All Muslims look for guidance to the Quran and believe in the prophetic mission of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, but disagreements on other matters have led to the appearance of different religious schools of thought and sects within Islam. The history of the Muslim world spans about 1,400 years and includes a variety of socio-political developments, as well as advances in the arts, science, medicine, philosophy, law, economics and technology, particularly during the Islamic Golden Age. The term Muslim-majority countries is an alternative often used for the latter sense. In a modern geopolitical sense, these terms refer to countries in which Islam is widespread, although there are no agreed criteria for inclusion. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. World Muslim population by percentage ( Pew Research Center, 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) ( June 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. This article possibly contains original research.
