Human Heritage: A World History

"Exploring Islam"

Introduction
As you read in this chapter, the Islamic religion began in western Arabia in 613 with the teachings of Muhammad. Islam grew rapidly, and within 100 years Islamic Arabs controlled an empire larger than that of the Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, Muslims, the name for followers of Islam, preserved much of the knowledge of ancient civilizations and made advances in medicine, astronomy, and mathematics. Today, Islam is second only to Christianity as having the largest number of followers. To learn about the fundamentals of Islam, go to the Islam Web site.

Destination Title: The Religion of Islam

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Directions
Start at the Religion of Islam Web Site.

• Click on "Islam" and read the information.
• Then click on "Pillars" and read this material.
• Browse through these pages. Read through the information and then answer the following questions.

1			What is the Shahada?
2			What beliefs does Islam share with Christianity and Judaism?
3			At what set times are prayers said?
4			Describe the rites of the Hajj.
5			On a separate sheet of paper, create a Venn diagram and complete it with information about Christianity and Islam. A Venn diagram is made up of two circles that overlap slightly. Each circle should represent one of the two religions. In each circle, list information about that particular religion. The area where the two circles overlap should contain the characteristics both religions share.