Islam: Empire of Faith
The Brief
570 AD....A baby is born in the important trading village, Mecca, on the Arabian Peninsula. 1500 years later, the religion that sprang from his life and teachings is the fastest growing in the world....and quite possibly, the most controversial. Not a day goes by that Islam is ignored in the news cycle. In this unit, you will learn about the origins, beliefs, spread, and cultural achievements of Islam in the Middle Ages.
The Brief
570 AD....A baby is born in the important trading village, Mecca, on the Arabian Peninsula. 1500 years later, the religion that sprang from his life and teachings is the fastest growing in the world....and quite possibly, the most controversial. Not a day goes by that Islam is ignored in the news cycle. In this unit, you will learn about the origins, beliefs, spread, and cultural achievements of Islam in the Middle Ages.
This Shouldn't Be Controversial....
Islam is a Religion
- a WORLD religion, meaning there are a lot of people who practice it and they are found all over the world
- started in the 7th Century AD by a man living in Arabia named Muhammad, who will also be referred to a Prophet Muhammad (and then Muslims add "Peace Be Upon Him" to show respect). Muhammad claimed to receive the word of God, who is called by the Arabic word for God, Allah.
- has roots (many argue) in the monotheistic religions Judaism and Christianity -- this is contested -- and has lots of overlapping characteristics with these other two religions.
- that is in the news everyday because of a small number of "fundamentalists" whose actions do not necessarily represent mainstream Islamic belief and practice, but nonetheless, we will have to at least acknowledge the existence of groups like the Taliban and Isis.
Let's get a couple of the nuts and bolts out of the way. In every unit, we spend some time front-loading key vocabulary that will function like a skeleton for the unit. This work is intended to build familiarity with the key ideas, provide a broad overview of the unit, and help to identify early points of confusion. Download Chapter 3 and 4 Vocabulary and complete it in the usual way. You should also preview the chapters that will serve as the basis of our study by completing this Chapter Walk Assignment.
Lesson 1: Geography and Culture on the Arabian Peninsula
Like we have learned all year, "Where you live affects how you live." This is very true about life on the Arabian Peninsula. There are 4 distinct climates/environments in Arabia, and each produced very different ways of living in the 6th Century AD, when Muhammad (the founder of the religion Islam) was born. In this lesson you will identify the 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. Check out these Supplemental Text Readings from the Teachers Curriculum Institute to help you get your mind around the different climate zones (you will want to take notes about each in which you 1) describe the environment, and 2) explain how people adapt to that environment). These videos will help you to visualize what different parts of Arabia look like.
Lesson 1: Geography and Culture on the Arabian Peninsula
Like we have learned all year, "Where you live affects how you live." This is very true about life on the Arabian Peninsula. There are 4 distinct climates/environments in Arabia, and each produced very different ways of living in the 6th Century AD, when Muhammad (the founder of the religion Islam) was born. In this lesson you will identify the 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. Check out these Supplemental Text Readings from the Teachers Curriculum Institute to help you get your mind around the different climate zones (you will want to take notes about each in which you 1) describe the environment, and 2) explain how people adapt to that environment). These videos will help you to visualize what different parts of Arabia look like.
Desert
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Oasis
|
|
Mountains
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Coastal Plain
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So, how do these environments influence culture....lifestyle?
Lesson 2: Backstory -- Baby Mama Drama (.....BC)
What do historians do when then they have conflicting narratives about a historical event? In some ways, it's the same thing your mom does when your little brother or sister comes crying, breaking up the sobs with a declaration that you injured her. They give their side of the story and then mom cross-examines you to find out your version of the story.....Either way, some real thing happened and some version of the story will more closely account for the truth. How will your mom decide? What if the story actually makes a world of difference? The Bible AND Qur'an tell a story about a real guy named Abraham who Christians, Jews, and Muslims all say was specially chosen by God (the ONE TRUE GOD according to these three religions) to receive land and a blessing. Abraham's descendants would be the ones through whom God would reveal his plan, character, and identity. Here is what the Christian/Jewish scriptures say happened. On the other hand, here is what the Islamic scriptures say happened. The implications of the story are HUGE because part of the promise of God was to give an inheritance of land (the ownership of which today continues to inspire conflict and fighting).
Read the two accounts and look for similarities and differences. Check out the dates given for when the stories were written. Formulate an informed opinion and way of responding to the question, "Which son received the blessing of God."
Does any of the conflict in the Middle East make more sense now? Ishmael's descendents settled in Arabia and Isaacs settled in Israel. Judaism and Christianity find their origins in Israel and Islam started in Arabia. Muhammad (the founder of Islam) was born in the city of Mecca around the year 570 AD. Let's take a closer look now at his life and some of the events that led him to proclaim the message of Islam.
