Who
Is ALLAH?
Sawmeer
Anuradhapura sawmeer@gmail.com
First of all, it is important to note that "Allah" is the
same word that Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use for God. If you
pick up an Arabic Bible, you will see the word "Allah" being
used where "God" is used in English. This is because "Allah"
is the only word in the Arabic language equivalent to the English word
"God" with a capital "G". Additionally, the word
"Allah" cannot be made plural or given gender (i.e. masculine
or feminine), which goes hand-in-hand with the Islamic concept of God.
Because of this, and also because the Qur'an, which is the holy scripture
of Muslims, was revealed in the Arabic language, some Muslims use the
word "Allah" for "God", even when they are speaking
other languages. This is not unique to the word "Allah", since
many Muslims tend to use Arabic words when discussing Islamic issues,
regardless of the language which they speak. This is because the universal
teachings of Islam - even though they have been translated in every
major language - have been preserved in the Arabic language.
It is interesting to note that the Aramaic word "El", which
is the word for God in the language that Jesus spoke, is certainly more
similar in sound to the word "Allah" than the English word
"God". This also holds true for the various Hebrew words for
God, which are "El" and "Elah", and the plural form
"Elohim". The reason for these similarities is that Aramaic,
Hebrew and Arabic are all Semitic languages with common origins. It
should also be noted that in translating the Bible into English, the
Hebrew word "El" is translated variously as "God",
"god" and "angel"! This imprecise language allows
different translators, based on their preconceived notions, to translate
the word to fit their own views. The Arabic word "Allah" presents
no such difficulty or ambiguity, since it is only used for Almighty
God alone. Additionally, in English, the only difference between "god",
meaning a false god, and "God", meaning the One True God,
is the capital "G".
In the Arabic alphabet, since it does not have capital letters, the
word for God (i.e. Allah) is formed by adding the equivalent to the
English word "the" (Al-) to the Arabic word for "god/God"
(ilah). So the Arabic word "Allah" literally it means "The
God" - the "Al-" in Arabic basically serving the same
function as the capital "G" in English. Due to the above mentioned
facts, a more accurate translation of the word "Allah"into
English might be "The One -and-Only God" or "The One
True God".
More importantly, it should also be noted that the Arabic word "Allah"contains
a deep religious message due to its root meaning and origin. This is
because it stems from the Arabic verb ta'allaha (or alaha), which means
"to be worshipped". Thus in Arabic, the word "Allah"
means "The One who deserves all worship". This, in a nutshell,
is the Pure Monotheistic message of Islam. You see, according to Islam,
"monotheism"is much more than simply believing in the existence
of "only One God" - as seemingly opposed to two, three or
more. If one understands the root meaning of the word "Allah",
this point should become clear.
One should understand that Islam's criticism of the other religions
that claim to be "monotheistic" is not because they are "polytheistic"
in the classic sense, but because they direct various forms of worship
to other than Almighty God. We will discuss the meaning of worship in
Islam below, however, before moving on it should be noted that many
non-Muslims are unaware of the distinction between simply believing
in the existence of only One God and reserving all worship for Him alone.
Many Christians are painfully unaware of this point, and thus you often
find them asking how Muslims can accuse the followers of Jesus, peace
be upon him, of being "polytheists" when they were all "monotheistic
Jews". First of all, it should be clarified that the word "polytheist"
doesn't really sound right in this context, since to many it implies
simply believing in the existence of more than one God. So in an Islamic
context, "associate's", "man-worshippers" or "creature
worshippers" might be more accurate and appropriate terms - especially
since Christians believe Jesus to be both "100% God and 100% man",
while still paying lip-service to God's "Oneness". However,
as we're previously touched upon, what is really at the root of this
problem is the fact that Christians - as well as the members of other
religions - don't really know what "monotheism" means - especially
in the Islamic sense. All of the books, articles and papers that I've
read which were written by Christians invariably limit "monotheism"
to believing in the existence of "One Sovereign and Creator God".
Islam, however, teaches much more than this.
