The Religion of Islam
History of Islam
West Africa
East Africa
African Geography and Culture
100
Muhammad was born in __________________
Mecca
100
The Umayyad Dynasty established its capital at __________________ in the 7th century.
The Abbasid Dynasty moved its capital to __________________,
Umayad capital was Damascus; Abbasid Capital was Baghdad
100
What religion were most West Africans (in the post-classical period)?
Most West African leaders converted to Islam, the people however blended Islam with their traditional animistic beliefs
100
Located in what is now ____________, Axum was founded by Arabs and combined Arab and African cultures.
Ethiopia
100
How much of Africa is made up of desert?
40%
200
The hijrah refers to Muhammad's journey from ____________ to ___________ in 622 AD.
from Mecca to Medina
200
In the Abbasid empire, a council headed by a prime minister, known as a _________, advised the caliph.
vizier
200
What commodity did West Africans receive from North Africans in the trans-Saharan trade? Where did both parties meet when trading?
West Africans received salt and they traded along the Sahel
200
Identify one East African trading port.
Mombasa, Kilwa, Mogadishu
200
What is this and in which climate zone is it mostly found?
The tsetse fly inhabits rain forests
300
What is it and who is believed to have built it?
The Kaaba was supposedly built by Abraham
300
The Fatimid dynasty in Egypt created a strong army by hiring nonnative soldiers such as the _________________.
Seljuk Turks
300
Around which rivers did the West African kingdoms emerge?
Senegal and Niger Rivers
300
Which kingdom conquered the Kushites?
Axum
300
Define "stateless society."
groups of independent villages organized by clans and led by a local ruler or clan head, lack of fixed governmental institutions
400
The Dome of the Rock, located in __________________, is the earliest surviving Islamic monument built in 691, believed to be the spot where Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Jerusalem
400
Identify one Muslim scholar (last name only) AND their innovation during the Abbasid Golden Age.
Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi invented algebra
Hassan ibn al-Haytham, through the scientific method he demonstrated how vision arises when light enters the eye
Ibn Zakariya al-Razi conducted the first accurate study of contagious diseases, including smallpox and measles
Ibn Sina - catalogued diseases, their symptoms and remedies.
400
Besides giving gold away freely, identify one other accomplishment of Mansa Musa.
established a mosque and university in Timbuktu, performed the Hajj, doubled the size of Mali
400
Define Swahili
coastal peoples / people living in the East Coast of Africa / a new mixed ethnic group of people who spoke Bantu-Arabic langauges.
400
Briefly describe how Islam was originally introduced to Africa.
In the second half of the 7th century, the Umayyad dynasty conquered the Berbers in North Africa and converted them to Islam.
500
Identify all five pillars of Islam.
Profession of Faith (shahada). The belief that "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God" is central to Islam.
Prayer (salat). Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark.
Charity (zakat). In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need.
Fasting (sawm). During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink.
Pilgrimage (hajj). Every Muslim whose health and finances permit it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia.
500
In 1169, ____________, a new Muslim ruler, took over Egypt and made himself sultan, thus ending the Fatimid dynasty.
Saladin
500
Identify one accomplishment of the Bantu people.
spread knowledge of cultivating yams and bananas, spread knowledge of iron-smelting techniques, migrated from the Niger River region into East Africa
500
Identify three accomplishments of the Axumites.
conquered the Kushites, converted his kingdom to Christianity, maintained commercial prosperity, developed a written language, engaged in terrace farming
500
Identify three roles of a griot.
Storyteller, advisor, teacher, genealogist, entertainer, poet/musician, heralds