The appearance of religion is associated with the city of Mecca, located in the western part of Arabia (7th century AD). At that time, polytheism (paganism) was the dominant religion in this region of Asia. The birth of Islam coincided with the collapse of the tribal system. For the divided Arab tribes, the emergence and spread of Islam has become a symbol of unity.

The founder of Islam is the Prophet Muhammad, who in 610 announced that the angel Jabrayil descended from heaven to him and transmitted 5 teachings of the Koran. 

For 3 years, the prophet spread the faith among his acquaintances, and then he spoke on the main square in Mecca. But the supreme power reacted unfavorably to Muhammad and he had to move to Medina.

The tribes of Medina adopted Islam. The theocratic state of the Arab Caliphate was soon formed.

In the 11th century, the active islamization of the peoples of India began.  

Trade ties contributed to the emergence of Islam in Indonesia.

In the 16th century, the population of the Ottoman Empire adopted Islam. 

In the 19th century, Islamic countries became dependent on Europe. The struggle against colonization led to the emergence of islamism (political Islam). Currently, this radical trend is extremely popular in Iran.

Islam means “submission” in Arabic. 

The Prophet Muhammad gave people the 5 pillars of Islam:

1. Shahada is the recognition of the one god of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad and the one religion.
2. Namaz is the daily performance of 5 prayers.
3. Eid al Fitr – there must be a fast during the month of Ramadan.
4. Zakat is alms for the benefit of those in need.
5. Hajj is a pilgrimage to the holy places in Mecca.

Islam prescribes the observance of strict canons and traditions. In this religion, as in Christianity, there are 10 basic commandments: 

1. Allah is the One God.
2. Don’t create idols for yourself.
3. Do not pronounce the name of Allah in vain.
4. Treat your parents with love.
5. Don’t kill.
6. Stay loyal.
7. Don’t steal.
8. Don’t slander people.
9. Don’t be envious.
10. Eradicate pride.

Also the surah “al-Hujurat” contains other commandments: 

1. Beware of suspicion.
2. Do not look for the shortcomings of others.
3. Avoid insulting each other.
4. Don’t make fun of each other.
5. Reconciles the quarreling.
6. Be fair to others.
7. Establish the truthfulness of the news.

The culture of Islam implies the performance of a large number of rituals. All of them are connected with the veneration of Allah, holy places, as well as with significant stages in the life of every Muslim. 

Consider the basic rites of Islam: 

1. Namaz is a five-fold daily prayer. Prayer must be performed at a certain time. There must be an ablution before prayer. During prayer, the body should be covered. 

2. Nikah is a rite dedicated to marriage. The marriage is considered valid if 5 conditions are met: 

The groom is obliged to present a wedding gift to the bride – mahr.

A Muslim’s bride can be a Christian, a Muslim or a Jew. But a Muslim girl can only marry a Muslim.

The bride’s father says at the ceremony: “I got married,” and the groom must say the phrase that he accepted the marriage.

At the conclusion of the first marriage, the bride must be with her parents or guardians.

At the conclusion of the marriage union, the presence of witnesses is mandatory. One of them must be a man, otherwise the marriage will not be valid. 

3. Janaza is a funeral rite performed within 24 hours after death. The body of the deceased is subjected to ablution. The body is covered with several blankets. After that, funeral prayers are read. Women are forbidden to participate in the funeral procession to the cemetery.

The two main holidays of Islam are: 

Eid al-Fitr. The holiday marks the end of the main monthly fast in Ramadan. On the eve of the Muslims collect alms for the needy. Usually it’s food or money. On a festive day, Muslims visit mosques and read festive prayers. At home, the table is set and guests are invited, as well as they visit friends themselves. On this day it is customary to give gifts to each other.

Eid al-Adha. The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the sacrifice of Ibrahim. According to legend, the angel Gabriel appeared to Ibrahim and told him to sacrifice his son. Ibrahim went to the valley in Mecca. His son followed him, obeying the will of Allah. For his devotion to religion, the angel gave in return a ram for sacrifice and left his son Ibrahim alive.

There are a large number of holy places in Islam. Mecca and Medina are the central shrines.

There is an al-Haram mosque in Mecca. It is there that the Kaaba is located – the black cube. According to legend, the Kaaba was originally white, but because of human sins it became black. Muslims all over the world turn to this place during prayer. Representatives of other religions are prohibited from accessing the shrine.

The Mosque of the Prophet is located in Medina. Mohammed spent the last days of his life in this city. He was also buried here.

It is believed that at least once in a lifetime a Muslim should make a pilgrimage to these shrines.

The most important component of the teachings of Islam is divine revelation through the prophets, through which God opens the way for people to salvation of the soul. The Quran mentions 25 prophets, among them Adam, Moses (Musa) and Jesus (Isa), but it is believed that only the message of Muhammad is considered as being addressed to all the peoples of the planet, and only Muhammad is considered the founder and the central figure of Islam.

The list of the most influential muslims in the world is headed by:

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – Emir of Qatar

Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud – King of Saudi Arabia

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei is Iran’s second Highest Leader

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the current President of Turkey

Abdullah II – the King of Jordan

Islam was born and developed in difficult conditions, the history of interreligious conflicts began with the persecution of Muhammad by polytheists in Mecca, and continues to this day by competing religious teachings, such as Christianity, and secular authorities, such as the oppression of Islamic communities by the government of the People’s Republic of China, NATO countries or Indian nationalists.