Friday, February 13, 2004

Who Is Allah

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:
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"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."
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Allah is the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, whose knowledge comprehends in the most perfect manner all things, hidden or manifested. Allah the Supreme and is the Creator of everything, for Allah has a free hand in the disposal of all affairs. Allah is the most merciful whose mercy encompasses everything. Allah is far removed from injustice and tyranny. Allah's justice ensures order in the universe, which has no defect. There is no one to share Allah's domain, nor does Allah take aid or support from His creatures. He is the God of all the worlds. Yet, He is nearer to man than man's jugular vein. Whenever a believer in need or distress calls on Him, He responds.

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