Shortly after the death of the prophet Muhammad, the growing Islamic faith was fractured along ideological lines. The two groups that emerged, and have continued as distinct groups ever since, were the Sunnis and the Shi'ites (sometimes just Shias). Shi'ites believed that the Caliph should be led by the cousin of Muhammad or someone directly related to him. The Sunni believed that his advisor should rule the Caliphate and favor choosing a leader based on more meritocratic means.

Sharia law exists in many countries in the Islamic world. In a country governed by Sharia law, the laws of the nation reflect the laws and tenets of Islam as laid out in the Quran and the hadith.

The Qur'an was written in the span of several years - from 609 to 632 (7th century) - by the Prophet Muhammad. It remains today as one of the most influential documents ever produced in human history.

Sunni and Shi’ite are the two most prominent sects of the Islamic faith. They have been divided since almost the very beginning of their religion and the original disagreement between the two sects has to do with the continuation of the caliphate under the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali (for the record the Shia believed Ali should rule, most of the rest did not). In modern times the distinction is particularly important because it has led to sectarian conflict in several Middle Eastern countries - particularly countries like Iran and Iraq where the Shia are in the majority or countries like Syria which have a history of oppression by the majority Sunni.

Judaism was the first of these religions to arise; it is the first of the Abrahamic monotheistic religions. It was followed, in the west, by Christianity, and then Islam.

The term "Jewish diaspora" is used to refer to the forced dispersal of the Jewish people around Europe, the Middle East, and other locations around the world. The Jewish people have a long history of suffering and existing as a minority in empires, many of which were unfriendly or malevolent towards the Jews. At various times in Jewish history, the people have migrated to parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas to escape persecution. This global collection of the Jewish population is referred to as the "diaspora."

The first Jewish king to unite the tribes of Israel under one centralized government was Saul, in approximately 1000 CE. He was succeeded by David, who was in turn followed by Solomon.

The Jewish sacred book is called the Torah; The Christian sacred book is called the Bible; The Islamic sacred book is called the Qu'ran. The Hadith is a collection of lessons and morals in the Islamic faith, and the Four Noble Truths are tenets of Buddhist philosophy. 

According to Jewish religious tradition, Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt and into the desert in search of the Holy Land. During their forty-year walk through the desert, God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses when Moses was praying on Mount Sinai in modern-day eastern Egypt. 

The Talmud is a Judaic text that contains lessons, laws, and rabbinical traditions passed down over generations as a guide to living a Jewish life. The term "diaspora" is used to refer to the forced spread of the Jewish population around the world.