the infidel was anyone who wasn’t Muslim
What are caravans?
trade groups owned by families or clans in medieval Arabia
What's a Muslim?
a person who is a member of the Islamic religion
What's the Koran/Quran?
a collection of all the written rows of revelations and the sacred book of Islam (“Islam’s Bible”)
What's a mosque?
a place of worship for Muslims (“Islam’s Church building”)
Why are/were camels important?
extremely important and strong animals for travel and trade because of:
large lumps that stored fat, so they could travel far without food
the ability to hold water for a long time
wide feet that didn’t sink too far in the sand
What's Islam?
means “submission” and is the world’s second largest religion, founded by Muhammad
Who was Heraclius?
Byzantine emperor who defeated the Persians and King Chosroes, and gained back Jerusalem and the True Cross; would’ve been one of the greatest generals of all time if it wasn’t for him losing Jerusalem a second time to the Muslims
Who are the Bedouin?
Arabian nomadic tribesmen who guarded caravans, were expert camel handlers, and were fierce warriors
What's jihad?
originally meant everyone’s inner struggle to submit to God’s will; later meant a holy war against infidels
What's Ramadan?
holiest month in Islam when Muslims fast from food and drink during daylight (“Islam’s Lent”)
What are the Five Pillars of Islam (generally; you don't need to state all five)?
Muhammad’s five commands that every Muslim is obligated to observe (“Islam’s Ten Commandments”): one God, prayer 5X/day, fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimage
What's Mecca?
the holiest city in Islam (“Islam’s Jerusalem”) located in modern-day Saudi Arabia; non-Muslims are not allowed in
What's the Kaaba?
holiest shrine/site in Islam; large black box in their holiest city; holds a meteorite inside that Muslims believe Allah sent
Summarize Muhammad's story.
He was:
illiterate caravan manager who had trances
claimed to receive a new revelation from God's angel in a cave on Mt. Hira
memorized the new revelation, which got written down into rows and then the holy book
claimed to be the final and greatest prophet
founder of the world's second largest religion
united his followers into a small kingdom, which eventually became a dominant, ferocious fighting force
What's a sura?
a written row of words in Arabic recording Muhammad’s memorized revelation
What's Hejra/Hijra/Hijrah?
“flight” / “breaking off of relationships”; Muhammad and his followers leaving Mecca for Medina after rejection