5-paragraph

Analytical Essay Outline

Note: the assumption is that each example/detail will be followed by an explanation of how that piece
of evidence supports the paragraphs argument.

I.

INTRODUCTION
a. Introduction (interesting facts, anecdotes, statistics, rhetorical questions)
i. Islam was a lot more advanced than Western Europe
ii. 100 years after founders death, was already an empire
b. Thesis: Islam was a religion created through the trade routes, and due to its focus on
community and tolerance for outsiders, became a religion suitable for mighty empires.

II.

Islams five pillars its belief in umma helped members of the community feel united and
part of a greater whole.
a. Umma
i. Umma means community, people bond together
ii. United the divided tribal states of the middle east and created some political
unity (book, 144)
b. Five pillars
i. Five pillars all support community
ii. No God but Allah, Muhammed his prophet: uniting factor, Pray five times a day:
daily task unites them, fast during Ramadan: hardship they endure together,
charitable donations (zakat): give back to the community, hajj: meet everyone
else at Mecca (book, 145)

III.

Muhammeds early life as a trader and the trade routes that connected all places that ran
through the land are what allowed Islam to flourish.
a. Muhammad shaped his religion based on what he people wanted as a trader

i. Spread of monotheistic ideas and dissatisfaction with old gods (book, 142)
b. Spread the religion through trade
i. When trade routes began to spread to the entirety of the African continent,
Islam quickly spread in (book, 184)
IV.

The Muslims tolerance for outsiders increased Islams appeal and

a. Tolerating race
i. Full integration of new converts (of all races) into Islamic community during the
Abbasid era (book, 155)
ii. Didnt even really want to convert people, then they couldnt tax them as much
(book, 150)
b. Tolerating other religions
i. Dhimmi people of the book, Muslim overlords tolerated their religions, and
allowed them to worship as they please, though still making them pay heavier
taxes. (book, 150)
ii. Business ventures with the people of the book, because they all had different
Sabbaths (book, 155)

V.

CONCLUSION
a. Tolerant community, used ideas from all around and spread across growing trade routes
b. Mystery that Christianity took over
i. Islamic empires consolidation of knowledge created technology are what
created the transformations in technology that tilted power against them (book,
159-160)
ii. Songhay kingdom destroyed by small group of people with muskets (book, 193)