Over the last century, the Middle East has been a hotbed of ethnic rivalry, political and economic instability, religious conflict, territorial dispute, and war. Much of the friction in the Middle East derives from various interpretations of Islam and how the religion should be applied to politics and society. Knowing the basic principles of Islam is the first step toward understanding how contrasting ideas about the religion cause conflict in the Middle East.

Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, second only to Christianity in numbers of adherents. Muslims live in all parts of the world, but the majority of Muslims are concentrated in the Middle East and Asia. Islam has two meanings: peace and submission to Allah (God). Muslims believe that Islam is the only true religion and that it was revealed by the prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the seventh century. Muslims are divided into...