Islam is the fastest growing major holiday destination in the world.
Islam . الإسلام , [ alʔisˈlaːm ] ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which professes that there is only one and incomparable God ( Allah ) and that Muhammad is the last messenger of God . It is the world 's second-largest religion and the fastest-growing major religion in the world , with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1 % of the global population , known as Muslims . Like other Abrahamic religions , Islam also teaches a final judgment with the righteous rewarded paradise and unrighteous are punished in hell . Islam originated in the early 7th century in Mecca , and by the 8th century the Islamic empire extended from Iberia in the west to the Indus River in the east . A Muslim is someone who follows or practices Islam , a monotheistic Abrahamic religion .