Step 3 of 54

2. Islam

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Type: Monotheistic, Abrahamic, founded 622 CE by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia
Core text: Qur'an (also Quran or Koran), believed to be the direct word of Allah revealed to Muhammad
Five Pillars: Shahada (declaration of faith), Salat (five daily prayers), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Major split: Sunni vs. Shia, originating in a 7th-century dispute over succession to Muhammad. Sunni became the majority worldwide; Shia became the majority in Persia (modern Iran).
Geography in 1750: North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia (under Mughal rule), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia), parts of sub-Saharan Africa via trans-Saharan trade
Political significance: Three major Islamic empires dominated in 1750: Ottoman (Sunni), Safavid (Shia, in decline), and Mughal (Muslim ruling Hindu majority).