Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
T h e A r t i o s H o m e C o m p a n i o n S e r i e s
Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
T e a c h e r O v e r v i e w
THE RELIGION of Islam was founded by an Arabian camel driver named Mohammed during the sixth century, after Mohammed claimed to receive revelations from the angel Gabriel telling him to do so. The founding of Islam was a turning point in the world’s history, and Islam is one of the world’s major religions today.
Manuscript of the Qur’an at the Brooklyn Museum
Reading and Assignments
In this unit, students will:
Complete two lessons in which they will learn about the rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain, journaling and answering discussion questions as they read.
Define vocabulary words.
Visit www.ArtiosHCS.com for additional resources.
Page 53
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
Leading Ideas
An individual’s character will be reflected in his leadership.
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. — Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)
There is power in the spoken word to do evil or to do good.
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
— Matthew 12:34 The rise and fall of nations and leaders is determined by God.
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
— Proverbs 21:1 God’s Word is the supreme source of God’s revelation to man.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Vocabulary
Lesson 1: contemplation mosque Qur’an caliph hajj Lesson 2: Saracen malcontent onslaught
Key People , Places ,
and Events
Mohammed Abu Bakr Roderick Tariq Rock of Gibraltar
The first four verses (ayat) of Al-Alaq, the 96th chapter (surah) of the Qur’an
Page 54
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
L e s s o n O n e
H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s
The Rise of Islam
“Mohammed went to the mountain a number of times and prayed in the cave. Every time he went he said the angel came to him and told him more and more about the new religion, till at last Mohammed felt that the angel had told him enough to put into a book, whereupon the angel said, “Now go and deliver all this news to your people. Tell them that there is but one God and that Mohammed is His prophet.”
— Lawton B. Evans
Muhammad’s name, followed by his title “Apostle of God,” inscribed on the gates of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (By الل ك ب دوي (Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20912230 - ال
Page 55
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
Reading and Assignments
Review the discussion questions and vocabulary, then read the article: A Camel Driver Becomes a Prophet.
Narrate about today’s reading using the appropriate notebook page. Be sure to answer the discussion questions and include key people, events, and dates within the narration.
Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its definition in the vocabulary section of your history notebook.
Be sure to visit www.ArtiosHCS.com for additional resources.
Vocabulary
contemplation mosque Qur’an caliph hajj
Key People ,
Places , and
Events
Mohammed
Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the origin and background of the Kaabah.
2. How are the Arab and Jewish people tied together in ancient history?
3. Discuss Mohammed’s early life.
4. Summarize the rise of Islam through the teaching of Mohammed from its founding through its founder’s death.
Abraham dismissing his son Ishmael and his mother, by Pieter Lastman
Page 56
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
Adapted for Middle School from the book:
Old Time Tales by Lawton B. Evans
A Camel Driver Becomes a Prophet and from the book:
The Story of Europe by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
The Rise of Mohammedanism
Many hundreds of years ago there lived
in Mecca, a city of Arabia, an old couple who
were poor and who had a son named
Mohammed. In spite of their poverty they
were very proud, for they were descended
from princes. One day the father of
Mohammed said to him, “My son, though I
am too poor to leave you any of the goods of
the earth, I leave you that which is better. In
your veins flows the blood of the princes of
Arabia. Never forget it.”
Soon after this the old man and his wife
died, and Mohammed went to live with his
uncle, a kindhearted man named Abu Talib.
The uncle was not rich, nor was he poor, and
as many others of that day, he made a living
by trading in sheep and camels. So the boy
learned to look after the sheep, and after a
while learned to ride the camels and to drive
them through the streets of Mecca.
Mohammed’s family belonged to a
princely tribe who traced their descent to
Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham. They
had in their keeping the Kaabah (also
spelled Kaaba or Kaa’ba) or sacred temple
of the Arabs. Kaabah means “cube,” and the
name was given to the temple because of its
shape, which was square. It had only one
window and one door, and until the time of
Mohammed it was roofed only by a great
black carpet which hung down on all sides.
This temple was said to have been first
built by Adam from a plan sent down from
heaven, but had been restored several
times, by Seth, by Abraham, and last by
Ishmael. Since that time the tribe to which
Mohammed belonged had had it in their
keeping. It enshrined a great treasure, for in
the northwest corner of the wall there was
set a black stone which was said to have
been brought by the angel Gabriel from
paradise and given to Abraham. According
to Muslim tradition, it was white at that
time but had since turned black through the
many kisses bestowed upon it by sinful
although devout lips.
