Islam DBQ Lake Weir High School SOCIAL STUDIES E.Q. 101,2

Why Did Islam Spread So Quickly? A medieval caravan of Muslim pilgrims traveling to Mecca. Overview: According to the holy texts of the Muslims, in 610 CE a local merchant named Muhammad retreated to a cave outside the city of Mecca in Arabia to meditate. There, the archangel Gabriel appeared and gave Muhammad words to recite. These words were to give birth to a religion called Islam. Within 140 years, followers of Islam had created an empire that ruled the Middle East and stretched across North Africa into Europe. This Mini-Q explores why this new religion was able to spread so quickly. The Documents:  Document A: Arabian Peninsula Trade Routes (map)  Document B: Verses from the Qur’an  Document C: The Spread of Islam (map)  Document D: The Ghazu  Document E: The Duties of the Caliph  Document F: The People of Hims Spread of Islam Mini-Q Hook Exercise: Cultural Diffusion Note: Cultural diffusion is the process by which an object or an idea from one culture spreads to different cultures. When the Spanish brought the first horses to the Americas, that was cultural diffusion. So was the arrival of pizza from Italy. Cultural diffusion has happened throughout history and is happening today. Whether it’s food, a song, an illness, or a religion—a new event or idea is usually transported by some mechanism that causes it to move from one place to another. The mechanism may be migration, or war, or a diseased rat. Part 1: Examine the flow charts below. Each one shows a trigger event that resulted in significant cultural diffusion. Then, from the choices below, select the diffusion