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Thepaganoriginoftheword,"Allah".

Islam:TruthorMyth?startpage
Interestingly,notmanyMuslimswanttoacceptthatAllahwasalreadybeing
worshippedattheKa'bainMeccabyArabpagansbeforeMuhammadcame.
SomeMuslimsbecomeangrywhentheyareconfrontedwiththisfact.But
historyisnotontheirside.PreIslamicliteraturehasprovedthis."(WhoIsThis
Allah?,G.J.O.Moshay,1994,p138)

"ButhistoryestablishesbeyondtheshadowofdoubtthateventhepaganArabs,
beforeMuhammad'stime,knewtheirchiefgodbythenameofAllahandeven,
inasense,proclaimedhisunity...AmongthepaganArabsthistermdenotedthe
chiefgodoftheirpantheon,theKaaba,withitsthreehundredandsixtyidols."
(TheMoslemDoctrineofGod,SamuelM.Zwemer1905,p2425)

Infact,hedidnotatfirstintendtoestablishanewreligion,butrathertoreform
thebeliefinAllahwhichalreadyexisted,andtoshowwhatthisbelieftruly
signifiedandrightfullydemanded.(Mohammed:Themanandhisfaith,Tor
Andrae,1936,TranslatedbyTheophilMenzel,1960,p1330)

ThepreIslamicoriginof"Allah"

1.ThereisabsolutelynoquestionthatAllahwasworshippedbythepaganArabsasoneofmanypolytheistic
gods.
2.AllahwasworshippedintheKabahatMeccabeforeMuhammadwasborn.Muhammadmerely
proclaimedagodtheMeccanswerealreadyfamiliarwith.ThepaganArabsneveraccusedMuhammadof
preachingadifferentAllahthantheonetheyalreadyworshipped.
3.Manyscholarssay"Allah"isderivedfromacompoundArabicword,AL+ILAH=Allah."Ilah"in
Arabicis"God"and"Al"inArabicisadefinitearticlelikeourword"the".SofromanEnglishequivalent
"Allah"comesfrom"The+God".Others,likeArthurJefferysay,"Thecommontheoryisthatitisformed
fromilah,thecommonwordforagod,andthearticlealthusalilah,thegod,"becomesAllah,"God."
Thistheory,however,isuntenable.Infact,thenameisoneofthewordsborrowedintothelanguagein
preIslamictimesfromAramaic."(Islam:MuhammadandHisReligion,ArthurJeffery,1958,p85)
4.Although"Allah"hasbecomeknownasthepropernamefortheMuslimgod,Allahisnotaname,buta
descriptorthatmeansliterally,"thegod".Allpagancultureshavethesegenerictermsthatrefertotheir
"topgod"as"thegod".IncomparisontotheperfectmonotheismofJudaismandChristianity,"Allah"was
originallynomoreapropernamefortheMuslimGod,thanthewordHebrew"elohim"(god)orGreek
"theos"(god)arepropernamesoftheonetrueGodoftheBible."Jehovah"istheonlyrevealedproper
nameforthe"Elohim"oftheOldTestament(Ex3:136:3)and"Jesus"istheonlyrevealedpropername
of"Theos"intheNewTestament.(Acts4:12)Islamhasnopropernamefortheirgod,butmerely
transformed,byuniversaluseandconfusion,thegenericAllahintoapropername.Soalthoughtoday,
Muslimsuse"Allah"asapropername,itwasneverusedthiswayoriginally.Allah,thereforeisequivalent
to"elohim"and"hotheos"butnot"Jehovah"or"Jesus".AllahisnotthenameofthenamelessMuslim
God.HoweverMuslimswillclaimthatAllahisthenameofGodthatcorrespondstoJehovah.Boththe
FatherandtheSonarecalled"hotheos"(TheGod).Jesusiscalled"TheGod"manytimesintheNew
Testament:John20:28Heb1:8.Animportantconclusionfromthis,isthatthemerefactthat"Allah"is
equivalentto"elohim"and"hotheos"doesnotmeantheyaredirectlycorresponded.Itcertainlydoesn't
proveAllahisthesameastheGodoftheOldorNewTestament.ItdoesnotprovethatMuslim'sworship
thesameGodasChristians.IfthiscorrespondenceprovedtheMuslimgodwasthesameastheChristian
God,thenbecausepaganreligionsalsohavegenericsthatcorrespondto"thegod"(Allah),this

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correspondencewouldalsoprovethatAllahisthesamegodastheBuddhistgod,forBuddhistsalsorefer
totheirgodas"thegod".

Whatscholarssayabouttheoriginoftheword"Allah":
1.ItisnotrelatedthattheBlackStonewasconnectedwithanyspecialgod.IntheKa'bawasthestatueof
thegodHubalwhomightbecalledthegodofMeccaandoftheKa'ba.Caetanigivesgreatprominenceto
theconnectionbetweentheKa'baandHubal.Besideshim,however,alLat,al`Uzza,andalManatwere
worshippedandarementionedintheKur'anHubalisnevermentionedthere.WhatpositionAllahheld
besidetheseisnotexactlyknown.TheIslamictraditionhascertainlyelevatedhimattheexpenseofother
deities.ItmaybeconsideredcertainthattheBlackStonewasnottheonlyidolinorattheKa'ba.The
MakamIbrahimwasofcourseasacredstonefromveryearlytimes.Itsnamehasnotbeenhandeddown.
Besideitseveralidolsarementioned,amongthemthe360statues.(FirstEncyclopediaofIslam,E.J.Brill,
1987,Islam,p.587591)
2."TheversesoftheQur'anmakeitclearthattheverynameAllahexistedintheJahiliyyaorpreIslamic
Arabia.Certainpagantribesbelievedinagodwhomtheycalled'Allah'andwhomtheybelievedtobethe
creatorofheavenandearthandholderofthehighestrankinthehierarchyofthegods.Itiswellknown
thattheQuraishaswellasothertribesbelievedinAllah,whomtheydesignatedasthe'LordoftheHouse'
(i.e.,oftheKa'ba)...ItisthereforeclearthattheQur'anicconceptionofAllahisnotentirelynew."(A
GuidetotheContentsoftheQur'an,FaruqSherif,(Reading,1995),pgs.2122.,Muslim)
3.AccordingtoalMasudi(Murudj,iv.47),certainpeoplehaveregardedtheKa'baasatempledevotedto
thesun,themoonandthefiveplanets.The36oidolsplacedroundtheKa'baalsopointinthisdirection.It
canthereforehardlybedeniedthattracesexistofanastralsymbolism.Atthesametimeonecansafely
saythattherecanbenoquestionofanygeneralconceptionontheselines.ThecultattheKa'bawasinthe
heathenperiodsyncreticasisusualinheathenism.(FirstEncyclopediaofIslam,E.J.Brill,1987,Islam,p.
