Religion in the Middle East for all other religions and beliefs in the world. Islam is the most widely followed religion in the Middle East. About 20% of the world's Muslims live in the Middle East. Islam is monotheistic believing in Allah and follows the teaching of the written sacred text, the Qur'an. Islam is believed to be an extension of Judaism and Christianity with the belief that Muhammad is the final prophet of God, in a long chain of prophets, from Adam on down to John the Baptist, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. The majority of the Muslims are Sunni, followed by Shi'a. Smaller sects
Prophets and messengers in Islam and Malachi were the last prophets, all of whom lived at the end of the 70-year Babylonian exile. With them, the authentic period of "Nevuah" ("prophecy") died, and nowadays only the "Bath Kol" (בת קול, lit. "daughter of a voice", "voice of God") exists (Sanhedrin 11a). In the New Testament, however, the word "messenger" becomes more frequent, sometimes in association with the concept of a prophet. "Messenger" may refer to Jesus, to his Apostles and to John the Baptist. But the last book of the Old Testament, the Book of Malachi, speaks of a messenger that Christian commentators interpret as