During this period, Mecca was populated primarily by polytheistic followers. In 610 AD, the Prophet Muhammad had his first revelations that advanced Islamic culture. His revelations became a way of life for his followers. When the religion began to increase in numbers, Muhammad and his followers were exiled from Mecca. When followers migrated to Medina, Islam began to spread. This religion has had a lot of influence in the places where it has been practiced. The Quran is the way of life of its people. The five pillars expressed in the Quran were the religious laws that Muslims were supposed to follow. They were expected to accept only that there is only one God and one messenger, Muhammad, pray five times a day, donate 2.5% of their savings to the poor, fast during the month of Ramandan, and pilgrimage to Mecca, where the Holy Ka'ba. located. In addition to the religious impact, Muhammad also created a political empire. It united different tribes and customs. Muhammad was very influential and after his death the religion faced a challenge. They had no successor or leader, so many followers abandoned the religion, refused to pay taxes, and started wars. In the mid-7th century, Muslims began wars with the Byzantine and Persian empires and conquered them. Muslims ruled many religious groups including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians. As Muslims became powerful, they created laws that taxed other religious groups for practicing their faith. In the “Covenant of Umar,” Christians agreed to practice their faith under extreme circumstances. They agreed not to repair the damage done to their churches, not to display any religious ornaments, not to spread the faith and much more. The Muslims conquered and progressed