587591)
4.ThenameAllah,astheQur'anitselfiswitness,waswellknowninpreIslamicArabia.Indeed,bothitand
itsfeminineform,Allat,arefoundnotinfrequentlyamongthetheophorousnamesininscriptionsfrom
NorthArabia.Thecommontheoryisthatitisformedfromilah,thecommonwordforagod,andthe
articlealthusalilah,thegod,"becomesAllah,"God."Thistheory,however,isuntenable.Infact,the
nameisoneofthewordsborrowedintothelanguageinpreIslamictimesfromAramaic.(Islam:
MuhammadandHisReligion,ArthurJeffery,1958,p85)
5."IfaMuslimsays,"YourGodandourGodisthesame,"eitherhedoesnotunderstandwhoAllahand
Christreallyare,orheintentionallyglossesoverthedeeprooteddifferences."(WhoIsAllahInIslam?,
AbdAlMasih,LightofLife,1985,p.36.)
6.NowtheredweltinMeccaagodcalledAllah.Hewastheprovider,themostpowerfulofallthelocal
deities,theonetowhomeveryMeccanturnedintimeofneed.But,forallhispower,Allahwasaremote
god.AtthetimeofMuhammad,however,hewasontheascendancy.Hehadreplacedthemoongodas
lordoftheKaabaalthoughstillrelegatedtoaninferiorpositionbelowvarioustribalidolsandthree
powerfulgoddesses:alManat,goddessoffate,alLat,motherofthegods,andalUzza,theplanetVenus.
(IslamandtheArabs,RomLandau,1958p1121)
7.MuhammadnomoreinventedAllahthanhedidalLat,alUzza,andManat.TheCultofthedeitytermed
simply"thcgod"(alilah)wasknownthroughoutsouthernSyriaandnorthernArabia,"anditwas
obviouslyofcentralimportanceinMecca,wherethebuildingcalledtheKa'bawasindisputablyhishouse.
Indeed,theMuslimprofessionoffaith,11thereisnoilahexceptalilah,"atteststopreciselythatpoint:
theQuraysharebeingcalledupontorepudiatetheveryexistenceofalltheothergodssavethisone.It
seemsequallycertainthatAllahwasnotmerelyagodinMeccabutwaswidelyregardedasthe"high
god,"thechiefandheadoftheMeccanpantheon,perhapstheresult,ashasbeenargued,ofanatural
progressiontowardhenotheismorofthegrowinginfluenceofJewsandChristiansinthepeninsula."The
mostconvincingpieceofevidencethatthelatterwasatworkisthefactthatofallthegodsofMecca,
Allahalonewasnotrepresentedbyanidol.(TheHajj,F.E.Peters,p341,1994)
8.Allah,wecanbesure,wasneitheranunknownnoranunimportantdeitytotheQurayshwhenMuhammad
beganpreachinghisworshipatMecca.WhatisequallycertainisthatAllahhadwhattheQuran
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disdainfullycalls"associates":othergodsandgoddesseswhosharedbothhiscultandhisshrine.The
processionalchantofthepagansoftheAgeofBarbarismwas,wearetold,"HereIam,OAllah,hereI
amYouhavenopartnerexceptsuchapartnerasYouhaveYoupossesshimandallthatishis."103The
lastclausemayreflectwhatwehavealreadyseenwasanemergingtendencytowardhenotheism,the
recognitionofAllahasthe"highgod"ofMecca.ButitwasnotsufficientforMuslims,whoputinits
placetheirownmanifestlymonotheistichymn:"HereIam,OAllah,hereIamYouhavenopartnerthe
praiseandthegraceareYours,andtheempireYouhavenopartner."(TheHajj,F.E.Peters,p341,
1994)
9.WhileAllahisbestknownastheprincipalgodofMecca,hewasalsoworshipedinotherplaces
throughoutArabiaasisshownbytheoccurrenceofthenameinSabean,Mineanandparticularly
Libyaniteinscriptions."TheQur'an(xxix,61)referstothebeliefofthepagansinAllahasthecreatorof
theheavensandtheearthandMuhammad'sownfatherborethenameof`AbdAllahor`Abdullah,
meaningtheslaveorworshiperofthisgod.InMecca,AllahwasworshipedintheKa'bahandpossibly
representedbythefamousBlackStoneinthatplace.(TheArcheologyOfWorldReligions,JackFinegan,
1952,p482485,492)
10.InMecca,AllahwasworshipedintheKa'bahandpossiblyrepresentedbythefamousBlackStoneinthat
place.(TheArcheologyOfWorldReligions,JackFinegan,1952,p482485,492)
11.PriortotheriseofIslam,thesethreegoddesseswereassociatedwithAllahashisdaughtersandallwere
worshipedatMeccaandotherplacesinthevicinity.(TheArcheologyOfWorldReligions,JackFinegan,
1952,p482485,492)
12.Allah(allah,alilah,thegod)wastheprincipal,thoughnottheonly,deityofMakkah.Thenameisan
ancientone.ItoccursintwoSouthArabicinscriptions,oneaMinaeanfoundatal'Ulaandtheothera
Sabaean,butaboundsintheformHLHintheLihyaniteinscriptionsofthefifthcenturyB.C.Lihyan,
whichevidentlygotthegodfromSyria,wasthefirstCentreoftheworshipofthisdeityinArabia.The
nameoccursasHallahintheSafainscriptionsfivecenturiesbeforeIslamandalsoinapreIslamic
ChristianArabicinscriptionfoundinummalJimal,Syria,andascribedtothesixthcentury.Thenameof
Muhammad'sfatherwas'AbdAllah('Abdullah,theslaveorworshipperofAllah).Theesteeminwhich
AllahwasheldbythepreIslamicMakkansasthecreatorandsupremeproviderandtheonetobeinvoked
intimeofspecialperilmaybeinferredfromsuchkoranicpassagesas31:24,316:137,109to:23.
