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Who were the Quraysh?Quraysh are an Arab tribe who controlled Mecca before the rise of Islam. Their members were divided into ten main clans, most notably the Banu Hashim, into which Islam's founder prophet Muhammad was born. By the 7th century, they had become wealthy
merchants, dominating trade between the Indian Ocean, East Africa, and the Mediterranean. The tribe ran caravans to Gaza and Damascus in summer and to Yemen in winter, while also mining and pursuing other enterprises on these routes.
When Muhammad began preaching Islam in Mecca, the Quraysh initially showed little concern. However, their opposition to his activities quickly grew as he increasingly challenged the polytheism prevalent throughout pre-Islamic Arabia.
Who is Allah?Allah is the Arabic word for God in Abrahamic religions. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from al-ilah, which means 'the god', and is related to El and Elah, the
Hebrew and Aramaic words for God. The word Allah has been used by Arabic people of different religions since pre-Islamic times. More specifically, it has been used as a term for God by Muslims (both Arab and non-Arab) and Arab Christians.
