What I leaned from others

Geography and Climate of Arabian Peninsula- Alon

From Alon’s presentation I learned that the harsh desert terrain and arid climate were the reason that people became nomads, moving from place to place in search of resources and water. I also learned that even though the Arabian Peninsula is surrounded by three bodies of water, there are no rivers and rainfall is very rare, which makes it a very harsh place to live in.

Islamic Extremism- Katja

In her presentation I learned that powerful Muslims fund terrorist forces that teach future generations to do wrong things, and they create an illusion of what is good. Another thing that I learned is that religious manipulation is used to force a person to do something, by telling them they are doing it for their religion.

Muslim Women- Ana

In her presentation I learned that the Prophet Muhammad gave women rights, but they were wrongly interpreted or lost over the years, so life for women has changed for the worse. Men are considered to be more important, which is why a man is allowed to punish his wife if she misbehaves, and he is even allowed to kill his daughter or wife.

Islam Religion- David

Islam means submission to the will of God, which is Allah. 26% of the world population is Muslim, and Islam has spread throughout 184 countries. There are basic beliefs such as praying 5 times a day, and the 5 pillars of Islam contain the 5 basic beliefs.

Trade in the Islamic Empire- Annie

The Silk Road was the main trade route that connected Europe to Asia, and it went through the Muslim Empire. The Silk Road went on land and sea. Traders would travel in groups called caravans and they would exchange goods and ideas at markets called bazaars.

The Prophet Muhammad- Rea

He received the word from God from an angel Gabriel, while he was meditating in a cave, and he started Islam. He wrote down the messages from God into the Quran, which is the holy book of Islam.

Islam Religion- Sara

The beliefs written down by Muhammad still go on, like praying 5 times a day. The most important holiday is the Ramadan, which is celebrated the 9^th month of every year. Ramadan celebrates when the word of God was first revealed to Muhammad.

Islam Architecture- Svetlana

I learned that most Muslim houses are rectangular and made so that the wind and sandstorms do not damage the interior of the house. The buildings can be decorated with mosaics on the interior. The most famous Muslim palace is the Taj Mahal in India, which is made of marble and has many beautiful carvings.

Presentation on Islam

Before Islam became a widespread religion, Arabia was split up between Bedouins, which were nomadic warlike tribes. These tribes rode camels, herded sheep and cattle, and moved from one place to another in search of resources and water. Oases were a source of rare resources and water, so they were very important. Many battles and wars between tribes were fought over control of them.

The weapons used during that time were mainly swords and daggers. Curved swords called scimitars were commonly used in battle as well as tabars which are battle axes. Small daggers called jambiyas were used in both combat, but also in religious ceremonies.

When Muhammad’s teachings were rejected in Mecca, he moved to Yathrib (Medina), where they were accepted. There he had 1,500 followers that suffered from poverty, so he led attacks on caravans to help his people. After, his army grew to 10,000 as he made alliances with neighboring tribes and from many people converting to Islam. Mecca surrendered to Muhammad’s army and he added their soldiers to his own army, soon conquering the Arabian Peninsula. After his death in 632, the Islam Empire had spread rapidly.  In 750, the empire was at its peak, covering an area stretching from Spain to India. The expansion of the empire was stopped in France by Charles Martel in 732, and this marked the limit of Muslim Empire in Western Europe.

The weapons used during the expansion of the Muslim Empire remained the same as before, but because gunpowder was invented, more things were added to its arsenal. Muskets, cannons, grenades and steel shields became popular and were used in battles.