Historical picture of Kaa’ba taken in 1880
In spite of their history, which connects
them with the Jews, the Arabs were
idolaters, and within the Kaabah there were
gathered three hundred and sixty idols in
the shapes of men and beasts. Every year
vast numbers of pilgrims came from all
parts of Arabia to do homage to them and,
above all, to the sacred black stone. The
Page 57
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
possession of this stone made the Kaabah
the most venerated temple in all Arabia,
indeed, because of it the whole district
around Mecca was considered holy, and it
was forbidden to kill anything there save
animals for sacrifice.
It was therefore in a city already held
sacred that Mohammed was born. He
caused it to be held still more sacred, and
made the name of Mecca famous
throughout the whole world.
When he was fifteen or sixteen years of
age Mohammed’s uncle took him on
journeys to different parts of Arabia. On
their journeys Mohammed had charge of a
train of camels, and gave orders about
loading and marching, resting and feeding.
He soon became so skillful a camel driver
that his uncle said, “Mohammed, you are
the best driver in Mecca. I shall recommend
you to my friends and they will send you on
long and important missions.”
Mohammed replied, “I shall always be
faithful and honest in my work and words.
When I give my promise, I shall abide by
what I say.”
And so it was. Mohammed became
known in Mecca for always telling the truth
and never breaking a promise. In fact, the
people of that town gave him a name, Eli
Amin, which means, “the true and faithful
one.” If men wanted to know the facts about
any camel that was offered for sale they
would send for Mohammed, and if he knew
anything he would tell them and they
believed him.
Now, much of the trade of Mecca was
carried on by camels that went in caravans
from town to town, and even to the sea
coast, bearing on their backs the rich wares
of the Arabians, to be loaded on ships and
sent to the cities of Europe. Mohammed at
sixteen years of age had charge of many of
the caravans, rich in valuable goods and
worth large sums of money.
The long lines of richly laden beasts
would wind slowly over the desert, hill and
valley, the drivers urging the camels
forward and keeping a sharp lookout for
robbers on the way. At night the caravan
would draw up by a well or spring, and the
camels huddled on the ground, close
together for warmth and protection.
Mohammed always hid his wallet of
money and his letters to the merchants, and
slept very lightly for fear of marauders, but
nothing ever happened to him, and the
traders always received a full return of their
accounts from the faithful camel driver. One
merchant would say to another, “Is
Mohammed in charge of your caravan?” If
the answer was yes, the one would remark,
“Then you need have no fear. They will
return safely, and every coin will be
accounted for.”
Mohammed was too poor to go to
school, and too busy to get any kind of
education. He could neither read nor write,
but he had a good memory and a fine mind
for business. Whatever he once heard he
could always repeat with accuracy, and
remembered the details of every
transaction.
Mohammed had reached twenty-five
years of age when one day he was walking in
the marketplace of Mecca, and the chief
camel-driver of a wealthy woman
approached him, saying that his mistress
desired to speak with him. Mohammed
hastened to the place where the woman
lived and presented himself at her door. He
was young and strong, with a fine face and a
noble air.
The woman said to him, “The traders tell
Page 58
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
me you are a skillful driver of camels, and
can be trusted with a caravan. I have much
business between Mecca and the coast, and
I desire you to give me all of your time and
your services.”
Mohammed was delighted and
immediately engaged himself to the wealthy
woman. He was all the more pleased to do
so because she was not only wealthy but
lovely, and seemed to look with unusual
favor upon the young man himself.
Mohammed served his mistress well, while
more and more responsibility was put upon
him.
At last he was relieved of managing the
camel train and was taken into the house
and had much to do with the business
affairs of his employer. A relationship
developed between them, and soon they
were married.
Mohammed was ever devout in religion,
and being now the husband of a wife who
was wealthy, he had sufficient time to
devote himself to the contemplation of
religious affairs. Of course, he still
continued to attend to his wife’s business,
but he had much time to watch the priests,
and to learn about the new religion of
Christ, which was beginning to spread all
over the world.
Very few of the Arabians at that time
were Christians. Nearly all of them
worshiped idols, and some of their practices
were very barbarous indeed. Mohammed
was not satisfied with the religion of Christ,
and he abhorred the worship of idols to
which most of his people were bound.
He became more and more serious and
felt the need of being alone. One day, at the
age of forty, he said to his wife, “I shall go
into Mt. Hira and there spend several weeks
in prayer and meditation.”
Accordingly he provided himself with
food and repaired to the mountain and
dwelt in a cave. All day long he sat quietly
looking at Mecca and turning over in his
mind the eternal facts of life and death.
Many hours he spent upon his knees. He
said that one time as he prayed he felt the
presence of the Angel Gabriel near him. The
angel spoke to him long and earnestly and
told him many things about the new religion
which he was to teach his people.
