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The city of Rome is founded.

 
 

Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, is born in India.

 
 

Athenians condemn Socrates to death in Greece.

 
 

Qin Dynasty unifies China.

 
 

Jesus is born in Judea.

 
 

The Second Persian Empire (Sassanid Empire) is founded.

 
 

The Western Roman Empire ends.

 
 

The Empire of Ghana is established in Africa.

 
 

Japan's Feudal period begins.

 
 

Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztecs, is founded in Mexico.

 
 

The United States declares independence.

 
 

Israelites create a kingdom. First Temple built in in Jerusalem in 962.

 
 

Babylonians destroy the First Temple and Jews begin the Babylonian Exile; Exile ends and Jews begin construction of the Second Temple in 538.

 
 

Rome begin to dominate the eastern Mediteranean. The Jewish Kingdom of Judea becomes a Roman province in 6 CE.

 
 

Romans destroy the Second Temple when the Jews attempt to regain independence.

 
 

The second Jewish revolt ends; Judea is renamed Palestine by the Roman Emperor.

 
 

Muhammad begins preaching. Caliph Umar starts the Arab conquests in 634; the Dome of the Rock built in Jerusalem in 691.

 
 

The Abbasid dynasty founded - from this point on, multiple Muslim kingdoms exist.

 
 

Pope Urban II calls for a crusade to recapture the "Holy Land" from Muslims, who had conquered the area in the mid-600s.

 
 

The Ottoman Empire is founded.

 
 

The Ottoman Empire gains control of the three holiest cities of Islam: Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.

 
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  • Origins of Islam (613 Muhammad Begins Preaching)

    According to Muslim teachings, Muhammad received his first revelation in 610 CE when God (Allah in Arabic) sent the Angel Gabriel to him. Three years later, Muhammad began to preach publicly in his birthplace, the city of Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula. Most people in the area at the time were polytheists – people who believed in more than one god. Muhammad taught that there was only one God (the same God that Jews and Christians worshiped), that he was God’s prophet, and that those who believed in God would be rewarded in Paradise while unbelievers would suffer in Hell.

    The religion founded by Muhammad is called Islam. Islam means submission because its followers believe that they are submitting to God’s will. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim, which means “one who submits.”

    LEARN MORE The Teachings of Islam
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    Islam has many teachings and instructions that guide the lives of religious Muslims. There are three main sources. Listed in order of importance and authority they are: the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam; the Sunnah, the example set by Muhammad’s words and deeds; and the interpretations and rulings of Islamic religious scholars.


    Islamic teachings provide a code of conduct that address personal, societal, cultural, and religious issues. There are five essential requirements that are considered obligatory for all Muslims. They are known as the Five Pillars. They are:


    1. The statement of faith: State that “there is no god but God and Muhammad is God’s final messenger.” - These words are whispered to newborn babies and to Muslims who are about to die. They are part of the call to prayer and thus are heard by Muslim communities around the world every day.


    2. Islamic prayer: Pray five times per day at the times of day and in the manner taught by Muhammad. – Muslims wash their hands, feet, and face before praying. They pray facing towards Mecca. There is a set order to the prayers and accompanying motions such as bowing. Prayers can be said anywhere, but many Muslims prefer to pray together in a mosque, especially on Fridays when sermons are given.


    3. Charity: Give a percentage of one’s wealth to the needy – Muslims believe that donations will be repaid many times over in Paradise. In addition to giving to the needy, Islamic teachings encourage giving to support religious institutions, public buildings such as hospitals, and public art.


    4. Fasting: Do not eat or drink from dawn until dusk every day during the month of Ramadan. – Muslims believe that Muhammad received his first revelation during the month of Ramadan. They believe fasting helps one focus on spiritual rather than worldly concerns. Muslims are also encouraged to pay extra care for others and to read through the Qur’an during the month.


    5. Pilgrimage: Travel to Mecca and perform specified religious practices at least once. – This pilgrimage, known as the Hajj, draws Muslims from all over the world. Pilgrims all wear simple robes to reduce the differences of wealth and nationality so that the emphasis is on their shared faith. The Hajj includes a set of religious rituals, including circling a building called the Ka’aba and saying certain prayers at certain times.


