Islam's holiest sites. He spoke of the suffering of the Iraqi people as a result of
sanctions imposed after the Gulf War, and he protested U.S. support of Israel.
Islam (a word that literally means "surrender to the will of God") arose in Ara-
bia with what Muslims believe are a series of revelations to the Prophet
Mohammed from the one and only God, the God of Abraham and of Jesus.
These revelations, conveyed by the angel Gabriel, are recorded in the Qur'an.
Muslims believe that these revelations, given to the greatest and last of a chain
of prophets stretching from Abraham through Jesus, complete God's message
to humanity. The Hadith, which recount Mohammed's sayings and deeds as
recorded by his contemporaries, are another fundamental source. A third key
element is the Sharia, the code of law derived from the Qur'an and the Hadith.