Allah vs. God
Rabih Alameddine has a good point for the Los Angeles Times: in English-language newspapers, on TV, etc., people often refer to God, when talking about Islam or Muslims, as “Allah.” This while there’s a very well known English word for Allah, namely “God.” They’re one and the same. Allah = God, God = Allah. Why, then, do so many people use “Allah” in said context?
In Arabic, Muslims, Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians all pray to Allah. In English, however, Christians and Jews pray to God, and Allah is the Muslim deity. No one would think of using the word “Allah” to talk about any other religion. The two words, “God” and “Allah,” do not mean the same thing in English. They should.
This isn’t about political correctness; it isn’t about language distortion. Altered or incomplete usage of words is natural, even amusing. “Confetti” in its original language means little bonbons or small sweets. And incomplete usage is at times explainable and logical. The words “beef,” “pork” and “mutton” arrived with the Norman invasion. They refer solely to the meat, never to the animal, whereas in the original French they refer to both (mouton is both sheep and mutton). That is primarily because French was integrated into the language of the upper classes, which ate the meat, and less so that of the farmers, who raised the animals.
God, however, is a big deal. The word for God matters quite a bit more than what lands on one’s table for dinner at night. We never say the French pray to Dieu, or Mexicans pray to Dios. Having Allah be different from God implies that Muslims pray to a special deity. It classifies Muslims as the Other. Separating Allah from God, we only see a vengeful, alarming deity, one responsible for those frightful fatwas and ghastly jihads — rarely the compassionate God. The opening line of every chapter in the Koran is “Bi Ism Allah, Al Rahman, Al Rahim“: In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. In the name of Allah. One and the same.
In these troubled times, creating more differences, further parsing so to speak, is troubling, even dangerous.
I agree completely with this sentiment. It’s ludicrous for English speakers – or Dutch speakers for that matter – to only refer to God as “Allah” when they’re talking about God in the context of Islam. The difference is, I am sure, meant to give people the impression that they’re not one and the same (note that a lot of bloggers do so as well). But they are, of course.
However, he also writes:
I suggest we either not use the word Allah or, better yet, use it in a non-Muslim context.
Listen, there’s no need for English speakers to call God “Allah,” since they’ve got quite a good word for Allah in English: “God.” Same goes for Dutch (also “God,” but then with a hard ‘g’). If you speak Dutch or English, there’s no need to suddenly refer to God as “Allah”: both languages have their own words of the supreme deity.
I think it’s merely a confusion. Most people in non-Muslim countries must simply think that Muslims have a given name for their god, Allah, and don’t know that god and allah are synonims. In fact I’ve seen MUSLIMS talk this way in comments sections by saying things like "you pray to your Christian god and I’ll pray to Allah". It’s incorrect, but it adds to the western perception that Allah is a NAME for god, not the WORD god.
I ordinarily think that religion shouldn’t get special treatment, but I actually do see a good reason for making an exception in this case. By using the word "god" both when talking about Muslims and Christians, you reinforce the fact that both are actually praying to the SAME GOD, which serves to show that they need not be in so much opposition. I’ll never forget when I was 11 or 12 that I realized that Jews, Muslims and Christians all believed in the same god. My basic reaction was (and still is) "Then what the hell is all the fuss about?"
Sorry, but Allah is NOT God in Arabic. The Arabic word, Ilah means god. Allah is the name Muhammad gave to his god.
Consider this tenet of Islam:
There is no god but Allah.
Obviously, Muslims don’t say, "There is no Allah but Allah" or "There is no god but god"
Now, some will argue the Allah means "The God," and that’s fine. But, to say that Allah = God is not correct.
Also, as a Christian who use to be Muslim, let me just say that the Allah of the Qur’an and the God of the Bible are NOT the same! So, to link them together just shows ignorance of the Qur’an and Bilble..
Thank you.
LMAO, right, so Abraham has no place in the history of Islam, right? They’re even called the Abrahamic religions!
