Synopsis From its birth among the nomadic peoples of seventh-century Arabia to its present status as one of the great religions of the world, this is a concise and authoritative examination of the development of Islam. William Montgomery Watt, one of the most highly regarded scholars in the field, combines history theology and politics to provide a succinct study of all aspects of the origin, history and teachings of Islam, including: the life and teachings of Muhammad, the political history of the Islamic: A Short History is a concise and readable survey.