The Medieval World
& the Rise of Islam
Mouse over the numbers to read, open the Pillars, listen in on a conversation in a Syrian village, then sort out Sunni and Shi'a.
The Medieval World
In the seventh century a new religion came to the deserts of Arabia. It was called Islam, meaning "surrender to God." Those who accepted it were called Muslims.
Pillars of
Click each red block to raise a pillar.
Muhammad and the Beginnings of Islam
Think About It: Islam
The Spread of Islam
A Village in Syria, 660
The time: 660. The place: a village in Syria. The scene: Arab armies have beaten the Byzantines in this region. Muslims have taken over. Abdul, an Arab Muslim, is trying to get people to accept Islam. He is talking to a Christian named Philip and a Jew named Joseph.
The Spread of Islam
Sunnivs.Shi'a
Drag the descriptions to the correct group. (On a tablet: tap a card, then tap a column.) Good luck!
SUNNI
SHI'A
Sunnivs.Shi'a
Of the nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world today…
Sunni
87–90%
Shi'a
10–13%
Estimate: Pew Research Center, Mapping the Global Muslim Population. Most Shi'a live in Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq.
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