Islam is considered an Arab religion because in the beginning it emerged on the Arabian Peninsula in the town of Mecca. The creation of Islam came about from the prophet Muhammad brought unity, power, and cultural and economic growth. Islam means submission to God, otherwise known as Allah to the Islamic people. Islam gave Arabians a form of monotheism, which shared Christian and Jewish scripture and adapted the traditions of those religions to Muslim needs. The Arabian Peninsula is mostly desert dotted with oases where cities were established surrounding them and the coastal areas of the peninsula. Much of the remaining peninsula comprises of camel nomads that are organized in tribes and clans. The Bedouin culture was similar to that of other nomads; they were herders that lived in clan groups living mobile lifestyles. “The Bedouin’s also believed that all members of a tribe were descended from a common ancestor.” (McKay et al, 2007.) This was in direct conflict with Islamic beliefs. Clans were clustered into larger tribal groupings that came together usually only in times of crisis or war. The survival of a group depended on each person’s loyalty and contribution to their family. Due to the harsh environment, a case of exile or abandonment would be fatal. Taking its roots from the Arab Peninsula, the Islamic civilization was spread by merchants. Cities in the north of the peninsula provided increased trade over the empire and outside of the empire. Islam spanned from Central Asia to the borders of China. (McKay et al, 2007.p.220) During the time of Muhammad, much of the Arabian Peninsula was converted to Islam. However, Mecca and Medina became the first to follow Islam. Mecca was most important trading city, founded by the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe. Eventually the Persian and the Byzantine Empires also converted to Islam through trade.

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