> Photo 3.2 Islamic religion and culture are widespread, and in the twenty-first century, interactions are increasing between Muslims and others throughout the world. This photograph is of students at an Islamic school in Asia.
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Islam and Arabic Education
religion, affirms the existence of one God, the creator of the universe. Written in Arabic, the Koran prescribes the pillars of faith, prayers, and religious observances such as Ramadan, a month of fasting, and the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca.53 Today, Islam is the religious faith of one-eighth of the world’s population and is the dominant religion in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Its influence extends to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan in Asia (Photo 3.2). In addition, Muslims live in countries throughout the world. By 661 CE, Islam had been established in Palestine, Syria, Persia, and Egypt. The cities of Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus, and Cordoba became renowned centers of Islamic culture and education. Baghdad, in particular, attracted Arab, Greek, Persian, and Jewish scholars. Mohammed’s followers extended Islamic influence through conquest and conversion. After their conquest of North Africa, the Arabs gained control of much of Spain. Here, Islamic Arabs and Christians not only struggled for power and territory but also borrowed ideas from each other. During the Moorish period, Cordoba, with a population of 500,000 people, 700 mosques, and 70 libraries, was a leading Arab cultural and educational center.54 The Islamic, or Moorish, kingdoms of Spain persisted until 1492, when they were conquered by the armies of Christian Spain.55 For Islam, access www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Islam.aspx. See www.islamicity.com/mosque/ihame/Sec5.htm (September 25, 2003), pp. 1–2. 55 Richard Fletcher, A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006). Also, see Richard Fletcher, Moorish Spain (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2006). 53 54
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