EvidentlyhewasthetribaldeityoftheQuraysh.(HistoryOfTheArabs,PhilipK.Hitti,1937,p96101)
13.WhenMohammedproclaimedhiscreed:'ThereisnoGodbutAllah,'hewasnottryingtointroduceanew
God.Hispagancountrymenknewandacknowledgedthisdivinity.Hisname,Allah,occursalreadyinpre
Mohammedantimes,bothininscriptionsandincompoundpersonalnameslikeAbdAllah,'servantof
Allah.'TheeffectivenoteinMohammed'sevangelisticpreachingisthatheisabletoaccusethepagansof
acknowledgingAllahasthecreatorofheavenandearth,andyetfailingtodrawtheonlypossible
conclusionfromtheirbeliefwhichis,toworshipAllahandnoneelsebesidesHim.'Ifthouaskthemwho
hathcreatedtheHeavensandtheEarth,andhathimposedlawsuponthesunandthemoon,theywill
certainlysay,"Allah"..IfthouaskthemwhosendethrainfromHeaven,andbyitquickeneththeearth
afterithathbeendead,theywillcertainlyanswer"Allah"'(Sura29,61and63).Wheninextremedanger,
especiallyonthesea,thepaganscalluponAllah(29,6531,3117,69),butwhentheyareonlandagain,
andfeelsafe,theyshareHisdivinehonourwithotherbeings.Allahissupposedtohavegivencertain
commandmentsandtaboostomen(Sura6,139ff.),andthemostsacredoathsaresworninHisname
(Sura3,r,4016,40).Thus,eventhoughAllahwasnotworshippedasHedeserved,thecultofAllahwas
notentirelyneglected.Aspeciesoftithing,orofferingofthefirstfruitsofgrainandcattle,wasofferedto
Allahaswellastotheothergods(6,137).But,aboveall,Allahwasapparentlyregardedas,theLordof
theKa'ba,'theGodtowhomthecultofthehighestsanctuaryofCentralArabiawasdedicated.Inoneof
theoldestSuras(io6)Mohammedurgeshistribesmen,theQuraish,toworship'theLordofthishouse,
whoallowsthetwoannualtradecaravanstobeequipped,andwhocaresforthem,andpermitsthemto
dwellinsecurity.Concerninghimselfhesaysthathehasreceivedthecommandmenttoworship'theLord
ofthehouse,'i.e.theKa'ba.Apparently,then,theProphetandhiscountrymenfullyagreethattheGod
whoisworshippedthroughtheritualoftheKa'baisAllah.(Mohammed:Themanandhisfaith,Tor
Andrae,1936,TranslatedbyTheophilMenzel,1960,p1330)
14."ThereligionoftheArabs,aswellastheirpoliticallife,wasonathoroughlyprimitivelevel...Inparticular
theSemitesregardedtrees,caves,springs,andlargestonesasbeinginhabitedbyspiritsliketheBlack
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StoneofIslaminacorneroftheKa'bahatMecca,inPetraandotherplacesinArabiastoneswere
veneratedalso...Everytribeworshippeditsowngod,butalsorecognizedthepowerofothertribalgodsin
theirownsphere...Threegoddessesinparticularhadelevatedthemselvesabovethecircleoftheinferior
demons.Thegoddessoffate,alManat,correspondingtotheTycheSoteiraoftheGreeks,thoughknown
inMecca,wasworshippedchieflyamongtheneighboringBedouintribesoftheHudhayl.Allat"the
Goddess,"whoisTaifwascalledarRabbah,"theLady,"andwhomHerodotusequateswithUrania
correspondedtothegreatmotherofthegods,AstarteofthenorthernSemitesal'Uzza,"theMightiest,"
worshippedintheplanetVenus,wasmerelyavariantform...Inadditiontoallthesegodsandgoddesses
theArabs,likemanyotherprimitivepeoples,believedinaGodwhowascreatoroftheworld,Allah,
whomtheArabsdidnot,ashasoftenbeenthought,owetotheJewsandChristians...Themorethe
significanceofthecultdeclined,thegreaterbecamethevalueofageneralreligioustemperassociated
withAllah.AmongtheMeccanshewasalreadycomingtotaketheplaceoftheoldmoongodHubalas
thelordoftheKa'bah...Allahwasactuallytheguardianofcontracts,thoughatfirstthesewerestillsettled
ataspecialrituallocalityandsosubordinatetothesupervisionofanidol.Inparticularhewasregardedas
theguardianofthealienguest,thoughconsiderationforhimstilllaggedbehinddutytoone'skinsmen."
(HistoryoftheIslamicPeoples,CarlBrockelmann,p810)
15.ThegodIlorIlahwasoriginallyaphaseoftheMoonGod,butearlyinArabianhistorythenamebecame
ageneraltermforgod,anditwasthisnamethattheHebrewsusedprominentlyintheirpersonalnames,
suchasEmanuel,Israel,etc.,ratherthantheBapalofthenorthernsemitesproper,whichwastheSun.
Similarly,underMohammed'stutelage,therelativelyanonymousIlahbecameAlIlah,TheGod,orAllh,
theSupremeBeing.(SouthernArabia,CarletonS.Coon,Washington,D.C.Smithsonian,1944,p.399)
16."...apeopleofArabia,oftheraceoftheJoktanites...theAlilailivingneartheRedSeainadistrictwhere
goldisfoundtheirname,childrenofthemoon,socalledfromtheworshipofthemoon,orAlilat."
(GeseniusHebrewandChaldeeLexicontotheOldTestamentScriptures,translatedbySamuelPrideaux
Tregelles,1979,p.367)
17.AlKindi,oneoftheearlyChristianapologistsagainstIslam,pointedoutthatIslamanditsgodAllahdid
notcomefromtheBiblebutfromthepaganismoftheSabeans.TheydidnotworshiptheGodoftheBible
butthemoongodandhisdaughtersalUzza,alLat,andManat(ThreeEarlyChristianMuslimDebates,
ed.byN.A.Newman,Hatfield,PA,IBRI,1994,pp.357,413,426).
18."Thecultofadeitytermedsimply"thegod"(alilah)wasknownthroughoutsouthernSyriaandnorthern
ArabiainthedaysbeforeIslamMuhammad'sfatherwasnamed'AbdAllah("ServantofAllah")and
wasobviouslyofcentralimportanceinMecca,wherethebuildingcalledtheKa'bahwasindisputablyhis
house.Indeed,theMuslimsshahadahatteststopreciselythatpoint:theQuraysh,theparamounttribeof
Mecca,werebeingcalledonbyMuhammadtorepudiatetheveryexistenceofalltheothergodssavethis
one.ItseemsequallycertainthatAllahwasnotmerelyagodinMeccabutwaswidelyregardedasthe
"highgod,"thechiefandheadoftheMeccanpantheon,whetherthiswastheresult,ashasbeenargued,of
anaturalprogressiontowardhenotheismorofthegrowinginfluenceofJewsandChristiansinthe
ArabianPeninsula...ThusAllahwasneitheranunknownnoranunimportantdeitytotheQurayshwhen
MuhammadbeganpreachinghisworshipatMecca."(TheOxfordEncyclopediaoftheModernIslamic
World,ed.JohnL.Esposito,1995,p7677)
19."ThatIslamwasconceivedinidolatryisshownbythefactthatmanyritualsperformedinthenameof
AllahwereconnectedwiththepaganworshipthatexistedbeforeIslam....BeforeIslamAllahwas
reportedtobeknowas:thesupremeofapantheonofgodsthenameofagodwhomtheArabs
worshippedthechiefgodofthepantheonAliilahthegodthesupremetheallpowerfulallknowing
andtotallyunknowablethepredeterminerofeveryone'slifedestinychiefofthegodsthespecialdeityof
theQuraishhavingthreedaughters:AlUzzah(Venus),Manah(Destiny),andAlathavingtheidoltemple
atMeccaunderhisname(HouseofAllah).themateofAlat,thegoddessoffate.....Becauseofother
Arabianhistorywhichpointstoheathenworshipofthesun,moon,andthestars,aswellasothergods,of
whichIbelieveAllahwasinsomewayconnectedto.ThisthenwouldprovetousthatAllahisnotthe
sameasthetrueGodoftheBiblewhomweworship,becauseGodneverchanges."(IsAllahTheSame
GodAsTheGodOfTheBible?,M.J.Afshari,p6,89)
20."InpreIslamicdays,calledtheDaysofIgnorance,thereligiousbackgroundoftheArabswaspagan,and
basicallyanimistic.Throughwells,trees,stones,caves,springs,andothernaturalobjectsmancouldmake
contactwiththedeity...AtMekka,AllahwasthechiefofthegodsandthespecialdeityoftheQuraish,the
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prophet'stribe.Allahhadthreedaughters:AlUzzah(Venus)mostreveredofallandpleasedwithhuman
sacrificeManah,thegoddessofdestiny,andAlLat,thegoddessofvegetablelife.Hubalandmorethan
300othersmadeupthepantheon.ThecentralshrineatMekkawastheKaaba,acubelikestonestructure
whichstillstandsthoughmanytimesrebuilt.Imbeddedinonecorneristheblackstone,probablya
meteorite,thekissingofwhichisnowanessentialpartofthepilgrimage."(MeettheArab,JohnVanEss,
1943,p.29.)
