Islam: Empire of Faith, Part 1 - The Messenger on AllMovie

Originally aired on PBS, this first of three episodes in the documentary Islam: Empire of Faith recounts the history of the religion of Islam, from its beginning in 622 A.D. as a small desert sect led by the prophet Muhammad, to its zenith hundreds of years later as an intellectual and artistic empire -- the largest the world had known -- that spanned three continents and exercised tolerance for other religions. Highlights include re-enactments of battles and commentary by numerous scholars, including Jonathan Bloom of Boston College, Islamic art historian Esin Atil, Michael Sells of Haverford College, John Renard of St. Louis University, and Walter B. Denny of the University of Massachusetts. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley.