When looking at any cultural or religious phenomenon, it's beneficial to go back to the origins; the context from which it sprang forth. Islam claims to have Divine revelation, which is timeless in its message and teachings. However, this revelation was given during a time and in an environment that had a direct impact on how the teachings were interpreted, embraced, practiced, and spread. The revelation did not occur in a vacuum; the book did not simply fall from the sky.

Thus it is important to understand the context in which Islam entered the world stage. What were the main powers at work during that particular historical period in that particular part of the world? How did the rise of Islam come about? What did this faith offer to the people of the time? How did it change and improve their lives? How did this new movement change the cultural landscape of the region? To answer these questions, one needs to look at pre-Islamic civilizations.

In the centuries preceding the rise of Islam, several powerful civilizations emerged near the Arabian Peninsula. Among the more lasting were the Persian and Byzantine empires, which dominated the area's cultural and economic development.

Persian Empire

The Persian Empire was established by the Sassanid kings, who gained power in Persia in the third century C.E. It was located east of the Arabian Peninsula in modern-day Iran and neighboring countries. Persians spoke Farsi, and they established Zoroastrianism as the state religion. Zoroastrianism is based on the belief that two cosmic forces rule the universe — one for good, one for evil — and there is one god, who is known as Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrians believe Heaven is the reward for those who follow truth and goodness, while Hell is the punishment for those who choose falsehood and evil.

The Persian Empire was a strongly class-based society, in which the emperor and his family enjoyed a very luxurious lifestyle, thanks to his subjects, merchants, and farmers. Trade centers such as Esfahan and Shiraz attracted caravans from all over Asia to exchange their goods.

Byzantine Empire

The Persian Sassanid Empire was a longtime rival of the other superpower of the region, the Byzantines, and conflicts between the two empires constantly realigned their borders. The Byzantine Empire was the more dominant in the region, at one point stretching from southern Spain across modern-day Syria and Lebanon, up to the borders of the Persian Empire in the east. The Byzantine Empire originated from the Eastern Roman Empire, and its official religion was Eastern Orthodox Christianity.