The Biblical account of Ishmael is the prelude to the founding of Islam. The narrative begins in Genesis 16:1-16:

The Kaaba remains the holiest site in all of Islam. It is roughly the shape of a cube and stands nearly 49′ high, with sides measuring 34′ x 39′.  The name Kaaba comes from the Arabic word “muka’ab” meaning “cube”.Muhammed was a member of the Banu Quraish, the dominant tribe in Mecca.  His strident haranguing irritated his clan, but he was provided a measure of protection by his uncle, a tribal elder.  After his uncle died, Muhammed suffered persecution and was forced to move to Medina in 622. This migration is called his Hijra and became the basis of a Muslim pilgrimage. While in Medina, he solidified control over his band of warriors. In the lean times of their movement, they refined their battle tactics by pillaging peaceful trade caravans and murdering the merchants.
In the early years of Islam, Muhammed demanded ritualistic prayer and included the requirement that his followers face Jerusalem. The geographic orientation for prayer is referred to as the qibla. The Jews of Medina resented his co-opting of their holy city for his own purposes and ridiculed him. This is his account of the response from Allah:

Muhammed left no heirs, which is the basis for the greatest division within Islam:

Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. They are referred to as Ahl ul-Sunna wa-l-Jama’ah, people of tradition and congregation, implying that the Sunnis are united. The word Sunni comes from the word sunna, which means the tradition of the Prophet of Islam. Sunnis represent the branch of Islam that came through the elected caliphates, starting with Abū Bakr.

Shi’a Islam, also Shi’ite Islam, or Shi’ism is the second largest denomination of Islam. It is short for Shī’at ‘Ali, The party of ‘Ali. Shi’a Muslims believe that Muhammad had identified Alī ibn Abī Talib, his cousin and son-in-law, as his chosen successor. They say that Abū Bakr seized power by force and trickery. According to them, all caliphs other than Alī were usurpers. Alī was murdered in a mosque while in prayer, which is the basis for the bloody rivalry that continues into the modern era. It is common for worshippers to be murdered in mosques, or while on pilgrimages to holy sites.

The Islamic quest for world dominion continued unabated for a thousand years, culminating in the Ottoman empire. Suleiman the Magnificent was the last great leader. He completely reconstructed the Ottoman legal system. He was known as a fair ruler and an opponent of corruption. Suleiman was a great patron of artists and philosophers, and was one of the greatest Islamic poets. Considered a pre-eminent ruler of 16th-century Europe, his influence rivaled Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1519–56), Francis I of France (1515–47), Henry VIII of England (1509–47), and Ivan IV of Russia (1530–84). The Ottoman Empire realized its Golden Age and was a feared world power under Suleiman. He personally led his armies to conquer Belgrade, Rhodes, most of Hungary, and laid the Siege of Vienna in 1529. He extended the empire through the Middle East and across North Africa as far as Morocco. For a time, he achieved naval dominance in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf. He died in 1566. The Ottoman Empire continued to expand for a century after his death with the high-water mark being the pivotal battle for Vienna in 1683. They were turned back and the millennia of violent Islamic expansion was finally held in check.

The relatively peaceful phase of Islam that followed lasted less than 300 years and is an anomaly when considered in light of the commands of the Qur’an and Islam’s history of warfare.

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