Religion is an important factor in many lives in today's society. One particular Western religion, taken very seriously by many, is known as Islam. Essentially, Islam means “submission,” or in other words, a person must conform to God and peace will follow. In order to understand the Islamic religion, it is important to consider the major themes associated with this religion. By reviewing the central themes of Islam, it might help others understand what this specific religion entails. The beginnings of Islam began in Arabia around 570 CE, when a prophet was born. This prophet was known as Muhammad, although he is said to have several names, and was born in a city called Mecca, or Mecca. This man lived a normal life, getting married and having children. From time to time he ventured into the desert to pray and fast. It was during a stay in the desert, in a cave, that an archangel known as Gabriel approached him. It was at this time that Gabriel gave Muhammad the first verses of the revelation. This continued for years until Muhammad's death. All of the verses provided to him would eventually find their way into the sacred text known as the Koran, or Koran. At the time when Muhammad was receiving messages from God, his tribe wanted him dead because they did not want to change the way they lived. Before his own tribe killed him, he was invited to go to a city known as Yathrib to become their ruler, this city would later be called Medina. Muhammad and his followers left for this particular city around June 622, which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. During the time of Muhammad, he unified many parts of Arabia and was able to establish a religious community...... middle of paper ......ethics, and so on. The crucial information to remember about this religion is that it has a strong emphasis on unity and exhibits great diversity. Although a diverse religion, all Muslims are monotheists and believe only that Allah is the creator of everything, including humans. As a human being, they believe that they owe a debt to God or simply declare, as according to Seyyed Hossein Nasr: "Therefore, everything that we are and everything that we have belongs to God for which we are to Him indebted and for the gifts for which we must give thanks (shukr)”. God is the Absolute and the main point of the Islamic religion is that it is crucial to worship Him and follow His commandments, which will lead to peace among all. This particular religion has continued to grow rapidly across the world and, like most religions, it will continue to grow..