Islamic world

The terms "Islamic world" and "Muslim world" describe a vast global community known as the Ummah. This community includes all people who follow the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam. It also refers to societies where Islam is practiced widely. In modern geopolitics, these terms often describe countries where Islam is the most common religion. However, there are no official rules for which countries must be included in this group. Because of this, many writers prefer the term "Muslim-majority countries."

Islam is a diverse faith with different branches and schools of thought. Most Muslims belong to one of two main denominations: Sunni Islam or Shia Islam. Sunni Islam is the largest group, making up about 87 to 90 percent of the global Muslim community. Shia Muslims make up approximately 10 to 13 percent. There are also smaller groups, such as the Ibadi people found primarily in Oman. Some people are described as non-denominational Muslims if they do not identify with a specific school. These differences often grew from historical disagreements regarding leadership and religious interpretation.

The history of Islam began around 610 CE in Mecca. Muslims believe the prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Quran at this time. In 622 CE, Muhammad and his followers moved to Medina. This migration is known as the Hijra, and it marks the first year of the Islamic calendar. After Muhammad died in 632, his successors were called Caliphs. The first four Caliphs are referred to by many as the "rightly guided" or Rashidun. Their conquests helped spread Islam across three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe.

During the Islamic Golden Age, the Muslim world saw incredible intellectual growth. Scholars made major advances in science, medicine, philosophy, and technology. Many powerful empires emerged during this time to rule large territories. The Abbasids, Fatimids, and Ottomans were among these influential powers. Some historians use the term "Age of the Islamic Gunpowder Empires" to describe the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal states. These empires used new military technology, like cannons and small arms, to expand their reach between the fourteenth and late seventeenth centuries.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mughal Empire ruled much of the Indian subcontinent. Under the sixth ruler, Muhammad Aurangzeb, the empire followed Sharia and Islamic economics. During this period, India became the largest economy in the world. It was valued at 25 percent of the global GDP. However, a period known as the "Great Divergence" eventually changed this. European colonial powers used their military strength to defeat existing powers like the Mughal Empire. This led to a long period of European colonial domination across much of the Muslim world.

Today, the Muslim-majority states that emerged after decolonization use many different political models. These nations are influenced by both religious and secular trends. Some explore how Islam works with democracy, socialism, or capitalism. The economic scale of these nations is massive. In 2020, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had 57 member states. The combined GDP of these 57 states was US$ 24 trillion. When including five observer states, the total reached US$ 30 trillion. This represents about 22 percent of the entire world's GDP.

Islam is currently the fastest-growing major religion in the world. As of 2020, there were 1.8 billion Muslims, which is more than 25 percent of the global population. The population is spread across many different regions. For example, 91 percent of the population in the Middle East and North Africa is Muslim. In Southeast Asia, the figure is 40 percent, while in Europe, it is 6 percent. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country, containing about 13 percent of all Muslims. South Asia holds the largest total number of Muslims living in one region.