Claudia,
Just because Islam uses names and events from the Torah and New Testament does not mean that they are all praying to the same god. Muhammad took stories from the Jewish and Christian religions to "legitimize" his false religion – it made it easier for him to convert Jews and Christians to Islam. Those who didn’t convert were usually killed…
But, I can tell that you are ignorant of Islam. I don’t mean that in a bad way as most westerners are blissfully unaware of the differences.
But, it doesn’t really matter if you believe me or not, the truth is the truth.
Perhaps you should visit a website written by ex-Muslims who are more knowledgeable on such matters of dogma:
http://www.faithfreedom.org.
Thank you.
#2: If you converted to Christianity, while believing that Allah and God aren’t one and the same, well, talk again to the person who converted you. You either missed some lessons or, and this is quite possible of course, your pastor is a anti-Islam bigot.
The two are the same. As Claudia rightfully points out, they’re called the Abrahamic religions for a reason. Let me show you how it goes:
- One God
O! There we have it.
But there’s more:
- First there was Judaism
- Then Christianity developed out of Judaism
- And then Islam developed out of Christianity and Judaism
Would you call the God of the Koran the same God as the God in the Torah? Because I know a bit about both, and the way they speak about God are quite similar in many ways (although, in my opinion, the Koran is more inclusive, more beautifully worded, among other things).
Since the two are obviously one and the same in the Torah and Koran, and the Bible came from the Torah… fill in the blanks.
That doesn’t mean, of course, that the Koran agrees with the Bible on everything (literally). But that, in turn, doesn’t mean you’re not speaking about the same God. All Abrahamic religions worship the same God. They differ on details, but they’re globally the same.
Now, any honest student of religions knows that, which gives me the impression that the people (Christians) you talk to, purposefully distort the truth.
OK, nice try. That’s a lie. You seem to believe that you don’t know that the people you talk to actually know a little bit about the history of Islam, and the tolerance of (early) Muslims.
Did you know, for instance, that Christians forced Jews (and Muslims) to convert to Christianity for centuries (if they refused, they were killed), while Christians and Jews in the Muslim world were allowed to practice their religion?
Did you know that Jews escaped from Christian Europe to the Muslim Ottoman Empire because they could worship God as they saw fit there, surrounded by Muslims?
It’s always fascinating to see how apostates often become extremists in their own right.
Only someone with little to no knowledge about religions would be willing to accept anything you say as truth.
Michael van der Galien,
Tolerance? Obviously YOU have not studied the early history of Islam. Mecca was taken by force – men, women, children were killed because they were polytheists. Jewish settlements were ransacked, the men killed, the women sold into slavery… Muhammad himself ordered it to be done. Islamic history doesn’t get much earlier than that.
You are in error assuming that I have a pastor who talks about Islam negatively. I have never heard him speak on the subject of Islam…
I came to the realization that Muhammad was a false prophet while studying Islam at a university in Saudi Arabia. It was there that I first read the following from Ibn Ishaq:
"The Jews were made to come down, and Allah’s Messenger imprisoned them. Then the Prophet went out into the marketplace of Medina (it is still its marketplace today), and he had trenches dug in it. He sent for the Jewish men and had them beheaded in those trenches. They were brought out to him in batches. They numbered 800 to 900 boys and men." Tabari VIII:35/Ishaq:464
That put things into perspective for me… Muhammad was a mass murderer…
Obviously, you have not gone to the website I referenced and read even a couple of articles from there..
So, I can only conclude that you wish to remain ignorant.
I grow weary of this and will not read or reply anymore, as it is obvious you, for whatever reason or other, wish to be ignorant and even go so far as to put your ignorance on full display for all to see.
Thank you.
To make it easier for people whether it is the same or not, God, or Allah, they both are extentions, evolutions from primitive worshiping to Sun and Moon and sometimes to planets. Sabbi religion is the source of all Abrahamic religions. It is originated from Assyrian region, one can say around upper and middle Messopothomia. The names of week days are attributes to the Sun, Moon and 5 planets that was known by then. In Mekke, there are rectangular and pentagonal temples attributed to these planets in the sky. In South America Mayan built similar structures pointing to sky so did Egyptians. To show you the ignorance about how fasting was formulated in these religions, it was based on the time between sun rise and sunset which certainly excludes people living in north and south poles. The logic also stumples on the fact that all the history being told in these books are about one human tribe only; the sons of Israels as if everyone else is mere nobody. There is also a virgin who gives birth to the son of God. Fairy tales that is all there is for open-clear minds to see.
