1. Muslim Civilization
Society and Culture
Preview
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Main Idea / Reading Focus
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Muslim Society
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Muslim Scholarship
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Faces of History: al-Khwarizmi
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Arts and Literature
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Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts
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Video: The Impact of Islam throughout the World
Section 3

2. Muslim Civilization
Section 3
Society and Culture
Main Idea
1. For the first Muslims, Islam was more than a religion. It was a
guide to political, social and cultural life. The early Muslims
responded with spectacular achievement in many fields.
Reading Focus
• What were some key features of Muslim society?
• What were some of the accomplishments of Muslim
scholarship?
• What were some of the contributions to the arts made by
Muslim artists?

3. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Muslim Society
Islam affected almost all aspects of daily life, providing guidance on
how Muslims should deal with many issues.
The Family
• Islam set forth roles within
family
– Man head of family
– Men could have several wives
– Husbands supposed to treat
all wives equally
– Rights of women, children
protected
Women
• Rights of women varied from
clan to clan prior to Islam
• According to Qur’an, women
equal to men before Allah
• Women could inherit property,
seek divorce in some cases
• Played vital roles
– Went into battle
– Influenced politics
• Lost status in Abbasid dynasty

4. Muslim Civilization
Section 3
Slavery
• Islamic texts also addressed slavery, common in Muslim Empire
• Qur’an did not condemn slavery, required slaves be treated fairly
• Freeing slaves praised as religious act
• Treatment of slaves improved, but remained part of society, economy
Economy
• Economic life of Muslim community built largely on commerce
• Merchants followed trade routes east, west across Arabian Peninsula
• Traders developed practical business methods, spread use of
coinage, standardized weights, measures, extended credit
• Trade provided much of wealth to maintain empire, spread faith

5. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Identify
What are three aspects of life that are
addressed in Islamic texts?
Answer(s): family life, slavery, and trade
relationships

6. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Muslim Scholarship
2. Learning added to Muslim cultural unity. Scholars made essential
contributions in several fields. Many later European intellectual
achievements grew out of the work of Muslim scholars.
A Culture of
Learning
• Scholarship thrived
in the Muslim world
• Islam commanded
followers to
examine their
world, seek
evidence of Allah in
its wonders
Vastness of
Caliphate
• Caliphate vast,
included many
different cultures
• Particularly
influential were
Greek, Persian,
Indian civilizations
Contributions
• Translation into
Arabic of works of
ancient Greece
• Much work took
place at House of
Wisdom,
maintained by
government at
Baghdad

7. Muslim Civilization
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8. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Valuable Contributions
Translations
• Through translations from
Greek, texts from Hippocrates,
Euclid, Galen, Ptolemy made
available to new audiences
• Texts stimulated further study
throughout Muslim world
• Influence of texts extended to
Europe; eventually translated
into Latin, made available to
European scholars
Muslim Spain
• Exchange point for much of
knowledge
• Muslim scholar of Cordoba, Ibn
Rushd wrote commentaries on
Aristotle
• His work on relationship
between reason, faith
influenced not just Muslim but
also Jewish, Christian thinking
into the 1400s

9. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Astronomy
Discoveries
• Muslim scholars explored astronomy, some stars still bear names given by
Muslim discoverers
• Astronomy came to Muslim world through texts from Persia, India
Almagest
• Most important influence on astronomy, Ptolemy’s work, first translated into
Arabic 800s
• Described movements of heavenly bodies, gave tables for predicting paths
Astronomers
• Muslim astronomers built observatories; helped create calendar still in use
• Muslims needed to predict phases of moon to plan religious festivals
• Perfected astrolabe, used in navigation to plot positions of stars, planets

10. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Mathematics
Muslims also made advances in mathematics
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From India, adopted symbols 0 through 9
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Making its way to Europe, this system became known
as Arabic numerals
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Algebra and trigonometry also came from Muslim
thinkers

11. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Medicine and Beyond
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Medicine highly developed in the Muslim world
Doctors in Baghdad had to pass rigorous tests in order to practice
Baghdad had world’s first school of pharmacy
Muslim doctors developed many skills, including eye surgery
Scores of different instruments invented, perfected
Ibn Sina most well-known medical scholar of time
Other Fields of Study
History
• Geographers made many strides
• Empire included many different
lands, people
• Pilgrims needed to find way to
Mecca, travel guides written
• One geographer measured earth’s
circumference with much accuracy
• 1300s, Ibn Khaldun wrote history of
world
• Historians still interested in
comments
• Warned against basic errors like
bias, praising rulers too highly in
order to gain favor

12. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Summarize
What were some of the fields in which
Muslim scholars excelled?
Answer(s): astronomy, medicine, mathematics,
philosophy, history

13. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Arts and Literature
Artistic Expression
• Like scholarly life, Muslim
artistic expression rich, varied
• Developed distinctive features,
influenced by many cultures in
vast empire
Idolatry
• Believed portraying people,
animals could tempt worship
• Worshipping anyone, anything
besides Allah the worst possible
sin
Islamic Art
• Muslim artists worked in range
of materials, wood, metal,
ceramics, textiles
• Religious art does not contain
human, animal figures
Patterns, Designs
• Avoidance of figures led to use
of geometric patterns, floral
designs
• Intricate design known as an
arabesque

14. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Calligraphy
Another distinctive feature of Islamic art,
calligraphy—beautifully styled writing
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Artists who produced copies of Qur’an sought perfection
in reproduction of word of Allah
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Artful representation of words became central part of
Islamic art
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Calligraphy appears on walls of mosques, adorns many
household objects

15. Muslim Civilization
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Muslim Architecture
Architecture in Muslim world also developed
distinctive features
• Several forms, plans for building mosques developed
• All have features in common
– Minarets, tall towers from which faithful called to prayer
– Domes
• Some show Persian, Turkish influence in designs

16. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Literature
3. Qur’an
• Most significant written work in Islam is Qur’an itself
• Clear style, message have won millions of converts to the faith
• Influenced later development of Arabic language
Nonreligious works
• Arabian Nights tells how beautiful young woman saved herself and other
women from murderous caliph
• The tales were collected over time, include contributions from many countries
Poets
• Produced works in several different languages
• Jalal ad-Din Rumi’s Persian language poems of 1200s still recited today
• Omar Khayyam’s The Rubaiyat celebrates simple pleasures

17. Muslim Civilization
Section 3
Identify Supporting Details
What are some features that identify Islamic
art?
Answer(s): use of geometric patterns and floral
designs, calligraphy

18. Muslim Civilization
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19. Section 3
Muslim Civilization
Video
The Impact of Islam throughout the World
Click above to play the video.