Quran-Islam.org - True Islam

Should Muslims use the word "Allah" or "God?

The Internet has indeed brought many Muslims of various backgrounds, languages and cultures into direct contact. The ease of information exchange on our computers monitors has highlighted the role of written communications as opposed to verbal communications.

Recently, one issue has raised considerable controversy between the readers. This is the issue of whether to use the word "Allah" or the word "God" when Muslims are speaking about God. Invariably, there seems to be someone who feels offended when the word "God" is used to speak about God.

It is surprising to notice that many Muslims do not realise that the word "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for the word "God". Many of them believe that "Allah" is the actual name of the Muslim God! They do not realise that it is wrong to "personalise" God as He is not a person. God is much greater than to be confined to a single name (see: Greatness of God).

Neither do they realise that the word "Allah" does not belong exclusively to the Muslims and that it has always been used before (and after) the revelation of the Quran by the Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians when they speak about God.

Talking to English speaking people about God using the word "Allah" is very much the same as speaking to Arabic speaking people about "Allah" using the word "God". It makes better sense to use the equivalant word of each language.

If this site was in Arabic, then the word "Allah" would have been used, but as it is in English, then the word "God" is used. This does not mean that we are speaking of a different god. There is only One God.

Insisting on the use of the word "Allah" which is the Arabic word for "God" immediately creates the illusion that "Allah" is a totally different God than God of the whole world. It creates a god that belongs only to the Muslims, and this would tarnish the universality of Islam.

Moreover, those who insist that "Allah" is the personal name of God are somewhat short on Quranic knowledge. Let us read the following verse:

"Say, "Call Him Allah, or call Him the Rahman (The Almighty); whichever name you use, to Him belongs the "Asma al-Husna" (most beautiful names)." 17:110

This verse makes the issue very clear. God here is telling us that He does not have one specific name. In God's infinite Greatness, there is not one name that is sufficient to make reference to Him. Indeed to God belongs all the beautiful names. The Quran lists over 90 names for God and not just the word Allah. We can call Him Allah, we can call Him "Al-Rahman", or we can call him by any of the beautiful names that are worthy of Him. Whether we use the Arabic word for a name like "Al-Wahid" for example, or the English equivalant which is "The One" does not make any difference. The restriction to use the Arabic words to call God is not a condition set by God. For this would falsely imply that only the Arabic language is worthy of calling on God!

Moreover, if God wanted us to call Him specifically by the name Allah, He would not include the words "whichever name you use" in 17:110.

Believers thousands of years ago, at the time of Noah and Abraham lived long before the revelation of the Quran. They knew God and they called God with various names, this once again confirms that to insist that only the word Allah is appropriate to refer to God is incorrect.

Some have also stated that “Allah” is the real name of God, and that all the other titles such as Al-Rahmaan and Al-Raheem are the attributes of God. This claim is actually in contradiction to the Quran!

In 17:110 we are told that to God belongs the beautiful names. The word used is “Asmaa”. This word is the plural of the word “Ism” which means NAME. It does not mean attribute, it means NAME. Naturally a name can have a meaning but what matters is that God calls these titles as His names (Asmaa).

As a result, those who for some reason changed these titles (Rahmaan, Raheem … etc) from being names of God into being merely attributes are clearly violating the Quran. The Quran speaks of these titles as “names” of God and not attributes.

In actual fact, we do not have any Quranic verse which speaks of these titles as attributes of God, all the Quranic verses speak of these as names of God. Naturally, each of these names has a meaning and thus denotes an attribute but this does not change the fact that each one of these is a name for God, and God speaks of them as His Names.

Therefore, if all these beautiful names are God’s names, would we still be justified to say that the word “Allah” alone is the personal name of God? How can we say that when God Himself told us that to Him belongs ALL the beautiful names and not just one name.

Therefore, for anyone to claim that the word Allah is the personal name of God or that the word Allah denotes the God of the Quran must indeed revise their knowledge in the light of all the issues discussed above.

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