21."Muslimsarenotoriouslyloathetopreservetraditionsofearlierpaganismandliketogarblewhatpre
Islamichistorytheypermittosurviveinanachronisticterms"(SouthernArabia,CarletonS.Coon,
WashingtonDC,Smithsonian,1944,p398)
22."ButhistoryestablishesbeyondtheshadowofdoubtthateventhepaganArabs,beforeMuhammad'stime,
knewtheirchiefgodbythenameofAllahandeven,inasense,proclaimedhisunity...Amongthepagan
Arabsthistermdenotedthechiefgodoftheirpantheon,theKaaba,withitsthreehundredandsixtyidols."
(TheMoslemDoctrineofGod,SamuelM.Zwemer1905,p2425)
23."HistorianslikeVaqqidihavesaidAllahwasactuallythechiefofthe360gods[oneforeachdayofthe
year]beingworshippedinArabiaatthetimeMuhammadrosetoprominence.IbnAlKalbigave27
namesofpreIslamicdeities...Interestingly,notmanyMuslimswanttoacceptthatAllahwasalready
beingworshippedattheKa'bainMeccabyArabpagansbeforeMuhammadcame.SomeMuslims
becomeangrywhentheyareconfrontedwiththisfact.Buthistoryisnotontheirside.PreIslamic
literaturehasprovedthis."(WhoIsThisAllah?,G.J.O.Moshay,1994,p138)
24."Islamalsoowestheterm"Allah"totheheathenArabs.Wehaveevidencethatitenteredintonumerous
personalnamesinNorthernArabiaandamongtheNabatians.ItoccurredamongtheArabsoflatertimes,
intheophorousnamesandonitsown."(WhyIAmNotAMuslim,IbnWarraq,1995,p.42)
25."ArabiainMuhammad'stimewaspolytheisticinitsconceptionofthecosmosandtribalinitssocial
structure.Eachtribehaditsowngod(s)andgoddess(es),whichweremanifestintheformsofidols,
stones,trees,orstarsinthesky."(IslamicStudies,AHistoryofReligionsApproach,RichardC.Martin,
2ndEd.,p96)
26."BeforeIslam,thereligionsoftheArabicworldinvolvedtheworshipofmanyspirits,calledjinn.Allah
wasbutoneofmanygodsworshipedinMecca.ButthenMuhammadtaughttheworshipofAllahasthe
onlyGod,whomheidentifiedasthesameGodworshipedbyChristiansandJews."(AShortHistoryof
Philosophy,RobertC.Solomon,p.130)
27."Allah:OriginallyappliedtothemoonheseemstobeprecededbyIlmaqah,themoongod...Allat:the
femalecounterparttoAllah."(ADictionaryofNonClassicalMythology,MarianEdwardes,Lewis
Spence,Allah,p.7)
28.TherewerehundredsofsuchdeitiesinpaganArabiatheKa'bahaloneatonetimehousedthreehundred
andsixtysevenofthem.OfallthosementionedintheQur'an,fourappearedtobemostpopularlyrevered
ontheeveofIslam,al`Uzzah(power),alLat(thegoddess),andManah(fate)allthreefemaledeities,
popularlyworshipedbythetribesoftheHijaz,wereregardedasthedaughtersofAllah(thegod)who
headedtheArabianpantheonwhenMuhammadbegantopreach.Allah,theparamountdeityofpagan
Arabia,wasthetargetofworshipinvaryingdegreesofintensityfromthesouthernmosttipofArabiato
theMediterranean.TotheBabylonianshewas"Il"(god)totheCanaanites,andlatertheIsraelites,hewas
"El".,theSouthArabiansworshippedhimas"Ilah,"andtheBedouinsas"alIlah"(thedeity).With
MuhammadhebecomesAllah,GodoftheWorlds,ofallbelievers,theoneandonlywhoadmitsofno
associatesorconsortsintheworshipofHim.JudaicandChristianconceptsofGodabettedthe
transformationofAllahfromapagandeitytotheGodofallmonotheists.Thereisnoreason,therefore,to
accepttheideathat"Allah"passedtotheMuslimsfromChristiansandJews.(Islam,BeliefsAnd
Observances,CaesarE.Farah,p27,2635)
29.Beforethename[Allah]cameintoIslam,ithadalreadylongbeenpartofthepreIslamicsystem,anda
considerablyimportantpart,too...thepaganconceptofAllah,whichispurelyArabianthecaseinwhich
weseethepreIslamicArabsthemselvestalkingabout"Allah"astheyunderstandthewordintheirown
peculiarway."(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,p96119,1980)
30.LetusbeginbyremarkingthatthenameitselfofAllahiscommontoJahiliyyahandIslam.When,inother
words,theKoranicRevelationbegantousethisword,itwasnotintroducinganewnameofGod,aname
strangeandalientotheearsofthecontemporaryArabs.Thefirstproblem,then,thatwemustansweris:
WastheKoranicconceptofAllahacontinuationofthepreIslamicone,ordidtheformerrepresenta
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completebreakwiththelatter?Weretheresomeessentialnotaccidentaltiesbetweenthetwoconcepts
signifiedbyoneandthesamename?Orwasitasimplematterofacommonwordusedfortwodifferent
objects?."(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,p96119,1980)
31.Whatdoesthismeanfromthesemanticalpointofview?Whataretheimplicationsofthefactthatthe
nameofAllahwasnotonlyknowntobothpartiesbutwasactuallyusedbybothpartiesintheirdiscussion
witheachother?TheveryfactthatthenameofAllahwascommontoboththepaganArabsandthe
Muslims,particularlythefactthatitgaverisetomuchheateddiscussionabouttheconceptofGod,would
seemtosuggestconclusivelythattherewassomecommongroundofunderstandingbetweenthetwo.
parties.Otherwisethere,couldhavebeenneitherdebatenordiscussionatall.AndwhentheProphet
addressedhisadversariesinthenameofAllahall,hedidsosimplyandsolelybecauseheknewthatthis
namemeantsomethingandsomethingimportanttotheirmindstoo.Ifthiswerenot,so,hisactivitywould
havebeenquitepointlessinthisrespect."(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:
Allah,p96119,1980)
32.Asregardsthe'basic'meaningofAllah,wemayremarkthatmanyWesternscholarshavecompared
rightlytomymindthewordinitsformalaspectwiththeGreek"HoTheos"whichmeansquitesimply
'theGod'.OnsuchanabstractlevelthenamewascommontoallArabtribes.InpreIslamictimeseach
tribe,asarule,haditsownlocalgodordivinityknownbyapropername.So,atfirst,eachtribemayhave
meantitsownlocaldivinity,whenitusedanexpressionequivalentto"theGod"thisisquiteprobable.
