Allah — Meaning and Use

Allah (Arabic: الله) is pronounced al-LAAH, with a full, slightly heavy “l” and a long “a” at the end. It is the Arabic word for God.

Meaning

Many Arabic linguists explain Allah as a contraction of al-ilah — “the God”, the One who alone deserves worship. Unlike the English word “god”, it has no plural and no feminine form. That suits the very heart of Islam: there is only one God, with no partner, no equal and no offspring. A short, much-loved chapter of the Qur’an says it this way:

قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ﴿٤﴾

¹Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, ²Allah, the Eternal Refuge. ³He neither begets nor is born, ⁴Nor is there to Him any equivalent."

Allah is not a god belonging only to Muslims. Arabic translations of the Bible use the same word, and Arab Christians and Jews pray to Allah too. Muslims believe Allah is the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

How Muslims use it

The word fills everyday Muslim speech: Bismillah (“in the name of God”) before eating or starting a task, Allahu akbar (“God is greater”) in prayer, and inshallah or alhamdulillah in conversation. The Qur’an also teaches many beautiful names of Allah, such as Ar-Rahman, the Most Merciful.

Example

“Muslims believe that Allah created the universe and cares for every person in it.”

To go deeper, read Who Is Allah? and Is Allah the Same God Christians and Jews Worship?