The cave Hira in the mountain Jabal al-Nour where,
according to Muslim belief, Muhammad received his
first revelation
The Beginning of Islam
Mohammed went to the mountain a
number of times and prayed in the cave.
Every time he went he said the angel came
to him and told him more and more about
the new religion, till at last Mohammed felt
that the angel had told him enough to put
into a book, whereupon the angel said,
“Now go and deliver all this news to your
people. Tell them that there is but one God
and that Mohammed is His prophet.”
Page 59
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
Now you will remember that
Mohammed could neither read nor write,
but he had a good memory, so he told all
these things to some learned men who
wrote them in a book. The book was called
the Qur’an (sometimes spelled Koran). This
book became the Bible of the
Mohammedans and remains so to this day.
When Mohammed told his wife of the
vision he had in the mountain, she fell upon
her knees and said, “Truly there is but one
God, and Mohammed is His prophet.”
He then went into the marketplace and
began to preach to the people. Many of them
laughed him to scorn, especially when he
reviled the idols that they had long revered.
The leading men of Mecca said that he was
a dreamer and spoke of foolish things.
There were a few poor people and some
slaves who believed what he said and
accepted the new religion.
Mohammed went on preaching,
regardless of the insults of the people. He
spoke every day, saying that the Angel
Gabriel had spoken to him, and then he
would tell the people what they must do and
what they must believe. Sometimes when he
was speaking great crowds would press
around him just as they always do around
preachers who have a vision of heavenly
things. In the vehemence of his oratory his
face would grow pale, his body would
tremble, and his eyes would be fixed upon
the skies. He would then tell the people that
he saw a vision and that heavenly voices
were speaking to him.
You can easily see the effect this had
upon the multitude. His fame spread all
over Arabia, and crowds came from far and
near to hear him preach. At last the chief
people of Mecca began to be alarmed and
annoyed at the stir Mohammed was
making. They said, “This street preacher is
stirring up the people. He is preaching a
strange doctrine and soon will upset all our
faith. He is an impostor that must be
rebuked.”
So his enemies gathered secretly and
resolved to put him to death, saying that he
was an enemy of his country and should not
be allowed to revile their gods as he was
doing. He had other enemies in Mecca who
told him that he must cease his preaching in
the marketplace or be stoned to death. To
this Mohammed replied, “If not in Mecca,
then in some other place of the earth.”
Accounts of his preaching had long since
reached Medina, and the people there sent
him word, “Come to Medina and preach to
us here. What Mecca rejects, Medina will
rejoice in.”
The Hegira
Mohammed secretly left his native city
and with a few faithful companions fled to
Medina. The time of his flight from his
native city was the turning point in the
history of his followers, who are called
Muslims. It is called the Hegira and is said
to be the beginning of the Muslim Era. In
fact, with the Muslims everything dates
from the Hegira (A.D. 622), just as the
Christians date everything from the Birth of
Christ.
At Medina he was received with great
demonstrations of joy. A great church,
called a mosque, as all Muslim churches and
places of worship are called, was built for
him. In Medina he lived for the rest of his
life and from this city the Muslim religion,
called Islam, spread over Arabia.
It is the belief of the Muslim religion that
it is right to make converts by the sword,
that war on unbelievers is righteous, and
Page 60
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
that those who die in the holy wars are
especially favored in the world to come.
Therefore Mohammed, who was a warrior
as well as a prophet, raised an army and
fought many battles with unbelievers of
Arabia. He marched against his native city,
Mecca. His followers surrounded the town
and cried out, “We come in the name of
Mohammed, and demand you to abandon
your idols and accept his faith. There is but
one God, and Mohammed is His prophet.”
The Prophet and his companions advancing on Mecca,
attended by the angels Gabriel, Michael, Israfil and
Azrail
The people, more in fear than in
conviction, opened the gates to
Mohammed, and he and his army marched
in. He then made all the people join his
religion and destroy their old idols. It was
not long before all Arabia and many other
countries were converted to the Muslim
religion, and they have remained so until
the present day.
After a while Mohammed died and was
buried in Medina, a town which has ever
since been sacred to the Muslims. His
followers believe that his body has never
changed its appearance since he died, and
the story is told that his coffin hangs
somewhere between heaven and earth,
being too sacred to rest upon earthly soil.
Mohammed was succeeded by his
faithful friend and father-in-law, Abu Bakr,
who became the first caliph, which means
“successor.”
Mecca is now considered the holiest city
of the Muslims, because it is the birthplace
of the prophet. Every year that city is visited
by great crowds of pilgrims, and every
Muslim once in his life must make a
pilgrimage to Mecca, called a hajj. It is
required of all the followers of the prophet
that they pray five times a day, and each
time they must kneel with their faces toward
Mecca.
