The story of Islam begins in the 7th century, when Allah supposedly spoke to Muhammad, the final prophet, revealing to him the wisdom to write the Qur'an. At the time Allah was not the only God worshipped by Muhammad's people, but an important one; nonetheless, Muhammad viewed Allah as The God.

As this occured, Muhammad proclaimed what he had heard - this was treated violently, as it went against the traditional beliefs of the area, going against social order, polytheism, etc. Muhammad, despite prosecution, continued to spout what he had learned, and gained few followers.

In 622 A.D., word of Muhammad's teachings reached Yathrib, 280 miles north of Mecca; after journeying there, the city was renamed Medina and Muhammad was the leader.

Eight years later, after fighting with the Meccans whom he left, he conquered them and Mecca; after which, he forgave the Meccans and made it the center of Islam.

Since, the Muslim faith began to spread and grow throughout Central Asia, North Africa and the like. Up until the 14th century, Muslim hit a period of development, bringing forth great ideas in philosophy, law, mathematics, etc. However, in the 9th century there was also 'the Crusades', a holy war between the Christians and the Muslims.

As far as the beliefs of the Muslims go, essentially all rests with Allah. The world was intended, created so because of Allah's will. Thusly, the teachings go unquestioned; it is law, and in being this way, there is no separation between church and state.

The Five Pillars of Islam are essential to both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, though the Shi'a add three more. Essentially, they're acts that one must do to support their faith. It goes as follows:

1. Shahadah is a testament, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammed is his prophet." A Muslim must say this at least once in their lifetime, heartfelt.
2. Salah is a prayer, which Muslims must use to keep their place in perspective; as such, they must pray 5 times daily.
3. Zakat is essentially charity; it is necessary to, when in a place of comfort, to donate wealth to those in need (2 1/2 percent of one's value, annually).
4. Sawm is fasting for Ramadan (significant due to its coinciding with Muhammed's migration and the Koran's realization); for a period of one month, Muslims must not eat from dusk till dawn, to strengthen discipline, faith, and empathy.
5. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim, if within means, must make at least once during their lifetime. It brings together people from all over, and it also signifies one's relationship with God.
6. Jihad is added to the Shi'a; essentially, it is to strive in the way of God, against oneself, the tongue, hand, and sword.
7. Amr-bil-ma'ruf is next with the Shi'a. It is the enjoinment of Muslims to do good and to encourage others to do the same.
8. Lastly, the Shi'a hold in Nahi-anil-munkar, which is the refrainment of doing evil, and encouraging others to do the same.

There are also the Six Articles of Faith. The Six Articles are essentially an abridged/concise version of what one must believe to be a Muslim. It goes as follows:

1. Belief in one God
2. Belief in the angels of God
3. Belief in the books of God; most importantly, the Qur'an;
4. Belief in the prophets of God; most importantly, Muhammed.
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment and afterlife
6. Belief that God's will is supreme

Due to the Islamic faith, developments were made in both Economics, Women's Rights, Race Relations, and Force; regarding Economics, equality is promoted as well as healthy competition.

As far as Women's Rights, the potential for full equality with men is there; also, with marriage, the woman must give consent, and sex is regulated under law. However, Polygamy is also permissible.

Regarding Race Relations, the Islamic faith has no problem with accepting all races as equals; there is no discrimination.

Lastly, with Force, the Islamic faith holds that wrongdoers must must be punished to the extent of the wrong having been done; war may be fought in either defense or to right said wrong. Despite the militant nature of Islam, Muhammed was one to tolerate other faiths, saying, "Let there be no compulsion in religion."

One final aspect of Islam worth mentioning is the philosophical practice of Sufism - that is, there is both an inward and outward quality to Allah, and that rather than wait until the afterlife, they saught to experience it in the current life.