Buttheveryfactthatpeoplebegantodesignatetheirownlocaldivinitybytheabstractformof"theGod'
musthavepaved,thewayforthegrowthofanabstractnotionofGodwithoutanylocalizingqualification
andthen,followingthis,forabeliefinthesupremeGodcommontoallthetribes.Wemeetwithsimilar
instancesallovertheworld.Besides,wemustremember,thereweretheJewsandtheChristianswith
whomtheArabshadconstantopportunitiesofacloseculturalcontact.AndnaturallytheseJewsand
ChristiansbothusedthesamewordAllahtodenotetheirownBiblicalGod.Thismusthaveexerteda
greatinfluenceonthedevelopmentofthepreIslamicconceptofAllahamongtheArabstowardsahigher
conceptthanthatofameretribaldivinity,notonlyamongthetowndwellersbutalsoamongthepure
Bedouinsofthedesert.Howeverthismaybe,itiscertainfromtheKoranalone,thatbythetime
Muhammadbegantopreach,thepaganArabshadcometocherishatleastavagueidea,andperhapsalso
avaguebelief,inAllahasthehighestGodstandingabovetheleveloflocalidols.Thismuchwemay
reasonablyassumeasthe'basic'meaning,ofthewordAllahinJahiliyah.Andthismuchmeaning,atleast,
mustthewordhavecarriedintotheIslamicsystemwhentheKoranbegantouseitasthenameoftheGod
ofIslamicRevelation.Forotherwise,asIhavesaid,evenapolemicdiscussiononthisIslamicGodcould
nothavebeenpossiblebetweentheMuslimsandtheMeccanpagans."(GodandManinTheKoran,
ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,p96119,1980)
33.However,thisisnotthewholepicture.Wewouldcommitagravemistakeifweimaginedthatthis'basic'
meaningwasthesolepointofcontactbetweenthetwoconceptionsofGod.Thethingdidnotoccurin
suchawaythatthepureconceptofAllahwithitssimple'basic'meaningorwhichissuggestedbyits
formalstructureAllah=hotheoscamestraightintotheIslamicconceptualsystemfallingdown,soto
speak,fromsomemetaphysicalworldofpureconcepts.Butactually,i.e.historically,itcameintothe
Islamicsystemthroughanothersystem,namely,thepreIslamicsystemofreligiousconcepts,however
crudethelattermighthavebeen.BeforethenamecameintoIslam,ithadalreadylongbeenpartofthe
preIslamicsystem,andaconsiderablyimportantpart,too.(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,
Chapter4:Allah,p96119,1980)
34.Toputitinanotherway,whentheIslamicRevelationbegan,thepaganArabsofMeccacouldpossibly
havenootherwayofunderstandingthewordAllahthanbyassociatingwithitallthesemanticelements
thatwerealreadypresentintheirminds.ThiswasthefirstbigsemanticproblemwhichfacedtheProphet
Muhammadwhenhestartedhispropheticcareer....Thechiefofthoseobjectionableelementswasthe
ideathatAllah,althoughadmittedlythesupremeGod,allowedoftheexistenceofsocalled"associates"
shuraka'besidesHim.Butapartfromthispolytheisticelementandsomeotherlessimportantpoints,the
KoranacknowledgesthatthegeneralconceptofAllahentertainedbythecontemporaryArabswas
surprisinglyclosetotheIslamicconceptofGod.(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter
4:Allah,p96119,1980)
35.ThefirstisthepaganconceptofAllah,whichispurelyArabianthecaseinwhichweseethepreIslamic
Arabsthemselvestalkingabout"Allah"asthen,understandthewordintheirownpeculiarway...(II)The
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caseinwhichweobservetheJewsandtheChristiansofpreIslamictimesusingtheverywordAllahin
referringtotheirownGod.Inthiscase"Allah"meansofcoursetheGodoftheBible,atypically
monotheisticconceptofGod.Exceedinglyinterestingexamplesarefoundinthisrespect,forinstance,in
theworkof'Adib.Zayd,a,wellknownArabChristian,theCourtpoetofalHirah.(III)Lastly,thecasein
whichweseethepaganArabsnonChristian,nonJewishpureJahiliArabshandlingtheBiblical
conceptofGodunderthenameof"Allah".(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:
Allah,p96119,1980)
36.IITHECONCEPTOFALLAHINARABIANPAGANISM(1)Allahinthisconception,isthe
Creatoroftheworld.(2)HeistheGiverofrain,i.e.,moregenerally,theGiveroflifetoalllivingthings
onearth.(3)HeistheOnewhopresidesoverthemostsolemnoaths.(4)Heistheobjectofwhatwe
mightjustlydescribeas"momentary?'or"temporary"monotheism,theexistenceofwhichisevidenced
bytherecurrentexpressionintheKoran"making(momentarily)theirfaithpureforHimalone"(5)
Finally,AllahistheLordofKa'bah.(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,
p96119,1980)
37."Therelationofthisname,whichinBabyloniaandAssyrianbecameagenerictermsimplymeaning'god',
totheArabianIlahfamiliartousintheformAllah,whichiscompoundedofal,thedefinitearticle,and
Ilahbyelidingthevowel'i',isnotclear.SomescholarstracethenametotheSouthArabianIlah,atitleof
theMoongod,butthisisamatterofantiquarianinterest...itisclearfromNabataenandotherinscriptions
thatAllahmeant'thegod.'TheothergodsmentionedintheQuranareallfemaledeities:AlLat,alUzza,
andManat,whichrepresentedtheSun,theplanetVenus,andFortune,respectivelyatMeccatheywere
regardedasthedaughtersofAllah...AsAllahmeant'thegod',soAlLatmeans'thegoddess'."(Islam,
AlfredGuillaume,1956,p67)
38.Apparently,then,Allahwas,alreadyintheconceptionofthepreIslamicArabstheCreatoroftheworld
andtheGiverofrain,i.e.,theGiveroflifetoallthatexistsonearth.Theonlyseriouscomplaintbrought
againstthembytheQur'aninthisrespectwasthatthepagansfailedtodrawtheonlyreasonable
conclusionfromtheacknowledgmentofAllah'sbeingtheCreatoroftheheavenandtheearth:thatthey