ApostatefromIslam can correct me if I am wrong but actually the word Allah comes from Al-Ilah, which means "The God" as in "the strongest One". This title was given to the Moon God of the Arabs in pre-Islamic times. In other words, Allah / Al-Ilah was the strongest of the 360 gods of the Arabs. Hadj and Ramazan was already part of the Arab culture long time before Islam, and Mecca was the place of worship to Al-Ilah, the moon god. Actually, Mohamed was having problems getting the Arabs to follow his "doctrine" so at some point, he tought of adding the 3 daughters of the sun god (female) and the moon god (Al-Ilah) (male) in the Qu’ran in Surah 53:19-20, Al-Lat, Al-’Uzza and Al-Manat. So in conclusion, does the meaning of the word God = Allah ? Yes they mean the same thing but do they refer to the same entity ? According to archeologic researches, No.
ApostatefromIslam
Are you really trying to make a theological discussion (which abviously none of us is qualified) or just trying to find another reason to dehumanise muslims so that throwing bombs on their head is more justifiable?
If you are so open minded take look at the mass murder order of the god himslef in the oldtestamen.
Talking about the web site you refered; Using religious arguements (pro or against) for political agendas is the oldest and most discusting practices of mankind. If you are a ready victim to that please dont talk about ignorance.
1. From an Islamic perspective, Islam was the religion of all the prophets. At most, we can say that Muhammad’s teachings are in continuity to Jesus, Moses etc.
2. Doesn’t the Turkish language do the same? "Tanrı" is the generic word for God and "Allah" is used in a specifically Islamic context.
Dear Apostate,
You say "Muslims don’t say, ‘There is no Allah but Allah’ or ‘There is no god but god’."
Sorry, but all the ones I know (in America, wherever they are from, and in Saudi Arabia) say exactly that. Whether praying in Arabic or translating their prayers into English.
Are you sure you were it is Islam that you are an Apostate from? Dare one ask where?
wj: exactly. That’s exactly what the confession says.
That’s hilarious stuff. YOu’re not an apostate of islam, for you don’t know anything about Islam. Your version of what Mohammed did is completely in breach with tradition and history. YOu just make things up as you go, yet you demand of others to accept your twisted version of Islamic history. You are either extremely ignorant or extremely hateful towards Muslims and Islam.
I encourage you to read Tariq Ramadan’s biography of Mohammed, perhaps you can learn a little from it.
As it is, I think you should not speak about Islam at all, since you’re only making a fool out of yourself.
"Obviously, Muslims don’t pray ‘there is no God but God," if that’s not a stupid to thing to say I don’t know what is. That’s exactly what it says in Arabic. And yes, even Arabic Jews and Arab Christians call God Allah. Why, because Allah is God. Allah means God. 1+1=2.
I can understand your point, Michael, but since Christians and Muslims believe different things about God, I don’t think it’s wrong to use the Muslim word when referring to God as they see Him, vs. using the English (or other language) word when referring to the way that we see Him. You feel that those viewpoints can be totally integrated, I don’t. It seems to me that asking people to translate "Allah" directly into our word for God is asking a bit too much in overlooking the differences in what we believe about Him. Obviously that’s the point, to help people feel more tolerant by having us remember that we all believe in and worship the God of Abraham- but calling on people to overlook the differences in our beliefs about who He really is seems too forced to me. People have the right to also assert that there are these important differences, that we think they’ve got it wrong on certain important points, so to speak.
C Stanley, then why isn’t the same done for Jews? So far as I know the vast majority of Christians understand and accept that Jews and Christians believe in the same god, even if they have different ideas about how he operates. I’d bet that a large proportion of Christians don’t think Muslims pray to the same god as they do, even though the difference is the same (Muslims accept the Old Testament, and I think they even think Jesus was a holy man, just not THE holy man).
