Each religion and religious doctrine has its unique history of origin and development. Islam was no exception. It appeared in the 7th century on blessed land of Arab peninsula and spread around the world, and now there are nearly 1.5 billion of followers. But here’s the story of it.
Before Islam became one of world religions, it went a long journey to recognition and esteem. History of Islam starts from the birth of Muhammad, who later on became the Great Prophet to carry religious truth sent by Allah. Very little information was preserved about Mohammad himself: it is known that he was born in Mecca, his parents died early and boy had to live with merchants for a long time. Life of Mohammad practically did not differ from that of other people of Arabia. However, everything changed in a flash, when in the course of a prayer a forty year old man heard the voice demanding to carry new religion – Islam – to masses.
First listeners to Mohammad’s sermons were his relatives, but gradually the circle of followers of the new teaching started to extend. And Islam, as a religion already, began to spread around the whole territory of Arabian Peninsula, and beyond its borders. Notably, in those distant times numerous trade paths came through Arabia, connecting Orient and the Mediterranean. And with caravans, different people with different religious prejudices came. That is why Islam appeared in the conditions of polytheism. Islam experienced influence of paganism, Christianity, and Buddhism. However, one cannot assert unequivocally, that Islam imitates other doctrines formed significantly earlier. First of all, Islam is an independent and original religion. It had integrated knowledge, collected by other doctrines, but at the same time created its unique laws following which had become the sense of life for all true Muslims.
There are five indisputable truths observance thereof is hold sacred in Islam. The fundamental principle is confession. Having admitted Allah as a single God, and Mohammad – his Prophet, it is possible to become a true believer, for whom prayers, fast, charity and obligatory hajj to sacred places is prescribed. As with any other religion, there are several trends in Islam – Sunnism and Shiism. The culture of Islam is versatile, but is definitely based on religion and belief. Islam prescribes clothes and rules of public behavior, and serves as an advisor in solving whatever family and legal arguments. Virtually all laws of Islam are contained in a Sacred Writing of Muslims – the Alcoran. Besides, Islamic culture gave birth to unique architecture. Architecture of Islam found its reflection in unique structures – mosques, meant to be a sacred place for any Moslem.
Sometimes it is hard to grasp the nature of Islam, despite of clarity and apparent simplicity, it remains a closed religion with own mysteries and riddles.