Islam Study Guide

In general, having class notes complete is your best preparation for the history test. In addition, you should master the Key Academic Vocabulary for social studies. Finally, to hone your analytical thinking skills, think about the Essential Questions for this topic in history.

Click here for the Fundamental Social Studies Vocabulary for the year.

California History Standards:		7.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Islam in the Middle Ages. 1. Identify the physical features and describe the climate of the Arabian peninsula, its relationship to surrounding bodies of land and water, and nomadic and sedentary ways of life. 2. Trace the origins of Islam and the life and teachings of Muhammad, including Islamic teachings on the connection with Judaism and Christianity. 3. Explain the significance of the Qur’an and the Sunnah as the primary sources of Islamic beliefs, practice, and law, and their influence in Muslims’ daily life. 4. Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending within Muslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language. 5. Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society. 6. Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature.
Chapter	Essential Vocabulary	Essential Questions
7	peninsula oasis desert nomad trade route	Why was the location of the Arabian peninsula idea for the spread of goods and ideas? How did the desert and oasis environment influence the growth of cities and the development of trade routes?
8	Muhammad Makkah (Mecca) polytheist monotheist tribe trade prophet Muslim boycott caliph Madinah	Describe the culture into which Muhammad was born. Why is Muhammad known as a prophet? How were Muhammad's teachings different from existing beliefs? How did various people react to Islamic teachings? What is the significance of the Qur'an? How did the Muslim community grow?
9	Islam Qur'an Sunnah Pillars of Faith faith prayer alms fasting pilgrimage shari'ah jihad	What beliefs and religious texts are common to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? How do each of the Five Pillars of Faith affect daily lives of Muslims? What does the Qur'an teach about jihad?
10	architecture university mosque medicine pharmacist technology navigation zoology irrigation astronomy algebra geometric calligraphy Arabic	What areas did the Muslim empire control? Describe the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Europe, Asia, and Africa. How did products and inventions travel along trade routes? Identify contributions to world scholarship and technology made by Muslims.
11	crusade Holy Land Pope ransom Inquisition expulsion segregation Jews	Why do Jews, Christians, and Muslims each consider Jerusalem a Holy Land? What reasons led European Christians to figtht in the crusades? What were the results of the crusades?

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