This week, your reading is a slightly dry historical text by the prominent historian Albert Hourani. Although it’s not the most exciting read, it contains a lot of crucial historical facts that you need to know as a foundation for the rest of the class. Please respond to the following 2 questions in a written response which totals 300 words. Then, upload your response as a PDF.

**Please note, Canvas will ONLY accept files in PDF format. If you are not sure how to save a Word, Pages, or Google doc as a PDF, just google it: there are lots of online tutorials.

READING RESPONSE 1

On pp. 711, Hourani maps out the main civilizations that were present in the Mediterranean and Middle East before the arrival of Islam in the 6th century. In 150 words, summarize in your own words: What were these civilizations, and where were they located? What were their relationships?

On pp. 1431, Hourani sketches out a biography of Muhammad and describes the emergence of Islam as a religion. In 150 words, summarize in your own words: What are the top 5 most important facts about Muhammad and Islam that you think its important to know?