Suffice it to say that just because someone claims to be a "monotheistic"Jew,
Christian or Muslim, that doesn't keep them from falling into corrupt
beliefs and idolatrous practices. Many people, including some Muslims,
claim belief in "One God" even though they've fallen into
acts of idolatry.
Certainly, many Protestants accuse Roman Catholics of idolatrous practices
in regards to the saints and the Virgin Mary. Likewise, the Greek Orthodox
Church is considered "idolatrous" by many other Christians
because in much of their worship they use icons. However, if you ask
a Roman Catholic or a Greek Orthodox person if God is "One",
they will invariably answer: "Yes!". This lip-service, however,
does not stop them from being "creature worshipping" idolaters.
The same goes for Hindus, who just consider their gods to be "manifestations"
or "incarnations" of the One Supreme God.
Everyone should be aware of the fact that throughout the long history
of the "Abrahamic Faiths", there have people who, while believing
in "One God", have adopted beliefs and practices that completely
nullify their claim to "monotheism". This is the Muslim view
of Christians. We're well aware of the fact that they claim belief in
"One God" with their lips, but this doesn't mean that they
don't nullify their claim in other ways. This is because many people
simply haven't been taught everything that Pure Monotheism entails.
From an Islamic point of view, "monotheism" can be nullified
in many ways. For example, simply believing that it is permissible to
rule by Western "liberal" and "democratic" laws
in lieu of the Divinely Revealed Law of Almighty God makes one a "polytheist".
Certainly, a person who does such a thing, whether Jewish, Christian
or Muslim, doesn't ever believe that there is another Almighty Creator
and Sovereign Lord. However, for all practical purposes, such a person
has take another "god", whether they choose to admit it or
not. In this way they are associating partners with Almighty God (Arabic:
shirk), and thus become a "polytheist" in a practical sense,
regardless of their lip-service to "monotheism". This holds
true even if the person doesn't believe what they are doing is "worship".
For example, Roman Catholics who pray to the Virgin Mary will staunchly
deny that they are "worshipping"her. They instead call it
"adoration" or some other watered-down term. However, from
an Islamic point of view, what is worship if not this? Islam teaches
that prayer and supplication are the marrow of worship, so if one directs
their prayers to an intermediary (even if the pray is "ultimately"
meant for God), then what is left of worship? Additionally, how can
someone who believes in Almighty God follow man-made laws instead of
God's Law, without admitting that they've begun worshipping other than
God? Do they know better than God?
Additionally, the Old Testament makes it perfectly clear that making
a "graven image" of any created thing (not to mention ones
which are supposed to "represent" Almighty God) is prohibited.
Please see Exodus 20:4-6, Leviticus 26:1 and Deuteronomy 4:16, 23, 25,
5:8 and Nehemiah 9:6 for some statements in regards to this point. Without
addressing the issue that Christians commonly violate the unambiguous
commandment not to even "make"representations of anything
that is in the "heavens above or on the earth beneath", these
verses not only teach that worshipping idols is prohibited, but also
that Almighty God is eternally distinct from His creation and thus nothing
in His creation can represent Him. To believe otherwise is to be a de
facto idol worshipper - even if one claims belief in one, and only one,
"True God". In Exodus 20:4-6 and Deuteronomy 4:16, Almighty
God - who is a "Jealous God" - makes it perfectly clear that
He is distinct from His creation.
By giving such clear and merciful guidance to human beings, God is
establishing a universal and eternal Truth for the benefit of mankind.
This eternal Truth is the bedrock of religious guidance, since once
people begin to believe that Almighty God mixes with or can be represented
by His creation, they can be duped into believing almost anything. Once
someone accepts that God has become "incarnate" in His creation,
or that someone or something is a "manifestation" - and thus
representation - of Him, the floodgates are open and "Truth"
becomes a matter of subjective guesswork.
Once the first and most basic concept is violated - regardless of how
complicated and sophisticated the rationale for it might be - it is
very easy to fall further and further away from the Eternal Truth of
Pure Monotheism. In the final analysis, it is not a question of whether
God is capable of becoming a man, but rather a question of whether one
bases their beliefs about God on clear, unambiguous and authentic guidance.
