Islam began in the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula under the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad received revelations from God that became the basis for a new religion with connections to Judaism and Christianity. After Muhammad gained followers, the early Islamic empire expanded rapidly through military success and the weakness of surrounding empires. By the 8th century, the Islamic empire split into the Sunni and Shia sects and included the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, which ruled large territories from the 700s-1200s. As Islam spread, it influenced and was influenced by existing cultures and languages.