A: A man from Mecca named Muhammad started Islam. He started it when he met the angel Gabriel, telling him that he must spread God's word as the last prophet. Although scared and unwilling at first, family urged him on and he decided to spread the religion. The religious book of Islam, the Qu'ran is the last revelation of God.

2. What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

A: These are five rules that all Muslims must follow. The first is to believe that there is only one God and no other. Second is to pray five times a day facing towards the Kaaba, a religious landmark of Islam in Mecca. The third is that you must not eat from sunrise to sunset during the time of Ramadan. Fourth is that you must give a percentage of your income to charity or the poor. The final pillar is to go on the Hajj at least once in your life, unless you are to poor or sick.

A: One Islamic Empire was the Umayyad Dynasty. This stretched from eastern and southern parts of the old Roman Empire all the way to central Asia and Persia. They were significant because they helped to expand the Arab Rule and they created a new capital city at Damascus in Syria. Another Empire was the Seljuk Turks. This group took rule after the Abbasid Dynasty. They took part in the Crusades, which kept Jerusalem in Muslim rule, and they conquered the Anatolian Peninsula.

2. What is the significance of Islam in the world?

A: Islam is significant in the world because it is the religion of over a billion people and is one of the largest spread religions in the world. It also teaches people how to better in faith and life.

A: The Mongols were a civilization that started out in Central Asia, but at the empire's full extent, stretched from Central Europe to the Sea of Japan, covering Siberia, the Middle East, and parts of India. It is the largest contiguous land empire in history. They did this by being very nomadic and invading in all directions. They also destroyed many Islamic cities and Mosques, but as one of the leaders converted to Islam, they started rebuilding the cities. They also failed to conquer Egypt and started to intermarry local peoples. They also forced the new Islamic capital to be Cairo, because they had destroyed Baghdad.

2. Who was Genghis Khan, what was he like, and why is he significant?

A: Genghis Khan was the first leader of the Mongols. He was one of the best military leaders every. He turned the Mongolian Empire from in Central Asia to covering the land in between the Caspian Sea and the Sea of Japan. He led many successful invasions and raids, and turned the Mongols into one the greatest land empire in history. He was also known for being very destructive and mean to the people and cities he captured. Most of the people captured were killed in very gruesome and inhumane ways.

Significance- this is the major book of Islam, just as the Bible is to Christianity. Many Muslims read the Qu'ran to learn more about the stories of God and His last prophet and about the religion in general.

Hadith-One of the religious smaller texts that gives insight into the life of Muhammad and his journeys.

Significance- this is another aspect of the religion and Muslims read this as well to know all they can about their religion.

Allah- The Arabic word for God

Significance- This is the same God the the Christians and Jews all see as the one God in their religion.

Sunni Muslims- The type of Muslim that believes that anyone can be the Caliph, or the Muslim religious and civil leader. They also believe that Abu Bakr was right to be the Caliph after Muhammad. They also believed that the three caliphs after Abu Bakr were correct as well.

Shia Muslims- This type of Muslim believes that the Caliph can only be bestowed upon someone that is in the bloodline of Muhammad. They also think that the first four Caliphs after Muhammad were incorrect and that Ali should have been the second Caliph.

Significance- The Seljuk Turks was the main group fighting for the Muslims and they faced the Byzantines and Germanic tribes from the west. They won and kept control of the holy cities.

Anatolian Peninsula- an area that encompasses Turkey.

Significance- The Seljuk Turks conquered this territory from the Byzantines.

Sultan- The holder of power in Turks civilization

Caliphate- the state of the Islamic world being lead by a religious and political leader known as the caliph.

Significance- The first leader of the Umayyads set up the caliphate so that it would be hereditary in his own family. This was what made the Umayyads a dynasty.

Significance- the Mongols began to do this with the local peoples of places that they conquered.

Hulegu- A mongol ruler, and brother of Kublai Khan, another leader

Significance- He had a strong hate for Islams. After conquering the Middle East, he began to ransack and destroy Islamic cities, libraries, and Mosques. Around one million Muslims were killed.

Mongol- A person that was part of the Mongols civilization

Significance- they created the largest land empire in history

Kublai Khan- Another leader of the Mongols, and the grandson of Ghengis Khan.

Significance- He was another good leader, and he helped to expand the Mongol Empire. He is also the founder of the Yuan Dynasty.

Siege Warfare- A military strategy where the attackers would block the cities off and then attack, so the other army would have no way of escaping.

Significance- The Mongols mastered this way of warfare and it helped them win many conquests.