Once it is left up to the human mind to decide what Almighty God can
and cannot do, the stage is set for misguidance to take root. Human
speculation about God only ends up leading to misguidance and despair,
since no clear conclusions can ever be reached. For example, is God
capable of creating an object so heavy that He is incapable of moving
it? If not, does that mean that He is incapable?
It is because of misguided questions like this that Islam clearly teaches
that mankind should only say about God what He has said about Himself.
This means all of our ideas about God must be based on Revelation -
not human speculation. In short, the final prophet of Islam - Muhammad
- was sent by Almighty God to preach the same Pure Monotheism that was
practiced by Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus - peace be upon them
all. This Pure Monotheism means not only believing that there is only
One God in existence, but realizing that He is transcendent above His
creation and that all worship is due to Him alone.
Before concluding, we should probably address the practice of those
Muslims who insist on using the Arabic word "Allah" even when
speaking English.Even though this practice certainly is not to be condemned
when it is done around those who understand the meaning of the Arabic
word "Allah", it is my experience - both during my years as
a non-Muslim and my years as a Muslim - that such a practice can (and
usually does) breed misunderstanding.
It seems that often times, many of the Muslims who use the word "Allah"
in lieu of the word "God", even when trying to attract people
to Islam, are unaware of the severe misunderstandings that many non-Muslims
have about Islam (and the distorted way which Islam has been portrayed
in the West).
Insisting on using the word "Allah" only fuels the flames
of misunderstanding - so there's no good reason to do it. I've often
wondered what value some Muslims think that using the word "Allah"
adds to the Pure Message that they are trying to convey. ( . . . and
I'm still waiting for an
answer!) Unfortunately, those Muslims who insist on using the word "Allah"even
when addressing non-Muslims who are unfamiliar with Islam and the Arabic
language, do both a disservice to themselves and their religion.
Unfortunately, this practice is usually based on the false assumption
- by a non-native speaker of English - that the word "God"
in English is incapable of expressing a pure and proper belief in Almighty
God. This is certainly false. If someone says that the English word
"God" cannot be used to express the Pure Islamic Belief in
Tawhid, they are wrong not because they don't understand Tawhid, but
simply because they don't understand the English language. Many people
who insist on using the Arabic word "Allah" usually don't
realize this, because in reality, they are not so much affirming the
word "Allah" as they are rejecting the word "God"as
unsuitable - based on incorrect assumptions. For someone to assume that
the word "God" presupposes a certain theological point-of-view
(such as the Trinity) is simply Wrong - and that's Wrong with a capital
"W". To say the word "God" should be rejected because
it can be changed into "god", "gods" or "goddess"
is illogical because each of these words has a distinctive meaning and
a distinctive spelling - at least to someone who knows how to speak
English correctly. Using the same logic, I can demonstrate that the
root letters "ktb" can be used to form the Arabic words "kitab"
(book), "maktabah" (library), "maktab" (office)
and "kaatib" (writer), but does that mean that these words
have the same meaning? Do Arabic-speaking people go through life confusing
libraries with writers and offices with books (both in conversation
and in reality)? I think not! This is not to mention the fact that if
the Arabic "Al-" was put in front of these words in order
to make them definite, confusion would be even less likely! So the logic
in both cases is the same, and this is because even though the same
letters are used in "God" and "god", these two words
have two different meanings in the English language. The capital "G"
implies something different than the small "g" - and anyone
who denies this simply doesn't know how to speak the English language.
In concluding this point, it should be mentioned that Arabic-speaking
Muslims who believe in Pure Tawhid, Arabic-speaking Christians, the
idol worshippers of Mecca and (so-called) Muslims who believe in "Wahdat
al-Wujud" all use the word "Allah". However, does this
guarantee all of them proper belief in "Allah"? Certainly
not, because if they have a corrupt concept of "Allah" it
doesn't matter what word they use!
