Question

Why is Mecca important for Muslims?
What is one of the religious duties for Muslims?
Islam is one of the world’s major religions today. How did Islam spread after 850?
By 1500 which continents had Islam spread to?
In addition to Mecca, what were four other major Muslim sites in 1500?

Answer 1

- Why is Mecca important for Muslims?
- Mecca is the holiest city in Islam: it is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the site of the Kaaba in the Great Mosque (Masjid al-Haram). It is the spiritual focal point of Islam and the direction (qibla) Muslims face in prayer.

- What is one of the religious duties for Muslims?
- One of the Five Pillars is the Hajj: every physically and financially able Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. (Other duties include the shahada, five daily prayers, zakat, and fasting in Ramadan.)

- How did Islam spread after 850?
- After about 850 CE Islam spread mainly through trade, mission work, and cultural exchange (especially by Muslim merchants and Sufi missionaries), as well as through the expansion of Muslim-ruled states and military campaigns by successive dynasties (e.g., Turks, Ottomans, and local rulers adopting Islam).

- By 1500 which continents had Islam spread to?
- Asia, Africa, and Europe.

- In addition to Mecca, four other major Muslim sites in 1500
- Medina (second-holiest city, Prophet’s burial place)
- Jerusalem (Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock)
- Cairo (major political, religious and educational center—Al-Azhar)
- Istanbul/Constantinople (the Ottoman imperial capital after 1453, a major political and cultural center)