Islam (in Arabic “submission”), which arose in the 7th century, has played and continues to play an outstanding role in the history of mankind. Gathering a few supporters, the founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, turned it into a religion that numbers more than one billion people today. Islam is widespread in many countries of the world as a state religion. It also exists in many non-Muslim countries. But the engine of this religion was and remains the Arab world - 19 independent states stretching from the Persian Gulf, through North Africa, west to the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout this vast space, one religion (Islam) dominates, the Arabic language with its corresponding dialects is accessible to everyone, a common Arabic culture, and a common history.