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Imam Al-Ghazzali

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Using 'God' for Allah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Using the word ‘God’ to refer to Allah.

While there are many words in various languages to refer to the overwhelming reality of the Creator, Owner, and Sustainer of existence, Muslims use the Arabic word "Allah" exclusively for referring to this Reality. The word Allah is formed of the Arabic word Al-Lah, which means "The Divinity." Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him.

The word Allah does not mean "a" god or a "Muslim god." Even Arabic-speaking Christians use the word Allah when they speak of God. Allah is also the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus (a.s.) and a sister language of Arabic.

We use the word Allah, first, because it has never been used to refer to anything except the One True God. Many expressions in the English language utilize the word of god in disrespectful, insulting and other thoughtless ways. The word Allah has never been uttered with such an intention, and resides with a pristine purity in the mind.

The term Allah has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god, which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess.

Also, the pronoun for God in Arabic, Hu, has neither male or female gender. We use the conventional English literate form "Him", only because there is no proper genderless pronoun in English, most certainly intending no offence to femininity.

Further benefits attached to the Arabic letters and sounds will be elucidated in this website, insha Allah (Allah willing).