The Islamic civilization has been considered by any to be one of the
             greatest civilizations to survive. It is an excellent example of how a
             society can be influenced by ancient cultures and cosmopolitan ideas at the
             same time. The post-classical Arab world in the seventh century was known
             for its greatness but it also experienced rough times. Because the region
             had long been governed by Roman and Persian empires, the Arab society did
             not experience a stable political system. Individuals were members of
             small groups, or tribes, and this type of social structure in the Arab
             world was the foundation for an unstable economy. The Islamic culture was
             primarily influenced with the emergence of Muhammad.
             Muhammad was a very spiritual man who began teaching Islam in Mecca, a
             popular Arabian city. He was extremely dissatisfied with what religions
             offered people and declared that God called him to change how most Arabians
             believed. He claimed that Gabriel, a messenger of God, had delivered
             revelations to him. He was extremely popular among the people and
             influenced culture through his religious teachings. In 622, many of
             Muhammad's followers asked him to establish a haram in Medina, which he
             decided he would do. His journey from Mecca to Medina is considered by
             many historians to be the "beginning of a new era" (Noble 1994 p. 273) in
             the Arab world. It was necessary for Muhammad to control Medina as well as
             Mecca in order to convert as much of Arabia as possible. Muhammad's
             teachings reached far beyond Arabia and because other cultures were quite
             receptive, Muhammad's teachings survived.
             After Muhammad's death, Islam experienced great expansion. Abu Bakr was
             Muhammad successor and his greatest accomplishment was winning wars against
             the Bedouins. By the time Umar succeeded Bakr, Arabia was almost
             completely united. Umar instigated conquests of Roman and Persian empires
             ...