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ALLAH IS NOT AN EXCLUSIVE NAME FOR GOD

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't is becoming increasingly understood by many +uslims that the name ,Allah- is the only correct designation for .od. This understanding is neither supported by the /uran nor by history. The name 0Allah0 is onl an A!a"#$ name for .od. 't is no% an e1clusive name for .od. .od is understood as an unfathomable2 supreme entity not a name. The reason why the /uran makes use of the word 0Allah0 to refer to .od is because the /uran is primarily addressing an Arab audience and therefore has been conveyed in Arabic speech. Previous scriptures were not in Arabic nor did previous messengers speak Arabic. The names for .od in the previous scriptures are in the language of the 3ebrew and later .reek scriptures not in Arabic. 4or e1ample2 05l0 as is cited in the 3ebrew Tanakh refers to an entity2 a supreme power and not 6ust a !anaanite .od. See E&o'(s )*+,-. 7And .od spoke to +oses and said to him2 ' am the 8ord /He"!e0. 1ah0eh2 and ' appeared to Abraham2 to 'saac and to &acob as .od Almighty /He"!e0. 3El Sha''a#32 but ' was not known to them by my name 09ahweh0 Therefore2 Prophet Abraham (pbuh knew .od as 05l0 as did prophets 'saac and &acob (pbut and not as 09ahweh0 (As Prophet +oses (pbuh knew him or 0Allah0 as the Arabs would come to know of 3im. 'n all the names2 the reference is to One De#% . E4en %o'a 5 Arab &ews and !hristians still refer to their .od as 0Allah0. 5ven before the old religion of 'slam was revealed to the Pagan Arabs2 &ewish and !hristian Arabs used 0Allah0 as the name for their Go'. The following /uranic verse confirms this. 66+*77) :They say: 7Allah has begotten a son7 .lory be to 3im. ;ay2 to 3im belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: everything renders worship to 3im<

668*679 :(=oth the &ews and the !hristians say: 7>e are sons of Allah2 and his beloved.7 Say: 7>hy then does 3e punish you for your sins? ;ay2 ye are but men2 of the men he has created: 3e forgives whom 3e pleases2 and 3e punishes whom 3e pleases: and to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth2 and all that is between: and to 3im is the final goal (of all 7 +any +uslims make the counter claim that !hristians and &ews used the true name of .od because they had previous scriptures revealed to them. =ut this line of reasoning is easily defeated by the /uran when it makes it clear that e4en the Arab #'ola%e!s (+ushrikeen called their 0high0 .od2 0Allah0 6+:*6)7 7'f indeed you ask them who has created the 3eavens and the 5arth and sub6ected the Sun and the +oon (to his 8aw 2 %he 0#ll $e!%a#nl !epl 5 ;Allah;* 3ow are they then deluded away (from the truth 7? 3owever2 the /uran asks the 0idolaters0 (+ushrikeen not to associate an partners with the One Go'2 in 3is ma6esty2 in 3is power2 in 3is 6udgment or indeed2 to #n4o<e an one apart from 3im. This can be seen in the following verse. 6-:*6-9 :'f indeed you ask them who is it that created the 3eavens and the 5arth2 %he 0o(l' "e s(!e %o sa 5 ;Allah;. Say: ;Then 'o o( see 0ha% o( #n4o<e "es#'es Allah= !an they2 if Allah wills some penalty for me2 remove 3is penalty? *r if 3e wills some grace for me2 can they keep back his grace?7 Say: 7Sufficient is Allah for me@ 'n 3im do the trusting put their trust7< >hether we call 3im Aab2 8ord2 .od2 Almighty2 Brishna2 Bhuda2 9ahweh2 5lohim2 Adi Purush (Timeless being C Para =rahman (The absolute Truth 2 5l2 5li2 5loi2 &ehovah2 or whichever beautiful name we call 3im2 it is with respect2 humility and grace that we take 3is name with the sole #n%en%#on that He is One and Onl One that we serve. That 3e is alone in 3is ma6esty2 that 3e created the 3eavens and the 5arth and everything in it and to 3im is our final return. 3e cannot be represented by an idol or a statue and is the only *ne truly worthy of worship. 't is the entity2 the ma6estic power2 the *ne and True all knowing2 all powerful that one refers to not to a particular name. .od2 in 3is tremendous ma6esty simply cannot be restricted to any name or any number of names (The concept of %% names of Allah is from Ahadith no% the /uran . This would be in effect a restriction on 3is ma6esty and .od can never be contained2 neither physically or linguistically. 't is ho0 you perceive .od (without associates and partners 2 3is entity2 and 3is transcendent ma6esty not by what beautiful name you call 3im.

CALL HIM >1 AN1 >EAUTIFUL NAME

67?.776 @Say: 7!all upon Allah2 or call upon Rahman: " 0ha%e4e! name e $all (pon H#m5 /#% #s 0ell2. Ao! %o H#m "elonB %he mos% "ea(%#A(l names* ;either speak thy Prayer aloud2 nor speak it in a low tone2 but seek a middle course between.7< This also proves that you can call upon your .od by an beautiful name in your prayers.

66?*796 :The mos% "ea(%#A(l names "elonB %o Go'. so $all on H#m " %hemC but shun such men as use profanity in 3is names: for what they do2 they will soon be requited<

FINAL THOUGHTS
0Allah0 is only an Arabic name for .od. 't is the name that the Pagan Arabs were familiar with during the time of revelation to refer to their Supreme authority. 't was the name of .od that Prophet +uhammad (pbuh was familiar with. Allah has been known by different names to great Prophets of the past in the languages of their own people. All beautiful names belong to .od. 't is interesting to note that most /uranic prayers use the generic title 0Aabbana0 (*ur 8ord as opposed to Allah. Please see related article D(E below.

Rela%e' A!%#$le. /72 Some Prayers 4rom the /uran

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