Claudia, the answer lies in the chronology; Christians obviously know that the God that we pray to is the same God that the Jews pray to, even though there too there are differences in what we believe about Him. But we accept that the Jews interpret their Scripture differently, and we’re not about to rename God or tell them that they can no longer call Him by the same name, in order to make the distinction in our beliefs.
But Muslims came later; Mohammed in our view created a belief system which is built on ours but isn’t consistent with it; I think the idea that Muslims think of Jesus as a prophet is ludicrous, for example. It doesn’t make sense, because He either was God or He wasn’t; if He and His followers made claims that He was, then either they were correct or they are the most outrageous liars of history (which would then make the Muslim interpretation of Jesus being a holy man a contradiction.)
So there is reason then to say that we’re not really sure that Muslims are directing their meditations and prayers to the real God as we understand Him. I do believe that that’s their intention, but I find some of their beliefs to be so different that it makes it problematic to say that they believe in the same God.
Really? Do you think of Moses as a prophet? What about Abraham? The fact is that Islam DOES consider Jesus to have been a holy man, who was born of a virgin and performed miracles. They don’t think he was the son of god, but you can be plenty holy before you get there don’t you think?
The idea that Jews get their god called God but Muslims don’t because of chronology seems like awfully fine parsing to me. So you suppose Jews don’t consider Christians to be praying to your same god? Because they do, even though, just as you say about Muslims, Christian beliefs came after and changed the story to one they don’t agree with.
In any event this is not a matter of theology but language. Quite frankly, if the Arabic word for "god" is Allah, then your opinion about that god is meaningless. You can think that all of Islam is a complete fiction, but that won’t change the fact that the word Allah means god. The English language is not required to adjust itself to Christian beliefs.
You are right in your last comment Claudia. Christine, sadly I lack the time to explain it all more carefully for you, but perhaps you should take the following into consideration: it’s official doctrine of the Catholic Church that Muslims, Jews and Christians worship and serve the same God. The perspectives differ slightly, just as I think differently about, say, Claudia – in a different way – than you do, but the differences are irrelevant when it comes to whether or not it’s the same God.
Claudia: The Koran does indeed teach that Jesus was born out of a virgin, Mary (a Sura is dedicated to her), the Koran also teaches that Jesus was a prophet, but denies him being the son of God. Basically, Christians believe that God transplanted some of his own spirit into Mary, which became Jesus, whereas Muslims believe that God simply created Jesus as he created, say, the universe. The Koran says that God said "be" and there Jesus was / Mary was pregnant.
Robert (#9) and my earlier post (#8) to this topic is for people who’d like to listen to the truth. (Read Turan Dursun: Din bu mu I-II, a scholar murdered in execution sytle by the extensions of Hizbullah). Obviously, you can believe and say your God is better than theirs or they are the same, the fact of the matter is that they are the different traits, evolved forms of essentially worshipping to Sun and other sky objects. In Turkish, there is the word "Tanri" meaning a generic "Allah" concept. This may probably be due to Turk’s previous shamanic faith before they embraced Islam in 1000s. For sanity, they kept this generic "Tanri" word, probably in genes, nomadic nature always resisted to Kuran’s dominant language and its restricting rules on the life sytle.
"So you suppose Jews don’t consider Christians to be praying to your same god? Because they do, even though, just as you say about Muslims, Christian beliefs came after and changed the story to one they don’t agree with."
I don’t know what all Jews think about it, but I feel they’d be perfectly justified if they felt a need to make a distinction. I wouldn’t criticize them if they felt that Yahweh was being distorted by Christianity, and if they perhaps questioned whether or not we were even communicating with the real God of Abraham since we believe things that are so different than what they believe.
"You are right in your last comment Claudia. Christine, sadly I lack the time to explain it all more carefully for you, but perhaps you should take the following into consideration: it’s official doctrine of the Catholic Church that Muslims, Jews and Christians worship and serve the same God. The perspectives differ slightly, just as I think differently about, say, Claudia – in a different way – than you do, but the differences are irrelevant when it comes to whether or not it’s the same God."
