Allah

"Allah" in simple Arabic calligraphy. In Islam any image depicting God is strictly forbidden.

The name Allah (الله) is the Arabic term which adherents of Islam claim refers to the god of Islam and should not be confused with Jehovah or Yahweh of the Bible, or 'the Father' of the New Testament. It is not the same being or entity. This theonym is likely a contraction of Arabic Al-'ilāh (ال إِله), which means "the god".^[1] In Semitic languages it is thus related to the Hebrew term Eloh(-im).

Islam claims that Allah is the personal name of the creator and comprises all of the 99 Names of God in Islam. When a Muslim refers to Allah, he thinks of his god as being One, Creator, Owner, Sustainer, and Almighty. In Arabic, the name is composed of four letters, ا ل ل ه (or Alif, Lam, Lam, Ha) which when brought together make الله. Arab Christians often use this name simply to mean "God". (The generic word for "god" is simply 'ilāh, though due to the strong association of Arabic with Islam this word is rarely used in modern speech.)

Christianity and Judaism[edit]

The name Allah however, is used by Arab Christians throughout the Middle East. It is also used by Arabic Jews, especially those residing in Yemen. In Arabic it generically takes the place of the name of deity.

According to the Koran the authority of the Torah and the Gospels is subordinated to the content of Islamic revelation. While some proper nouns and parallels exist with the Hebrew Old Testament scriptures, some passages and contexts contradict the teachings of Hebrew and Christian doctrines. It was claimed by the prophet Mohammed that both the Jewish and Christian scriptures, were "corrupted" (from the Arabic term: Tahrif). Accordingly, since the Koran has remained unaltered to the present day, (compared to the other Scriptures) Muslims assert that only the Koran contains the Words of God -- the truth in toto (i.e., the whole truth and nothing but the truth). Whereas the earlier Scriptures/Books such as The New Testament, The Old Testament, etc. contain only partial truths. ^[2] Christians believe in the mystery of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), but the first Pilar of Islam is an oath of abrogation against it.^{[3] [4]} In the Koran's Surah 13 it is said: "Allah is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible."

The Kalimah, the first of the 5 pillars of Islam, denies the divinity of Christ:

To believe that Allah Ta’ala is One. That He has no partner, no father, mother, wife and so has no son or daughter; and that there is nothing else that is worthy of praise, or worship except Him ‑Alone and to equally testify that Muhammed (S.A.W.) is His servant and messenger.

This Kalimah is poetic in the original Arabic, but it's meaning is damning under shariah as it represents a sacred oath.

"La ilaha Illa Allah Muhammad Rasulu llah" (SAW).

Meaning: There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad (S.A.W.) is the messenger of Allah. ^[5]

Consequently, Allah is unique, is the god in Islam, and according to Marshall G. S. Hodgson, (The Venture of Islam) Muslims are worshiping Allah rather than God, the creator.

From the 112th sura of the Koran: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Mohammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone." ^[6]

Allah is claimed by adherents of Islam to be one and the same with the God of Christianity and Judaism; however:

Is Allah Satan?[edit]

In John 8:44, Jesus said of those who did not follow His Word and dishonored Him:

Accordingly, these passages from the Koran openly describe Allah as follows:

When comparing John 8:44 with the Koran passages quoted above,^[8] and when other Biblical passages describing Satan are compared with the descriptions of Allah, it indicates that Allah may, in fact, be Satan.

Possible Early Use[edit]

It is a matter of contention as to whether the name Allah came into use only with the foundation of Islam, or whether it is a reuse of a title of the main pagan god of pre-Islamic Mecca; Hubal, god of the Moon. Muslim scholars have claimed refutations of this allegation,^[9] but some Christian groups have offered counter-refutations that indicate otherwise.^[10]

Moon God[edit]

Perched atop mosques across the world is the crescent moon and most flags of Muslim majority countries also show a crescent moon. The Muslim "holy" month of Ramadan starts at the sighting of a new crescent moon. "Allah" was also the personal name given to the moon god, the highest of the 360 pagan idols worshipped in Mecca, Muhammad's home town.^[11]

Takbeer or Takbir (Glorification of God)[edit]

Takbeer (تَكْبِير) (Glorification of God), is the common way Muslims give glory to Allah. The wording used is Allahu-Akbar "الله أكبر", which is translated as "God is great". It is a very common practice in Islam and is essential to the Islamic call of prayer (Athan). It is regularly used by jihadis as a final cry while they believe that Allah strikes vengeance at his enemies.

See also[edit]

• The Bible versus the Qur'an

References[edit]