Why do Muslims refer to God as Allah?

Question

Where did this name originate from? Please give me points of reference that I can review for my own personal studies. Also, I am an evangelical Christian so please do not quote for me what I already know from my own faith. I am trying to better understand this religion so I can better relate my faith to them. Only muslims who are knowledgable in their faith answer please.

Thanks for the criticism solo. Try to be a little more gentle about it next time, please. I never thought about these things.

informative, sira...thanks!

informative, as well jean,...I agree and will do further research....someone else posted some sights I will visit, too.

Answer 1

Ok, this is a good question with a real answer with underlying meanings.

First: if you go to Mexico and buy a bottle of water, do you ask for "water" or "agua"? You would ask for "agua".

Now, lets say you come back home, and go the local convenient store, back in the USA. What do ask for, water or agua? Water.

My point is by the muslims saying it is merely a translation is incorrect, because as a translation, you would use the English word, "God", not "Allah" , unless you were with Arabic speaking people.

The reason they use Allah is to form a separate entity all together. They do not their Allah and Jesus, or the Jewish God to be intermingled.

Muslim people will use the word "God" when they feel it necessary to not cause a division in conversation, as to not scare people off. ( I dont mean that in the extremist way, but as a conversion way).

I hope that makes sense to you.

Answer 2

I don't understand why we should be offended. I remember being thought that there are four books brought down, including the bible and the Quran. Basically, the Quran is the updated version of the Bible. So, if that's true... Then, the God in the Bible is still Allah. What's wrong with that? Religion, when it comes to topics like this, is very complex. This is why I don't think much of the origin and the after life. I just take the mutual good stuff that make me a good human being. Like about respecting my body and the people around me. Everything else that is demeaning to other people, I just took it aside for pondering and learn it lessons. It keeps me human, sane and less ignorant of other people's life.

Answer 3

Allah is a Semitic (generic) name for a god. It's a way of saying "god" without making it a proper noun.

In Hebrew, the similar terms are "el" and "elah" and usually refer either to a god or an idol, depending on the context.

The thing that stands out about Judaism, Christianity and Islam against all other religions is that we don't give our deities a proper name; rather we take a generic word and put a capital letter at the beginning. (In other words, there's no Apollo, Zeus, Ra or Enlil.)

Answer 4

I'm telling you what I learned from reading Ron Carlson and Ed Decker's book "Fast Facts on False Teachings."

Muhammad picked the Crescent Moon god, Allah, from 360 idols. In Arabia, the sun god was viewed as female and the moon was viewed as the male god. In pre-Islamic times,Allah the moon god, was married to the sun god, and together they produced three goddesses called The Daughters of Allah. They were viewed as being at the top of the pantheon of Arabian deities, those 360 idols in the Kaaba, at Mecca. When Muhammad took control of Mecca, he destroyed all idols in the Kaaba except the stone deity, Allah.

Do not ever accept Allah as just another name of the true and living God! The Crescent Moon is on every flag of an Islamic nation. Go to a mosque. What is on top of it? A Crescent Moon the symbol of Allah, yet many Muslims don't even know why it's there.

Answer 5

Allah was the head of the pre-Islamic pantheon of the polytheistic meccans. Muhammad promoted him to exclusivity. He tried to promote Allah's two sisters, al-Lat and al-Uzzah, but his followers revolted.

Interestingly, Allah is not referred to as such until the verses which were recited in Medina. In the Meccan verses he is referred to as "Al Rahman", which literally translated means "The Merciful", but was also the monicker for a rock idol from Yemen.

There is no basis that Allah is derived from Judeo-Christian roots, and those of us who have studied Islam find it very offensive to suggest that the demented Allah is in any way connected.

Answer 6

Muslims refer to God as Allah Who Is Great, because Allah was the primeval semitic name of God that Muhammed in the Holy Quran was inspired to declare to be almighty God (Yehovah, Eloah, Elohim, and even with the utmostly prehistorical names of Jove, Jupiter, Zeus, Janus, Odin, Deus etc.), eventually the same Almighty God that is adored in the version of Jews and Christians.

Answer 7

God is Allah in Arabic, Christian Arabs will say Allah.

Answer 8

The same claim is USED BY.... Most Religion.... THEY SIMPLY NAME..... GOD.... in their OWN Native TONGUE....LANGUAGE!

But did you KNOW... that Mohamed could Neither Read ... Nor Write!

http://www.islam-watch.com

But they say... Allah Akbar... Only Allah is god.....!

http://www.islam-watch.com

Perhaps a reading of this site.... WILL OPEN YOUR EYES to their Beliefs! http://www.islam-watch.com

Thanks for Asking ! RR

Answer 9

Allah is the Arabic word for god. Arabic translations of the Bible use Allah where English translations use God.
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Answer 10

It's the Arabic word for "God". It originated a long time ago as the name for a supreme deity in a polytheistic society (he was one among many). The old "Allah" was more tangible and human-like than what we see today in islam.