Allah is God

He can’t be seen or heard, but he has always existed and will always exist. He knows everything and can do anything. He has no children, parents or partners. There is no God his equal, lesser or superior. He rewards those who do good and punishes with mercy.

Allah can be approached by praying and reciting the Qur’an.

The Qur'an

The most popular story is that of Muhammad and the angel Gabriel. One night, in 610 C.E., Muhammad was meditating in a cave when the angel Gabriel visited him and ordered him to recite prayers. When Allah’s name was mentioned, Muhammad began to recite words which he realised were the words of God. For the rest of his life Muhammad continued to receive these revelations and, believing that God had chosen him as his messenger, began to preach. People came from miles around to hear what he had to say. However, those in power in Mecca didn’t look so favourably upon Muhammad, so he took his followers on a journey from Mecca to Medina in 622 C.E.. This event was seen as so important for Islam that 622 C.E. is the year in which the Islamic calendar begins. Within ten years, Muhammad had so many followers that he was able to return and conquer Mecca. From this time on the faithful saw him as the true and final Prophet of God. Muhammad continued to lead his community until his death in 632 C.E., at the age of 63.