shouldserveAllahaloneandnoneelse.(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,
p96119,1980)
39.Itisindeedremarkablethatthisexpressionimpliesthatinanemergencywhentheyreallyfeltthattheir
ownlifewasinmortaldanger,thepaganArabsusedtohaverecourseto'temporarymonotheism'
apparentlywithoutanyreflectiononthegraveimplicationofsuchanact.Thatthephrase"makingone's
religionpureforAllah"incontextsofthiskindmeanswhatwemightcall'momentaryortemporary
monotheism',andnotsimply"sincerity"or"earnestness"inone'sprayerisclearlyshownbythefactthat
inthemajorityoftheversesinwhichthisexpressionisusedtheKoranaddstheremarkthatthesepagans,
assoonastheyreachtheshoreandfeelsureofabsolutesafety,forgetaboutallthathaspassedandbegin
again"toascribepartnerstoAllah",i.e.,fallbackintotheiroriginalpolytheism.(GodandManinThe
Koran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,p96119,1980)
40."Theenemiestriedhardagainstme",hesays,"withoutdesistingfromdoinganythingthatcouldharmme,
bytheLordofMeccaandthe'Crucified"....Inthisverse'Adib.Zaydclaimshiscompleteinnocenceand
saysthatthemisunderstandingonthepartofthekinghasbeenproducedonlybythemachinationofthe
slanderersenviousofhisgoodfortune,andinordertogivespecialweighttothisdeclarationheswearsby
theLordofMeccaandChristputtingtogetherthetwo"Lords"intoasingleoath.Whatisimportantto
rememberregardingthisverseisthatthepoet'Adib.ZaydwasanArabChristian,buthewasneithera
simpleArabnoranordinaryChristian.Hewasamanofthehighestcultureofhisage....Thefactthatthis
manofhighestcultureandeducationputinoneofhissolemnoathstheLordofMeccaandChristtogether
issignificant,inMyview,intwodifferentways:itisofimportance,firstofall,inconnectionwiththe
problemoftherelationalmeaningofthewordAllahinitspurelyArabianaspect.Thatahighlyeducated
Christian,notapaganArab,livinginHirah,awayfromMecca,didusethisconceptoftheLordofKa'bah
inthiswayshowsbetterthananythingelsehowwidespreadandinfluentialwasthisparticular
connotationofAllah....Theexampleof'Adib.Zayd'sversewouldseemtosuggest,atleasttomymind,
thattherewasintheChristianpsychologyanunconscioustendencyorinclinationtowardsidentifying
theirChristianconceptofAllahwiththepurelypaganArabianconceptofAllahastheLordofthe
Meccanshrine.(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,p96119,1980)

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41.BoththeJewsandtheChristiansinArabiausedArabicastheirvernacular,and,asIhavepointedout
earlier,referredtotheirBiblicalGodbytheverywordAllah,whichwassomethingquitenaturalseeing
thatthe'basic'meaningconveyedbythiswordwasaveryabstractonethatwouldcorrespondroughlyto
theGreekhotheos.(GodandManinTheKoran,ToshihikoIzutsu,Chapter4:Allah,p96119,1980)
42.ItisclearfromthenegativeformoftheMuslimcreed,"ThereisnogodexceptGod,"thattheexistence
andlordshipofAllahwereknownandrecognizedinpreIslamicArabia.TheProphet'smissionwasnotto
proclaimGod'sexistencebuttodenytheexistenceofalllesserdeities.ThefactthatMuhammad'sown
fatherborethename'AbdAllah,slaveofGod,demonstratesthatGodwasknownbythatnamepriorto
Islam.TheQur'aninmanypassagesreferstoMuhammad'sadversariesinMecca,swearingbyGod,
invokingHim,andrecognizingHissovereigntyasCreator.ThenameAllahisalsoevidentin
archaeologicalandliteraryremainsofpreIslamicArabic.ButthepeopleofMeccadidnotunderstandor
allowthatGodaloneshouldbeworshipped.IndeedtheycontendedagainstMuhammadthatifGodhad
willedittheywouldhaverefrainedfrombelievinginotherdeities(Surahvi.148),clearlyimplyingthat
Godapprovedoftheirconcurrentidolatry.(TheCallofTheMinaret,KennethCragg,1956,3541)
43.TherecanbenodoubtthenthattheProphet'scontemporariesknewofaSupremeBeing,butHedidnot
dominatetheirminds.Rathertheythoughtmoredirectlyandfrequentlyofthelessergods,thedaughters,
perhapseventhesons,ofAllahwhowerefarmoreintimatelyrelatedtotheirdailylives,theirwars,their
harvests,andtheirfertility.(TheCallofTheMinaret,KennethCragg,1956,3541)
44.Certaintreesandstones(especiallymeteoritesandthoseshapedtoresemblehumanforms)housedspirits
anddivinities.(Mohammed,MaximeRodinson,1961,translatedbyAnneCarter,1971,p1617)
45.ThiswasespeciallytrueofAllah,'theGod,theDivinity',thepersonificationofthedivineworldinits
highestform,creatoroftheuniverseandkeeperofswornoaths.IntheHejazthreegoddesseshadprideof
placeasthe'daughtersofAllah'.ThefirstofthesewasAllat,mentionedbyHerodotusunderthenameof
Alilat.Hernamemeanssimply'thegoddess',andshemayhavestoodforoneaspectofVenus,the
morningstar,althoughhellenizedArabsidentifiedherwithAthene.NextcameUzza,'theallpowerful',
whomothersourcesidentifywithVenus.ThethirdwasManat,thegoddessoffate,whoheldtheshears
whichcutthethreadoflifeandwhowasworshippedinashrineontheseashore.ThegreatgodofMecca
wasHubal,anidolmadeofredcornelian.(Mohammed,MaximeRodinson,1961,translatedbyAnne
Carter,1971,p1617)
46.InrecentyearsIhavebecomeincreasinglyconvincedthatforanadequateunderstandingofthecareerof
MuhammadandtheoriginsofIslamgreatimportancemustbeattachedtotheexistenceinMeccaofbelief
inAllahasa'highgod'.Inasensethisisaformofpaganism,butitissodifferentfrompaganismas
commonlyunderstoodthatitdeservesseparatetreatment.MoreoverthereismuchaboutitintheQur'an.
