^*In Arabic, the word Allah simply means “God.”

^*The terms “clan” and “tribe” are not easy to distinguish from one another, but here “clan” refers to a family group within the tribe.

^*After the birth of their first son, Arabs customarily take an honorary title known as the kunya. Abu Bakr means “the father of Bakr.” His wife would have been known as Umm Bakr, “the mother of Bakr.” Muhammad was often known as Abu al-Qasim.

^*The Sabians are thought to be a monotheistic sect in southern Arabia (modern Yemen), though some commentators believe that the Qur’an refers here to the Zoroastrians of the Persian empire.