    These requirements are obligatory only if a person is able to perform them. For example, people who are sick and need to remain well-nourished are not required to fast. Likewise people who do not have enough money to travel are not required to go on the Hajj.

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    According to Muslim belief, Muhamad’s revelations are recorded in the Qur’an, which is the sacred book of Islam. Traditionally, religious Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the literal word of God that was revealed to Muhammad. These revelations were memorized by Muhammad’s companions and recorded shortly after his death. The image above is a page from a Qur’an that was written in central Asia around the year 1400. In addition to being decorated with gold accents, the text is written with beautiful calligraphy – artistic, decorative lettering. How might reading beautiful calligraphy affect a reader differently than reading printed texts or texts written with normal handwriting?

  • Muhammad’s teachings upset the polytheistic leaders of Mecca. There are several reasons why they may have opposed Muhammad: Muhammad’s ideas were different; he taught that all polytheists must become Muslim; Muslims established businesses and married each other outside of their polytheistic families’ control (at the time, the family usually directed these aspects of life); and the Meccan economy benefitted from polytheism.

    Mecca was a center of trade. In addition to being along the caravan route from Yemen to Syria, it was home to the Ka’aba, an important polytheistic shrine that attracted many pilgrims to the city. As a result, Meccans may have worried that challenges to polytheism would hurt the economy.

    LEARN MORE The Ka’aba
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    When Muhamad began preaching, the Ka’aba was a polytheistic shrine. After Muhamad gained control of Mecca, he destroyed the idols and rededicated the shrine to Allah. Today, it is the most sacred site and pilgrimage destination in Islam.


    The Ka’aba is a one room, cube shaped structure. According to Muslim belief, it was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Islam teaches that Arabs descend from these two individuals.

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    The Ka’aba is covered by a dark silk cloth that is decorated with embroidery of pure gold. One of the most notable features of the Ka’aba is the Black Stone, which is the eastern corner stone. Muslims believe the rock came from Heaven.


    The Ka’aba is surrounded by the Grand Mosque of Mecca, which is the largest mosque in the world. A Mosque is a Muslim religious building and gathering place.


    Muslims pray facing the Ka’aba. Every year there is a major pilgrimage to the Ka’aba called the Hajj. Muslims from all over the world travel to Mecca to participate. One of the most important rituals during the Hajj is circling the Ka’aba seven times. Islam commands that every Muslim performs the Hajj at least once if they are able to do so. In 2010, approximately 3 million Muslims preformed the Hajj.

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  • In 622 Muhammad and his followers fled Mecca. They left to escape persecution and because Muhammad had been warned of an assassination plot. They traveled approximately 200 miles north to the city of Medina, which at the time was called Yathrib. Two of the tribes in the city had been involved in a blood feud. Muhamad helped mediate the conflict and they converted to Islam. Muhammad was now both a religious leader and a political leader.

    The migration from Mecca to Medina is called the Hijra. It was a major event in Islamic history that marks the beginning of the growth of Islam into a world faith and into political power. Its importance is revealed by the fact that the Muslim calendar dates its first year to the year of the Hijra.

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    Both Mecca and Medina are located in the Arabian Peninsula in what is today Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Peninsula is the land mass that is bordered by the Red Sea to the west, the Indian Ocean to the south, and the Persian Gulf to the east. Saudi Arabia is by far the largest country in the peninsula. The other countries, beginning with the southernmost and moving counter clockwise are Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. The Arabian Peninsula is highlighted in pink on the map. Today, this region is considered strategic because it contains the world’s largest known oil reserves. Why do you think this is important?

  • Muhammad led his followers in Medina against other cities and tribes in the area. Other tribes and cities converted to Islam and joined him. In 630 Muhammad conquered Mecca, required the polytheists there to convert to Islam, destroyed the shrines of Arabian gods around the Ka’aba, and rededicated the Ka’aba as a Muslim site. Over the next two years, Muhammad’s forces traveled across Arabia destroying idols and requiring that idolaters convert or die (as you will learn, believers in a single God, like Jews and Christians, were allowed to keep their religion). By the time of Muhammad’s death in 632, the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula were united.

  • QUIZ
    1. What is the Arabic name for God?





    2. Which of the following is NOT an accurate description of Muhammad?





    3. Which of the following best describes the Arabian Peninsula at the time of Muhammad’s death?