┼"Islam" means in Arabic "submission" (to God). It was the third monotheistic religion - believing in a single god - to come into existence after Judaism and Christianity. It appeared in Arabia in the 7th century AD, through Muhammad, the Prophet. Inspired by their new faith, the Arabs burst out of their homeland and conquered much of Asia, North Africa, and Spain. They founded a great civilization that led the world in science and the art of living.█@The Kaaba@
This painting shows the sanctuary of the Kaaba inside the Great Mosque in the holy city of Mecca. The Kaaba houses the Black Stone, a meteorite Muslims believe was given to Abraham by the archangel Gabriel.
