Geography of Islam
Where was Islam founded?
Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula.
Who was Muhammad?
The prophet and founder of Islam.
Capital city?
Damascus.
What city did they build as capital?
Baghdad.
What three continents were connected?
Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Why did caravans cross the Arabian Peninsula?
To trade goods between Africa, Asia, and Europe.
What important journey did Muhammad take at the beginning of his religion?
The Hijra — Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina
What language did they spread?
Arabic.
Why was Baghdad a great trade location?
It sat where major trade routes from Asia, Africa, and Europe met.
Why were Muslim trade routes important for spreading new ideas, technologies, and beliefs?
They connected continents, allowing merchants and travelers to share inventions, goods, and cultural practices across long distances.
Why were oasis towns important?
They provided water, rest, and became trading centers.
What is the Sunnah?
Muhammad’s actions and teachings; a guide for living.
What did Abd al-Malik introduce to unify the empire? (helped trade)
Universal coinage
Name one scientific discovery.
Algebra (al-Khwarizmi)
Medical encyclopedias (Ibn Sina)
Astronomical charts
Optics / surgery contributions
How did the Muslim world spread knowledge to Europe?
Through trade, Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), translations of books
How did the location of the Arabian Peninsula encourage both trade and cultural exchange with other regions?
It was located between Africa, Asia, and Europe, making it a crossroads where traders from different cultures exchanged goods, languages, and ideas.
Name all 5 Pillars.
Shahada — belief
Salat — prayer 5 times a day
Zakat — charity
Sawm — fasting during Ramadan
Hajj — pilgrimage to Mecca
Where is Al-Andalus?
On the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal).
What is the “House of Wisdom”?
A major learning center where scholars translated and studied science, math, and philosophy.
Why was Al-Andalus a cultural blending center?
Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived together and shared ideas in art, science, and architecture.
Explain how geography supported the spread of Islam.
Trade routes, desert travel, and oasis cities helped ideas and goods spread quickly.
How do beliefs influence daily life?
They guide prayer schedules, charity, fasting, moral behavior, and community actions.
Why did many people resent Umayyad rule?
Umayyads lived too luxuriously and raised taxes
Two reasons the Abbasid empire fell.
Too large to control
Weak leadership
Invasions (Seljuk Turks, Mongols)
Explain how science, trade, and religion interacted in medieval Islam.
Trade brought money and ideas, religion encouraged learning, and scholars made scientific discoveries.