ThefirstpointtonoteisthatthepagansarepreparedtoadmitthatAllahisthecreatoroftheheavensand
theearth.(Muhammad'sMecca,W.MontgomeryWatt,Chapter3:ReligionInPreIslamicArabia,p26
45)
47.TheArabicwordfor'God',Allah,isacontractionofalilah,whichliketheGreekhotheossimplymeans
'thegod'butwascommonlyunderstoodas'thesupremegod'or'God'.Itispossiblethatbeforethetimeof
MuhammadtheMeccanpagansusedtoindicatetheprincipaldeityoftheKa'bah,inthesamewayin
whichthedeityworshippedatatTa'ifwasknownsimplyasalLat,thegoddess.IfthewordAllahwas
alsousedforGodasacknowledgedbyJewsandChristians,theopportunitiesforconfusionwouldbe
great.TheprobabilitythereforeisthatwhilesomeMeccansacknowledgedGod,theydidnotseethattheir
oldpolytheisticbeliefswereincompatiblewithbeliefinGodandrejectthem.Thesepremonitionsof
monotheismamongtheArabsmusthavebeenduemainlytoChristianandJewishinfluences.TheArabs
hadmanyopportunitiesofcontactwithChristiansandJews.TheByzantineempire,whosepowerand
highercivilizationtheygreatlyadmired,wasChristian,andsowasAbyssinia.EveninthePersianempire
Christianitywasstrong,andalHirah,thePersianvassalstatewithwhichtheArabsweremuchincontact,
wasanoutpostoftheEastSyrianorNestorianChurch.Thiscombinationofmonotheismwithmilitaryand
politicalstrengthandahigherlevelofmaterialcivilizationmusthaveimpressedtheArabsgreatly.
(MuhammadatMecca,W.MontgomeryWatt,1953,p2329)
48.AllthismaterialgoestoshowthatamongthepagansinMeccaandpresumablyalsointheregionround
therewaswidespreadrecognitionofAllahashighgod.Suchpeoplemayevenhavebeenmorenumerous
thanthosewhogavenospecialplacetoAllah,andtheymayhavedifferedamongthemselvesaboutthe
powersofahighgod.ThisconclusionhasbeenreachedfromastudyoftheQur'an,andreferstoa
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relativelysmallregionduringarestrictedperiod.Thestudyofinscriptions,however,hasshownthatbelief
inahighorsupremegodwascommonthroughouttheSemiticNearEastintheGrecoRomanperiod.Itis
worthquotingtheconclusionsofonewhohasmadeathoroughstudyoftheinscriptions.Itisworth
quotingtheconclusionsofonewhohasmadeathoroughstudyoftheinscriptions:"Theepigraphical
materialrevealsthattheworshipofasupremegodcoexistedwiththatofotherminorgods.Thebeliefthat
onegodisabletocontrolalltheothergods,orissupremeinthathehascreatedandlooksaftertheworld,
doesnotconstitutemonotheism.Buttheincreasingemphasisonsuchbeliefsisevidenceofatrend
towardsmonotheism,namelytowardstheexclusionofothergods'existence."[JavierTeixidor,ThePagan
God:PopularReligionintheGrecoRomanNearEast,Princeton1977,17.]"Theauthorsofthe
inscriptionsworshippedasupremegodwhowasaloneinpossessingapowerthatexcelledanyother
divinepower.HewasbelievedtobeaWeathergodheavenbelongedtohim.Lessergodswerehis
messengersandministers.Asstatedinthefirstchapter,thecultoftheangelsbecameasignificantfeature
ofthereligiouslifeoftheNearEastduringthePersianandHellenistictimes.Itgavetheangelstheirrole
ofmessengers,butalsostressedthefactthattheLordofHeavenrankedatthetopofahierarchyofdivine
beings.Ontheotherhand,thereligiouslifeofthevariousgroupswhoseinscriptionshavebeenstudiedin
theprecedingpageswasrootedinthetraditionsoftheancestors."[JavierTeixidor,ThePaganGod:
PopularReligionintheGrecoRomanNearEast,Princeton1977,161f.]Inthelightofthisfurther
evidenceitbecomeshighlyprobablethatwhenMuhammadbeganpreachingthedominantviewamong
thinkingpeopleinMeccawasthebeliefinAllahashighgod.Purepaganismwasindecline.
(Muhammad'sMecca,W.MontgomeryWatt,Chapter3:ReligionInPreIslamicArabia,p2645)
49.NorthArabiandeities.AmongthepeoplesaroundthenorthernperimeterofArabia,"god,"inthemost
genericsense,wasEl,orinalongerformofthesamename,Ilah.(Britannica,ArabianReligions,p1057,
1979)
50."Allah:BeforethebirthofMuhammad,Allahwasknownasasupreme,butnotsole,God."(Oxford
DictionaryofWorldReligions,1997,p.48)
51."OriginNabataeanandArabic:DerivedfromthewesternSemiticgodIl....Knownperiodofworship:
circa300BCuntilpresent....ThecreatorgodofIslam.PerceivedinpreIslamictimesasthecreatorof
theearthandwater"(EncyclopediaofGods,MichaelJordan,Allah,p12)
52."DespitetheprominenceofthenameelsewhereamongSemiticpeoples,thegodIl(EI)appearstoplaya
comparativelyminorroleintheSouthArabianinscriptions.Somemodemscholarshavesoughttoexplain
thiscircumstancebyequatingIlwiththemoongod,butthisopinionhasnotprevailed."..."Amongthe
peoplesaroundthenorthernperimeterofArabia,"god,"inthemostgenericsense,wasEl,orinalonger
formofthesamename,Ilah.(Britannica,ArabianReligions,p1057,1979)
53.AllahwasknowntothepreIslamicArabshewasoneoftheMeccandeities,possiblythesupremedeity
andcertainlyacreatorgod(cf.Kur'an,xiii,16xxix,61,63xxxi,25xxxix,38xliii,87).Hewasalready
known,byantonomasia,astheGod,alIlah(themostlikelyetymologyanothersuggestionistheAramaic
Alaha).ForAllahbeforeIslam,asshownbyarchaeologicalsourcesandtheKur'an,seeILAH.(The
EncyclopaediaOfIslam,NewEdition,EditedByB.Lewis,V.L.Menage,Ch.PellatAndJ.Schacht,
1971,ALLAH,page406)
54.Butthevaguenotionofsupreme(notsole)divinity,whichAllahseemstohaveconnotedinMeccan
religion,wastobecomebothuniversalandtranscendentalitwastobeturned,bytheKur'anicpreaching,
intotheaffirmationoftheLivingGod,theExaltedOne.(TheEncyclopaediaOfIslam,NewEdition,
EditedByB.Lewis,V.L.Menage,Ch.PellatAndJ.Schacht,1971,ALLAH,page406)
55.ALLAHisthepropernameofGodamongMuslims,correspondinginusagetoJehovah(Jahweh)among
theHebrews.Thusitisnottoberegardedasacommonnounmeaning'God'(or'god'),andtheMuslim
mustuseanotherwordorformifhewishestoindicateanyotherthanhisownpeculiardeity.Similarly,no
pluralcanbeformedfromit,andthoughtheliberalMuslimmayadmitthatChristiansorJewscallupon
Allah,hecouldneversPeakoftheAllahoftheChristiansortheAllahoftireJews.(Encyclopediaof
ReligionandEthics,JamesHastings,Allahp326)
56."TheoriginofthisgoesbacktopreMuslimtimes,asProf.Noldekehasshown"(Encyclopediaof
ReligionandEthics,JamesHastings,Allahp326)
57.MuhammadfoundtheMeccansbelievinginasupremeGodwhomtheycalledAllah,thusalready
contracted.WithAllah,however,theyassociatedotherminordeities,someevidentlytribal,otherscalled
daughtersofAllah.Muhammad'sreformwastoassertthesolitaryexistenceofAllah.Thefirstarticleof
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theMuslimcreed,therefore,Lailahaillallahumeansonly,asaddressedbyhimtotheMeccans,'There
existsnoGodexcepttheonewhomyoualreadycallAllah.'Naturally,thisprecisehistoricaloriginisnot
cleartotheMuslinexegetesandtheologians.ButthatAllahisapropername,applicableonlytotheir
peculiarGod,theyarecertain,andtheymostlyrecognizethatitsforceasapropernamehasarisenrough
contractioninformandlimitationinusage.(EncyclopediaofReligionandEthics,JamesHastings,Allah
p326)
58.ThepreferableviewisthatAllahisapropernameofGodandhasnoderivationthishedefendswith
argumentsbasedontheundoubtedusageoftheQur'anandtheimpossibilityofmakingacommonnoun
applytoanindividualonly.(EncyclopediaofReligionandEthics,JamesHastings,Allahp326)
59.Broadly,AllahisusedofthetrueGodonly,asalso,inthefirstinstance,alilahbutthelattercanby
extensionbeappliedtoanygod,asAllahHimselfappliesitintheQur'an.(EncyclopediaofReligionand
Ethics,JamesHastings,Allahp326)[This,ofcourse,isacompletereversalofthehistoricalfact.]