This brings us to a more important point: It should be clearly understood
that what Islam is primarily concerned with is correcting mankind's
concept of Almighty God. What we are ultimately going to be held accountable
at the end of our life is not whether we prefer the word "Allah"
over the word "God", but what our concept of God is. Language
is only a side issue. A person can have an incorrect concept of God
while using the word "Allah", and likewise a person can have
a correct concept of God while using the word "God". This
is because both of these words are equally capable of being misused
and being improperly defined. As we've already mentioned, using the
word "Allah" no more insinuates belief in the Unity of God
than the use of the word "God" insinuates belief in the Trinity
- or any other theological opinion. Naturally, when God sends a revelation
to mankind through a prophet, He is going to send it in a language that
the people who receive it can understand and relate to. Almighty God
makes this clear in the Qur'an, when He states:
"Never did We send a Messenger except (to teach) in the language
of his
(own) people in order to make (things) clear to them." (Qur'an,
Chapter
14 - "Abraham", Verse 4)
As Muslims, we think that it is unfortunate that we have to go into
details on such seemingly minor issues, but so many falsehoods have
been heaped upon our religion, that we feel that it is our duty to try
to break down the barriers of falsehood. This isn't always easy, since
there is a lot of anti-Islamic literature in existence which tries to
make Islam look like something strange and foreign to Westerners. There
are some people out there, who are obviously not on the side of truth,
that want to get people to believe that "Allah" is just some
Arabian "god", and that Islam is completely "other"
- meaning that it has no common roots with the other Abrahamic religions
(i.e. Christianity and Judaism). To say that Muslims worship a different
"God" because they say "Allah" is just as illogical
as saying that French people worship another God because they use the
word "Dieu", that Spanish-speaking people worship a different
God because they say "Dios" or that the Hebrews worshipped
a different God because they sometimes call Him "Yahweh".
Certainly, reasoning like this is quite ridiculous! It should also be
mentioned, that claiming that any one language uses the only the correct
word for God is tantamount to denying the universality of God's message
to mankind, which was to all nations, tribes and people through various
prophets who spoke different languages.
Before closing, we would like everyone to be aware of the fact that
some Christian missionary organizations print English literature intended
to teach Christians about Islam which say such things as: "Allah
is the god of the Muslims" and that "Muhammad came to get
people to believe in the god
Allah" - implying that "Allah" is some sort of false
"god". However, when these same organizations print literature
in the Arabic language, hoping to lead Arabic-speaking Muslims "to
Christ", they use the word "Allah" for God. It seems
that if they were on the side of truth, they would not have to resort
to such inconsistencies. And on an even more ridiculous note . . . there
are also missionary organizations that exceed this in ignorance (or
deceit) by writing books that call on Muslims to give up their belief
in "Allah", and instead worship the "Lord" Jesus,
"the Son of God". Besides making it abundantly clear that
they are outside the community of Pure Monotheism, the people who write
such material don't even realize that if they wrote such a pamphlet
in Arabic, it would be self-contradictory. This is because in an Arabic
Bible Jesus is the "Son of Allah"! If an Arabic-speaking person
gave up the worship of "Allah", they would have no God to
worship, since "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for God!
Before we conclude, however, we would like to ask our readers to ask
themselves what they think the reasons are behind all of these lies?
If Islam was just some false religion that didn't make any sense, would
so many people, from Western scholars to Christian missionaries, have
to tell so many lies about it? The reason is that the Ultimate Truth
of Islam stands on solid ground and its unshakable belief in the Unity
of God is above reproach. Due to this, Christians can't criticize its
doctrines directly, but instead make up things about Islam that aren't
true so that people lose the desire to learn more. If Muslims were able
to present Islam in the proper way to people in the West, it surely
might make many people reconsider and re-evaluate their own beliefs.
It is quite likely that Christians, when they find out that there is
a universal religion in the world that teaches people to worship and
love God, while also practicing Pure Monotheism, would at least feel
that they should re-examine the basis for their own beliefs and doctrines.
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