8 7 9 ALGERIA MALI 10 NIGERIA NIGER CHAD SUDAN LIBYA EGYPT 11
ARABIA YEMEN
SAUDI 12 SOMALIA TANZANIA
Muslim groups Shia
Sunni
1 2 3 4
Bosnia & Herzegovina Kosovo Albania Lebanon
5 6 7 8
Jordan Guinea Bissau Guinea Sierra Leone
9
10 11 12
Ivory Coast Burkina Faso Eritrea Djibouti
Fig. 19 The Islamic world is divided into Shia and Sunni religious regions.
In 570 AD, the prophet Mohammed founded the religion known as Islam. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Approximately 20% (more than one billion) of the world’s population is Muslim.
Within 100 years of the death of Mohammed, the Muslim Empire stretched across Central Asia, east to India and west to Spain, all as a result of a jihad or holy struggle. Muslim armies conquered vast areas of land. They drew up treaties with these conquered people which gave local religions the status of ‘protected minorities’. However, many of the conquered people quickly converted to Islam.
Muslim merchants and travellers introduced Islam into the Indian sub-continent, especially present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. Islam spread further east into Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Local people were impressed by the advanced culture of the Muslim traders; intermarriage between locals and Muslims quickly became acceptable.
During the Middle Ages, there were regular conflicts between Christians and Muslims. These Crusades were organised by Christian leaders to regain conquered territories but the only real success was in Spain which today is a Christian country.
Followers of Islam are divided into two groups called Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. The origin of these groups dates back to just after Mohammed’s death when the question of leadership and religious control led to a division between the followers of Mohammed.
282 MALAYSIA 16 UZBEKISTAN TURKEY 4 SYRIA 5 IRAQ IRAN 13 14 OMAN TURKMENISTAN AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN 15 KYRGYZSTAN