Michael, I’m perfectly aware of what my Church teaches about the monotheistic religions, thanks. My personal view is the same as that of the Catholic Church- that Muslims are worshipping the same God, the God of Abraham, but they are IMO distorted in their understanding of Him (I’m sure you will appreciate that comment in the spirit it’s intended- not as a smear on Muslims, but obviously just that if I thought God was the way they think He is, then I’d be Muslim rather than a Catholic Christian.)
However, I’m not talking about my personal beliefs or what the Catechism teaches us; I’m simply saying that there is room for some Christians to feel otherwise- and just as I feel that Jews would have some justification for saying that the Christian view of God is so distorted that it’s no longer even the same being, I think we have to allow for some Christians to feel that way. At the very least, I think it’s important to acknowledge that there are significant differences, and I think you’re completely wrong to say that the perspectives differ only slightly or that they’re irrelevant. Not enough to say that it’s a different God being worshipped- personally I agree with that though others wouldn’t. But enough that your statements are incorrect and instead of promoting tolerance I think it inflames people when you try to paper over their differences or tell them that they can’t choose certain words because they emphasize a difference instead of sameness.
That’s all well and good Christine, but we aren’t talking about a debate between religions, but a matter of LANGUAGE. Christians could all believe that Muslims pray to an entirely different god or Muslims could believe that Christians do the same and that would have zero relevance to the matter at hand. Either Allah means "God" or it doesn’t. Either saying "the god Allah" is an unnecessary redundancy or it’s not. It’s a purely linguistic problem, albeit with deep cultural and political connotations to it.
Personally, I think correction should rule. If Allah is the word god and not a NAME for god in Islam, then in English we should just use god. If not, Allah can stay. Like I said in the first comment, it would be, IMO a positive thing if it were a redundancy, since it would encourage less division between the faiths.
I think the problem there, Claudia, is that our Christian name for God and the word for the concept of god is one in the same. So, linguistically you may be correct that a translation of the word Allah would correlate to our Christian name for our ‘god’ which is "God". But insisting on this for linguistic reasons ends up endorsing the view that Allah (the ‘god’ worshipped by Muslims) is the same being as "God", the ‘god’ worshipped by Christians and Jews. I think that’s accurate, but I think others have the right to disagree.
Linguistically, if you’re just talking about the concept of god, and if each languages uses the same word for the abstract concept and capitalizes that word for the actual name of the Deity that they worship, then yes, "Allah" should translate as "God". And yet there are several steps there, again, due to the fact that in each case we use the lower case word as the name of the Deity, with a capital letter to denote that it is a proper noun in that case.
And my point is that it actually is less conducive to tolerance if we insist on certain things that might be perceived by some as brushing aside real differences.
Finally thought of a way to express my point about the linguistics. If my name was also a word in the English language, say, "April" or "Autumn", then if an Arabic or other language spoken by Muslims was to translate text which included my name, wouldn’t it be correct for them to write it out just as I just did, rather than translate my name into the Arabic/Farsi/whatever word that is the translation for the English common noun that my name represents? Wouldn’t I still be "April Stanley", not "<Farsi word for the month of April> Stanley"?
That’s why linguistically I don’t think the point that was made is accurate. Then you get to the theological, the idea that the proper name "Allah" is equivalent to the actual Deity that is represented in our language by the proper name "God". Most theologians and religious leaders would agree with that (despite substantial differences in what we believe about Him as compared to what Muslims believe) but they don’t necessarily all believe that, and certainly it’s beyond the scope of linguistics to comment on that issue.
There’s also an admission of sorts, by Claudia and Michael, that part of the reason they feel the translation should be done that way is to help people feel more connected and more tolerant- but here too, I think they are wrong. I think when people are asked to overlook differences, they resent it and actually feel less tolerant rather than more so. It’s like a comment thread recently where an atheist commenter suggested that we’d be better off if Christian sects/denominations downplayed their rituals because there would then be less tribalism, and I argued that the rituals are only the outward signs of inner beliefs and it would do no good to decrease these displays because the inner differences of belief would remain. I think similarly that trying to use linguistics to downplay major differences of belief is likely to cause more harm than good in interfaith relationships.