The start of Islam is marked in the year 610, following the first revelation to the prophet Muhammad at the age of 40. Muhammad and his followers spread the teachings of Islam throughout the Arabian peninsula.
While meditating in a cave on Mount Hira, Muhammad had a revelation. He came to believe that he was called on by God to be a prophet and teacher of a new faith, Islam, which means literally "submission." This new faith incorporated aspects of Judaism and Christianity.
The Quran is the central religious text of Islam. It represents the fountainhead of Divine guidance for every Muslim. The Islamic sacred book is the words of God and was dictated to Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, by the Archangel Gabriel and was written down in Arabic.
Sunnis focus on following the Prophet's example whereas Shi'a focus on the lineage of Muhammad's family through a series of Imams. Since the 1970s, and especially since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, there has been growing tension between Sunni and Shi'a communities in parts of the Middle East.
The role of women is Islam is spelled out in the Quran, the Hadith and in Islamic law. It will be clear from examining these sources that Islam does not see the sexes as equal. We can summarize their position in society in the following categories.