ARABS AND THE ISLAMIC WORLD

I: ISRAEL

• Attacked almost immediately after creation
• Major U.S. ally in the Middle East
• Militarily distinguished in combat
• Slowly increasing borders

K: AL-KHWARIZMI (780-850)

• Considered greatest Arab mathematician
• Pioneered hindu numerical system (1,2,3...)
• Studied and improved algebra
• Published the treatise Hisah al-Jabr-w-al-Muqahah
• Al-kitāb al-mukhtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-ğabr wa’l-muqābala

O: OIL

• Second World War
• 1973 oil embargo
• Shaped our foreign policy
• Influenced invasion of Iraq

Q: QUR'AN

• Holy book of Islam
• Not to be altered or translated
• Qur'an means recitation

R: RHAZES (865-925)

• Born near present day Tehran
• Head physician at Baghdad hospital
• 140 treatises on diseases
• Distinguished measles and small pox
• Basis of medical knowledge until 16th century

S: SALAH AD-DIN (1138-1193)

• Recaptured Jerusalem on Oct. 2nd, 1187
• Sultan of Egypt and Syria
• Kurdish descent
• Climbed military ranks

A: ABBASID DYNASTY

• Longest ruling dynasty in Islamic history
• Intellectual development and cultural boom
• Scholars heavily encouraged by government

B: BAGHDAD

• Center of learning and culture in the Islamic world
• Conquered by Mongols, the burned to the ground
• Capital city for a period of time

C: CONQUEST

• Rivaled the Romans in only a few hundred years
• Streched from Spain all the way to India
• Used light camel cavalry and light infantry
• Out maneuvered their opponents militarily

D: DAMASCENING

• The art of inlaying metals and gems into other metals
• Damascus swords were some of the finest in the world
• Their legendary steel making process has been forever lost
• Named after the city of Damascus

E: EGYPT

• Stayed somewhat independent of Abbasid rule
• Played important role in the Islamic empire
• Invaded by Napoleon on Oct. 2nd 1798
• Suez Canal and the battles for it

F: FATIMA

• Means: "the shining one"
• Name of Muhammad's daughter
• Considered a Muslim version of Mary

G: MONOTHEISTIC GOD

• Originally most Arabs were pagan or polytheistic
• Belief in a single god (Allah) united Arabs
• Helped unite and keep their empire together

H: HAJJ

• Pilgrimage to holy city of Mecca
• One of seven pillars of Islam
• One who completes their pilgrimage is a "Haji"
• Not an easy task, but not mandatory

J: JABIR IBN-HAYYAN

• Known as the father of Arab Alchemy
• His discovaries became basic knowledge unit the 17th century
• He improved many chemical processes we use today
• Member of the Intellectual School of Baghdad

L: LANGUAGE

• Arabic is the language of the Qur'an
• Three main groups colloquial, modern literary, and classical
• Colloquial varies from place to place and isn't written
• Classical is the same everywhere and is written
• Modern literary borrows from

M: MUHAMMAD

• The holy prophet of Islam - NOT to be depicted
• Illiterate
• Frugal trader
• First convert was wife Khadija
• Meditated in cave and met the angel Gabriel

N: NIQAB

• Veil that covers the face
• Typically worn in public and around men
• Combined with the Hijab

P: PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO)

• Joined Lebanese guerilla fighters
• Attempted to overthrow Lebanese government
• No longer uses terrorism to protest Israel
• Fights to get rid of Israel

T: SEJUK TURKS

• Faithful Muslim converts
• Started invasion of Islamic empire from the east
• Took Baghdad on Dec. 18th 1055
• Pushed into Damascus and Jerusalem
• Engaged Byzantines and started the crusades

U: UMAYYAD DYNASTY

• Spread vast distances through military might
• Used camel mounted troops and light infantry
• Able to quickly out maneuver their opponents
• Struggled when fighting heavily armored European troops
• Overthrown violently by Abbasid's

W: WORLD WAR ONE

• Ottoman Empire sided with Central Powers
• Ottoman Empire collapsed after the First World War
• The republic of Turkey was born
• France and England redrew middle eastern countries' borders

Y: YEMEN

• Divided for most of its history
• Umayyad's had a hard time conquering it
• Much civil strife still today
• Known terrorist training camps

Z: WELL OF ZAMZAM

• Located in Mecca and east of the Kaaba
• Source of water from god
• Produced for Ishmael, so of Abraham
• Part of the Hajj
• Pilgrims flock to drink from the well