The Koran is basically a text of prayer written in Arabic which is God’s (Allah’s) words to mankind. This information was given to a man named Muhammad by the Archangel Gabriel while Muhammad meditated one evening.

He had one surviving child at the time and lived in Mecca, a town specifically known because it was totally free of malaria.With his acquired knowledge he became a prophet and began to preach to people. He preached to a few hundred at first and because of a need to convert people he formed an army.

At the time there were Jews, Christians, Nestorians, many monotheistic cults, idol worshippers and people with no religion at all. Just a belief in destiny.

The year was around 600 AD. Muhammad and his followers fought many a battle with these peoples and tribes of Arabia. When he could he negotiated rather than fought.

At the age of 40, in 632 AD Muhammad died after a short illness but he had achieved his goal, the conversion of Arabia to the Muslim faith. They were now all believers in Islam.

The Koran itself has 114 chapters and it reads very like the scriptures of the Bible. It believes that disobedience will lead to the apocalypse which will be the prelude to judgement day when each individual will be sent to either heaven or hell.

It believes that there is one God, a merciful one who is creator of heaven and earth, very like our own bible text. There are also texts on Adam and Eve, Satan, Cain and Abel, Moses and others.

Here is an example of the opening verse or Sura as Muhammad called it. “Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, the compassionate, the merciful, King on the day of reckoning, Thee only do we worship and to thee do we cry for help, guide thou us on the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou has been gracious to, not those Thou art angry with not those who go astray.”

Above: An extract of the Koran from Spain, circa 12th century.