In all Muslim cities there is a mosque
and on top of each mosque is a tower. At the
hour of prayer there is an officer of the
church, called a muezzin, who goes to the
tower and in a loud and solemn voice calls
the people to prayer. As soon as the call of
the muezzin sounds over the city, everybody
stops, no matter what he is doing, and
kneels with his face toward Mecca and bows
to the ground and says, “There is no God but
our God, and there is but one God, and
Mohammed is His prophet.”
Page 61
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
L e s s o n T w o
H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s
The Saracen Conquest of Spain
FOLLOWING the rise of Islam, the Arab Empire began to spread out of the Middle East and into parts of Africa and Europe. This lesson will detail the expansion of the Arab Empire and the spread of the religion of Islam.
Title page of La Crónica del Rey don Rodrigo (The
Chronicle of the Lord King Roderic) published by Juan
Ferrer, recounting the legendary deeds of Roderic
Key People , Places , and
Events
Abu Bakr Roderick Tariq Rock of Gibraltar
Reading and Assignments
Review the discussion questions and vocabulary, then read the article: The Conquest of Spain by the Arabs.
Narrate about today’s reading using the appropriate notebook page. Be sure to answer the discussion questions and include key people, events, and dates within the narration.
Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its definition in the vocabulary section of your history notebook.
Visit www.ArtiosHCS.com for additional resources.
Vocabulary
Saracen malcontent onslaught
Discussion Questions
1. What was the philosophy of the leaders of Islam regarding the expansion of their religion?
2. How did the uncertainty of leadership in Europe aid the expansion of Islam? Be specific.
Page 62
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
Adapted for Middle School from the book:
The Story of Europe by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
The Conquest of Spain by the Arabs
The Conquests of Abu Bakr
Abū Bakr ‘Abdallāh bin Abī Quḥāfah aṣ-
Ṣiddīq, popularly known as Abu Bakr, was
the first caliph, or successor of Mohammed
He was filled with as great a zeal for the faith
as had been Mohammed, and with an even
greater lust for gold and power. So the
triumphant march of the Muslims, or
Saracens as they came to be called, through
the world began. With sword in one hand
and holy book in the other they set out to
conquer and convert the whole world. To all
prisoners of war they offered but one choice
— death or the Qur’an.
Thus a new terror was born into the
world, a new danger that made all Europe
tremble, and for many ages the cry of “Allah,
Allah!” was to blanch the cheek and stir fear
in the hearts of all who heard it.
Calligraphic name of Allah in Arabic
The Muslim soldiers were as fearless as
they were feared. Death to them held no
terror. It was viewed as just the gateway into
a new and glorious life, for they believed
that if they died fighting for their faith they
would at once enter into a paradise of
endless delights. If they hesitated, only the
pains of hell awaited them.
So with fanatic zeal and lust for blood
and gold burning within them, the Saracen
horde swept onward. All of Persia fell before
them, from the Caspian Sea to the Indus.
Syria, the Holy Land, and Armenia, were
torn from the Roman Empire. Egypt, too,
bowed to the yoke.
Constantinople stood firm, however,
and again and yet again the ravening host
was rolled back from its walls, beaten.
But the Golden Gate of Constantinople
was not the only way of reaching Europe.
The Mediterranean lay open to the Muslim
ships, and soon the trade routes of the world
were in their hands. Throughout the length
and breadth of the inland sea they sailed at
will. They overran the north of Africa, and
the kingdom of the Vandals, which
Justinian had reconquered for the Eastern
Empire, became another jewel in the
caliph’s crown. Through Africa the
conquering Arab marched until he reached
the shores of the Atlantic. There, like a new
Alexander, he stood, sighing for more
worlds to conquer. Westward lay the barren
Outer Sea, the great double continent which
lay across its wide waters still unknown and
unguessed at. Southward lay the trackless
desert. Northward then to Europe the
conqueror’s eyes were turned.
Across the narrow Straits lay Spain.
Since the days when Ataulphus the son of
the Wolf had led his followers there, the
power of the Visigoths had spread until at
Page 63
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
length they held sway over the whole of
what is now Spain, and over a great part of
southern Gaul as well. For nearly three
centuries foreign foes had scarcely touched
their borders. Yet the Goths did not prosper
for they were a turbulent people, and the
kingdom was nearly always in a state of
unrest. Many of their kings died by murder,
many were deposed, and revolutions were
frequent and bloody.
Roderick and Tariq
Now, instead of uniting against the
Muslim danger, they still quarreled among
themselves. A noble named Roderick (also
spelled Ruderic) had usurped the throne.
