Why Did Islam Spread So Quickly?

In order of Appearance

Hook
Cultural diffusion / The process by which an object or an idea from one culture spreads to different cultures
Mechanism / The process or system for achieving a result
Conquest / Use of military force to take over territory that belongs to others
Foreign / Outside of your own country
Migration / Movement from one country/place to another
Merchants / Sellers or traders of goods
Economic mobility / Opportunity to increase earning power
Background Essay
merchant / seller or trader of goods
the archangel Gabriel / The “exalted Messenger of God”, Gabriel appears in Muslim, Jewish, and Christian texts.
The archangel Gabriel spoke to Muhammad, saying that “Allah is the one true God”, laying the foundations for Islam.
bustling / busy, energetic, noisy
caravan / a company of travelers on a journey; includes people, animals, vehicles, etc.
annual / happens each year
pilgrimage / a journey of a pilgrim, especially one to a shrine or a sacred place
pagan / heathen; one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods
Ka’ba / the holy shrine in Mecca
recite/reciting / to speak/read aloud publically
submit/submission / to yield to authority (in this case, the religious authority of Allah)
idol worship / praying to a picture, statue, or other inanimate object
symbolic/symbolically / expressing or representing an idea or quality without using words
opposition / actions or opinions that show that you disagree with or disapprove of someone or something
Five Pillars / the essential beliefs and duties of Muslims; every Muslim must submit to doing these 5 actions
fast / a period of time when you do not eat any food; often for religious reasons
alms / money, clothes, food, and other things given to poor people
bedrock / a strong idea or principle
Document A
prosperous / successful in making a lot of money
lucrative / making money or wealth
market / a place where things are bought and sold
profit / money that is made in a business after all business costs are paid for
brisk / very active and steady
shrine / a place connected with a holy person or event where people go to worship
empire / a group of countries or regions controlled by one ruler or government
Byzantine / the eastern part of the ancient Roman Empire; its capital was located in Constantinople, which is the modern day city of Istanbul, Turkey
Persian / An ancient middle eastern empire that began in the country now known as Iran
Silk Road / An ancient trade route from China to the Mediterranean Sea
Document B
devout / really loyal and/or religious
sincere / honest, showing true feelings
patient / calm, not annoyed, when you have to wait
humble / not thinking you are better than others; not proud
charitable / showing kindness; helps other (charity)
chaste / morally pure and decent; not sinful
fast / (to go for) a period of time when you do not eat any food; often for religious reasons
bestow / to give as a gift or honor
villainy / evil behavior or actions
deemed / considered; judged
“do good works” / do the right (moral) thing
injustice / unfair treatment
devour / (in this context) take or destroy
unjust / not fair
bribe / to try to get someone to do something by giving or promising something they want (often $$)
“take up arms” / (in this context) to use weapons against another person – “arms” are weapons
grant / give
victory / defeating your enemy/opponent
Document C
Islamic world / areas controlled by Islam(Muslims)
Unmayyad Caliph / member of a dynasty of caliphs based in Damascus that ruled from A.D. 661 to 750
Document D
Ghazu / raids against other (non-Arab) tribes
Ummah / Muslim community
inadequate / not enough
meager / small amount
outwardly / outside of
campaigns / a connected series of operations designed to bring about a particular result
plunder / to take someone else’s goods by force (as in war)
power vacuum / when there is not a strong leadership; often new leaders take over when there is a power vacuum
Persia / ancient Iran
Byzantium / ancient Istanbul (in Turkey)
Document E
circa (975 CE) / around (975 CE); “CE” means “current era” (formerly “A.D.”)
ordinances / laws
caliph / an important Muslim political and religious leader
imam / a Muslim religious leader (like a Christian preacher/priest)
delegate / to give responsibility to someone else
excerpt / a piece of a bigger text
“public duties” / responsibilities to the community
maintain / to continue without changing
“established principles” / agreed upon rules and standards
consensus / idea that is agreed upon by the group
dubious / doubtful
deviates / does something that is unusual or unexpected
“clarify the proofs of religion” / explain the rules/expectations of the religion
expound / explain; give details about
safeguarded / safe/secure
“execute judgments” / hear the cases for and decide the outcome
disputes / disagreements
contestants / people who are disagreeing
prevail / win
commit / to do; i.e., “to commit a crime”
suffer / experience something unpleasant
injustice / unfair treatment
intrusion / going into a place where you are not welcome or wanted
livelihood / how you make a living (pay for food, rent, other essentials)
enforce / make sure people do what they are supposed to; i.e., “to enforce the law”
penalties / punishments
commandments / important rules given by God (Allah)
violation / doing something not allowed; breaking a law
preservation / keeping something in original condition
wage / to start and continue (a war, battle, etc.)
persist / to continue to do something even when it is difficult
pact / written agreement
Document F
origin / the beginning of something
expansion / becoming bigger
Moslem / another way of spelling Muslim; someone who follow the religion of Islam
fierce / very violent
flight / running away in order to get away from danger
Allah / the Arabic word for God
refund / to give back money that someone used to pay for something
inhabitant / a person who lives in a particular place
tax / an amount of money the government makes people pay; the government usually uses tax money to pay for thing the government does
oppression / to treat people in a mean and unfair way
tyranny / a government in which all power belongs to one person
repulse / to force someone to stop attacking you
unbeliever / a person who does not believe in a particular religious faith, like Islam