60."InanycaseitisextremelyimportantfactthatMuhammaddidnotfinditnecessarytointroducean
altogethernoveldeity,butcontentedhimselfwithriddingtheheathenAllahofhiscompanionssubjecting
himtoakindofdogmaticpurification."(EncyclopediaofReligionandEthics,I:664.)
61.Comment:AllahisatermMuslimsusetodistinguishtheirmoongod.Thetermwasinexistencebefore
Muhammadwasborn.HoweverithasnohistoryofuseoutsidetheArabicworld,asMuslimsclaim.For
example,itisnotfoundintheBibleorinanyJewishorChristianwritings.Themoongod,however,does
havealonghistorythatdatesbacktothetimeofAbraham.
62.ThefinaldivinitytobeconsideredisAllahwhowasrecognizedbeforeIslamasgod,andifnotastheonly
godatleastasasupremegod.TheQuranmakesitquiteclearthathewasrecognizedatMecca,though
beliefinhimwascertainlymorewidespread.78Howisthistobeexplained?Earlierscholarsattributed
thediffusionofthisbeliefsolelytoChristianandJudaicinfluences.Butnowagrowingnumberofauthors
maintainthatthisideahadolderrootsinArabia.Wellhausen'sviewthatAllah(alilah,"thegod")isasort
ofabstractionwhich(originatinginthelocalgods)gaverisefirsttoacommonword,thenacommon
conceptthatmergedthevariousgodsintoonesinglegodhasrightlybeenjudgedinadequate.Onemust
ratherseeinthispreIslamicAllahoneofthosegreatsupremegodswhocreatedtheworldbutwhoplays
aminorroleintheactualcult.79If,therefore,AllahisindigenoustoArabia,onemustaskfurther:Are
thereindicationsofanomadicorigin?Ithinkthereare,basedonacomparisonofthebeliefsofthe
nomadsincentralandnorthernAsiawiththoseofnortheasternAfrica.Likethesupremebeingofmany
othernomads,Allahisagodoftheskyanddispenserofrain.80Theseindicationsmightnotseem
sufficientlypeculiartoBedouin,forthenotionofsuchagodmightjustaswellhavebeenformedby
settledfarmingpeople.Butonemustnotforgetthatrainisevenmoreimportantfornomads.(Studieson
Islam,editedbyMerlinL.Swartz,PreIslamicBedouinReligion,byJosephHenninger,1981,p322)
63."...theKa'abawasdedicatedtoalIlah,theHighGodofthepaganArabs,despitethepresidingeffigyof
Hubal.Bythebeginningoftheseventhcentury,alIlahhadbecomemoreimportantthanbeforeinthe
religiouslifemanyoftheArabs.ManyprimitivereligionsdevelopabeliefinaHighGod,whois
sometimescalledtheSkyGod...Buttheyalsocarriedonworshippingtheothergods,whoremained
deeplyimportanttothem."(KarenArmstrong,Muhammad,(NewYork:SanFrancisco,1992)p.69.)
64.FromtheKoranitselfitisclearthatmonotheisticideaswerefamiliarinWesternArabia.Theexistenceof
asupremeGod,Allah,isassumedasanaxiomcommontoMohammedandhisopponents.TheKoran
neverarguesthepointwhatitdoesargueisthatHeistheoneandonlyGod.Lailahailla'llah,'thereisno
godbutAllah.'Mohammedanism,AnHistoricalSurveyH.A.R.Gibb,1950,TheKoran,p3647
65."Allah,theSupremeBeingoftheMussulmans:BeforeIslam.ThattheArabs,beforethetimeof
Muhammed,acceptedandworshipped,afterafashion,asupremegodcalledAllah,"theIlah,orthegod,
iftheformisofgenuineArabicsourceifofAramaic,fromAlaha,"thegod"seemsabsolutelycertain.
Whetherhewasanabstractionoradevelopmentfromsomeindividualgod,suchasHubal,neednothere
beconsidered...Buttheyalsorecognizedandtendedtoworshipmoreferventlyanddirectlyotherstrictly
subordinategods...Itiscertainthattheyregardedparticulardeities(mentionedin1iii.1920areal'Uzza,
ManatorManah,alLat'somehaveinterpretedvii,179asareferencetoaperversionofAllahtoAllatas
daughtersofAllah(vi.100xvi,59xxxvii,1491iii,21)theyalsoassertedthathehadsons(vi.
100)..."TherewasnogodsaveAllah".Thismeant,forMuhammedandtheMeccans,thatofallthegods
whomtheyworshipped,Allahwastheonlyrealdeity.IttooknoaccountofthenatureofGodinthe

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abstract,onlyofthepersonalpositionofAllah....ilah,thecommonnounfromwhichAllahisprobably
derived..."(FirstEncyclopediaofIslam,E.J.Brill,1987,Islam,p.302)
66."ThenameAllahgoesbackbeforeMuhammad"(TheFactsonFileEncyclopediaofWorldMythology
andLegend,AnthonyS.Mercatante,I:41,1983)

WrittenbyBrotherAndrew

GoToStart:WWW.BIBLE.CA

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