But there were many who hated him, among
them the sons of the late king, and a certain
Count Julian, to whom he had done a deadly
wrong. The Jews, too, of whom there were
many in the land, were ready to revolt, for
they were cruelly persecuted.
The Arab love of plunder was well
known, and it seemed to all these
malcontents that it would be well to have
their help to depose the hated king,
Roderick. The Arabs would come, thought
the Visigoths, defeat and depose their king,
and, having plundered him to their heart’s
content, would then depart again to their
own land.
So Count Julian went to the Arab leader
and offered to help him if he would but
come and free the country from the yoke of
the usurper. The Muslims were willing
enough, and a young and skillful officer
named Tariq ibn Ziyad was sent to depose
King Roderick. He landed at the rocky
southwestern corner of Europe which, after
him, was called Jabal-Tariq, or the
mountain of Tariq. It is still called by that
name, “Gibraltar,” although the last syllable
has fallen away. (Gibraltar is the Spanish
derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Tariq,
meaning “Mountain of Tariq.”)
The Rock of Gibraltar’s north front cliff face from
bayside showing the embrasures in the Rock
Upon landing, Tariq called out an order
to burn the ships, for he had come to
“conquer — or perish,” for in truth he had
no intention to simply help depose the
Visigoth king. He intended to conquer the
whole land. Tariq fortified his camp, and
thus more than twelve hundred years ago
began the military history of one of the most
famous fortresses of the world.
King Roderick hastened to meet Tariq,
and not far from the town of Xeres a great
fight took place. But when the armies drew
near to each other, we are told, “the Gothic
princes began to spin the web of treason.”
They, with their followers, deserted and
joined the Saracen ranks, and soon the rest
of the Gothic army broke and fled in
disorder.
King Roderick had entered the battle as
if he were going to the theater, so disdainful
was he of the heathen invader. Clad in
flowing silken robes, with a jeweled diadem
about his brow, he reclined in an ivory
chariot, drawn by milk-white mules. But
when he saw the day lost and his soldiers
fleeing in rout, he sprang from the chariot,
and leaping upon his fleetest horse, joined
Page 64
Medieval to Renaissance: Middle School Unit 5: The Rise of Islam and the Saracen Conquest of Spain
the rout. He fled from battle, however, only
to meet death in another fashion. For in
trying to cross a river which flowed near the
battlefield, he drowned.
The Saracen victory was complete. But
instead of being content with their triumph
and plunder as Count Julian and his fellow
conspirators had expected, the victorious
troops marched further and further into
Spain. Everywhere towns opened their gates
to them. Hardly anywhere did they meet
with the slightest resistance, and in a few
months the Visigothic kingdom was wiped
from the map of Europe. It vanished even as
the Ostrogothic kingdom had vanished, and
the whole of Spain, save a little strip in the
northwest, became a province of the great
Muslim Empire.
The Moorish castle’s Tower of Homage, symbol of the
Muslim rule in Gibraltar
But the conquerors were not content
with Spain only. They swept on over the
Pyrenees Mountains, and before long all the
south of Gaul was in their hands. Nothing, it
seemed, could stay their conquering march.
In less than a century and a half, the Arabs
had built up almost the greatest empire the
world had ever seen. Now it appeared as if
all Europe might bow the knee to Allah and
pay tribute to the caliph.
Arab Rule in Spain
Yet it is well to remember that where the
conquering Arab passed he did not destroy
as the Hun and the Goth had destroyed.
Beneath the onslaught of the Christian-
barbaric Teutons, the art and learning of
Rome to a great extent had disappeared,
and Italy especially had been left forlorn
and desolate.
It was not so much that the Teutons
deliberately set themselves to destroy the
splendid monuments of Roman art and
learning, as we are taught to imagine by the
modern use of the words “Goth” and
“vandal.” Indeed, many of the chief
Teutonic leaders had been trained in the
school of Rome and desired to preserve all
that was best of Roman tradition. But even
so, the genius of the two peoples was so
diverse that much that was Roman was
bound to disappear. Besides, although some
of the leaders were more or less civilized,
their followers were still brutishly ignorant.
War was the only art known to the mass
of the Teutons when they invaded the
empire. For a long time after their invasion
war was the rule rather than the exception,
and people who live in a constant state of
war cannot well cultivate the arts of peace.
But with the Arabs it was different. At
the time of their assault upon Europe they
were already advanced in arts and learning.
They brought their learning with them and
implanted it in the conquered countries.
And for many generations Spain owed her
advance in the arts of peace to the
domination of the Arabs.
Page 65