What do historians do when then they have conflicting narratives about a historical event? In some ways, it's the same thing your mom does when your little brother or sister comes crying, breaking up the sobs with a declaration that you injured her. They give their side of the story and then mom cross-examines you to find out your version of the story.....Either way, some real thing happened and some version of the story will more closely account for the truth. How will your mom decide? What if the story actually makes a world of difference? The Bible AND Qur'an tell a story about a real guy named Abraham who Christians, Jews, and Muslims all say was specially chosen by God (the ONE TRUE GOD according to these three religions) to receive land and a blessing. Abraham's descendants would be the ones through whom God would reveal his plan, character, and identity. Here is what the Christian/Jewish scriptures say happened. On the other hand, here is what the Islamic scriptures say happened. The implications of the story are HUGE because part of the promise of God was to give an inheritance of land (the ownership of which today continues to inspire conflict and fighting).
Read the two accounts and look for similarities and differences. Check out the dates given for when the stories were written. Formulate an informed opinion and way of responding to the question, "Which son received the blessing of God."
Does any of the conflict in the Middle East make more sense now? Ishmael's descendents settled in Arabia and Isaacs settled in Israel. Judaism and Christianity find their origins in Israel and Islam started in Arabia. Muhammad (the founder of Islam) was born in the city of Mecca around the year 570 AD. Let's take a closer look now at his life and some of the events that led him to proclaim the message of Islam.
Lesson 3: Life and Teachings of Muhammad
insert lesson narrative and nuts and bolts here
insert lesson narrative and nuts and bolts here
Lesson 4: Sources of Authority in a Muslim's Life
How does what you believe affect the way you live? Do you believe your best friend is trustworthy? Do you act on that belief by telling them secrets that you wouldn't otherwise tell? Do you believe the chair you are sitting on will hold you? Of course you do, otherwise you never would have sat on it in the first place. Some of our beliefs are really well considered; others, like in the second example, are implicitly trusted because we have had so many similar experiences (with chairs). Religion is not just a set of beliefs living in a person's head -- it is a lifestyle......a way of living that is rooted in the beliefs held and trust/confidence in the divine being the beliefs are about. Islam is no different. What a Muslim believes will affect their lifestyle. There are two main sources of authority in the life of a Muslim -- the Qur'an, which is believed to be the actual words of Allah, and the Sunnah, which is a collection of stories about Muhammad and sermons he taught and these serve as an example of how to apply the Qur'an. The following video is from a non-Muslim woman who shares her experience reading the Qur'an. She, as an outsider to the religion, has an experience many of you would share if you read this book or ANY holy book from a religion you do not follow.
How does what you believe affect the way you live? Do you believe your best friend is trustworthy? Do you act on that belief by telling them secrets that you wouldn't otherwise tell? Do you believe the chair you are sitting on will hold you? Of course you do, otherwise you never would have sat on it in the first place. Some of our beliefs are really well considered; others, like in the second example, are implicitly trusted because we have had so many similar experiences (with chairs). Religion is not just a set of beliefs living in a person's head -- it is a lifestyle......a way of living that is rooted in the beliefs held and trust/confidence in the divine being the beliefs are about. Islam is no different. What a Muslim believes will affect their lifestyle. There are two main sources of authority in the life of a Muslim -- the Qur'an, which is believed to be the actual words of Allah, and the Sunnah, which is a collection of stories about Muhammad and sermons he taught and these serve as an example of how to apply the Qur'an. The following video is from a non-Muslim woman who shares her experience reading the Qur'an. She, as an outsider to the religion, has an experience many of you would share if you read this book or ANY holy book from a religion you do not follow.
What does the Qur'an say about a topic near and dear to many of our hearts.....REVENGE? Take a look at these excerpts from the Qur'an and compare them to the teachings of Jesus in the Christian Bible. A simplification of Muslim practice can be found in the so-called 5 Pillars of Islam. As you watch the video, keep in mind the relationship between the practice and the belief behind it.
Or if John Green talks to fast for you to keep up......here are the 5 Pillars, kids version.
Lesson 5: Split and Spread of Islam
As you have learned, Islam was not just a religion and Muhammad was not just a religious leader. He was also the political leader of Mecca, Medina, and other lands they began to conquer. Religion and politics were closely mingled together in this new "Empire of Faith." Countries and religions usually have leaders and when Muhammad died the Muslim community had some pretty tough decisions to make about who would be the caliph, or successor, to Muhammad.
As you have learned, Islam was not just a religion and Muhammad was not just a religious leader. He was also the political leader of Mecca, Medina, and other lands they began to conquer. Religion and politics were closely mingled together in this new "Empire of Faith." Countries and religions usually have leaders and when Muhammad died the Muslim community had some pretty tough decisions to make about who would be the caliph, or successor, to Muhammad.