Allah (deity)
Allah is the Arabic term for the singular, all-powerful God in Islam, deriving from the phrase al-ilah, meaning "the one God." Unlike many deities in polytheistic religions, Allah is understood in Islam as the sole entity deserving of worship, and Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians also use this term to refer to God. In Islamic belief, Allah is seen as the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians, although the three religions differ in practices and interpretations.
The Qur'an, which Muslims regard as the literal word of Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, contains 114 chapters and highlights the importance of submission to God's will. Allah is described through 99 names in the Qur'an, reflecting various divine attributes such as the Merciful and the All-Knowing. Historical discussions about Allah's origins often trace back to pre-Islamic Arabian traditions, where Allah was worshiped alongside other gods at the Kaaba in Mecca, a site that later became the holiest in Islam.
The foundations of Islam, including the teachings of Muhammad, emphasize peace, community, and adherence to five core practices known as the Five Pillars of Islam. The term Islam itself means "submission" or "surrender," embodying a commitment to living according to God's guidance. Through rituals and daily prayers, Muslims express their faith and devotion to Allah, reflecting a deep reverence for the divine.
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Subject Terms
Allah (deity)
Symbols: Crescent moon
Culture: Arabian
Allah is the name for the one god in the Islam religion. The word Allah comes from the Arabic compound al-ilah, meaning "the one God." Historians trace the word’s origins back to early Semitic writings in which the word el refers to a god or deity. However, Muslims only use Allah to refer to the one and only God, and must use another term when speaking of a common deity. The word Allah has no plural, which is consistent with the monotheism of Islam. Allah is also the word that Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians use for God. Muslims believe that Allah is the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians, who have developed different ways of worshipping the one true God.
In the Islamic scripture the Qur’an, Allah has 99 names that reference divine qualities, including the Merciful, the Provider, the Forgiver, the Mighty, and the All-Knowing. Muslims believe that Allah chose the prophet Muhammad as his messenger of peace. Muslims do not worship Muhammad, whose job they believe was to deliver Islam to humanity in the form of the Qur’an. Written in Arabic, this scripture is considered to be Allah’s exact words, revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over twenty-three years.
In Mythology
Allah’s origins are the subject of intense debate among religious scholars and historians. Islam arose in the sixth century, when the pastoral and agrarian peoples of Arabia worshipped many tribal gods. Many Muslims take offense at the idea that Allah’s origins precede Muhammad (570–632 CE), with roots in Arabian pagan traditions. Nevertheless, both religious scholars and historians have traced the emergence of Allah from these polytheistic practices.
Some historians believe that Allah worship grew out of the Babylonian pagan sun god Baal, who along with the goddess Astarte, was associated with fertility. Other scholars believe that Allah was the moon god whose three daughters—Al-at, Al-uzza, and Al-Manat—were emissaries to the people. These deities were among 360 gods worshipped at the time, Allah being the chief god. The moon god’s symbol was the crescent moon, an image that was adopted by Islam, appearing on the spires of mosques and on the flags of many Islamic nations. Pre-Islamic peoples prayed to their gods at the Kaaba, a square black stone, located in Mecca, they believed to be holy. Formerly, this stone was called Beit-Allah, meaning "house of Allah." Allah was represented by a statue called Hubal, a man carved of red agate whose right hand was made of gold. This statue was placed inside the Kaaba.
Centuries before Muhammad’s birth, the Kaaba was considered the center of the world, with the gate of heaven high above it. Tribal peoples agreed that no violence could occur within twenty miles of the Kaaba, which helped Mecca thrive as a holy pilgrimage site and a hub of trade. According to historians, in 628 Muhammad led a group of Muslims on a pilgrimage to Mecca, but was not allowed to complete the journey, and had to negotiate with the people of Mecca to lead a pilgrimage the next year. He then led a Muslim army to conquer Mecca, entering the Kaaba and smashing all the pagan idols, claiming it for worship of the one god Allah.
Origins and Cults
According to Muslims, Islam dates backs to Adam, a prophet who is also embraced by Christians and Jews. Muslims believe that Abraham founded all three faiths. They also recognize other Jewish and Christian prophets like Jacob, David, Noah, Isaac, and Jesus—although they do not consider the latter the son of God. To explain their belief in a common origin for the three monotheistic religions, Muslims note the following: Throughout history, Allah dispatched various messengers among humanity to convey his teachings. Although these teachings were quite similar, some people did not fully understand them, and others chose to interpret them in incorrect ways, branching away from Islam.
Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, was born in 570 to a family of traders who lived on the Arabian Peninsula. It was common for Muhammad to retreat from time to time to a nearby cave to pray. When he was forty, Muhammad began having visions of the angel Gabriel, who carried a book that he instructed Muhammad to read. Over many years, Muhammad absorbed Allah’s teachings and began sharing them with close friends and family. He expanded this small group to include an ever-growing number of people who were attracted to the message of Islam. Islam is an Arabic word that comes from the root salam, which means "peace and well-being." The word Islam means "submission or surrender." As a religious concept, it refers to submission to God’s will and obedience to his laws.
An essential focus for Muhammad was to pacify the local tribes, who were in a state of constant warfare. His efforts were often met with violent opposition, and he and his followers fled Mecca north to neighboring Medina. This flight, which came to be known as the Hijrah (emigration), is regarded as the start of the Islamic period. Muhammad eventually returned to Mecca, though he was in Medina when he died in 632.
Allah’s words, as recorded by Muhammad in the Qur’an, are organized into 114 Suras (chapters). To read or recite the Qur’an, Muslims must abide by certain rules, which include being in a state of cleanliness. Muslims believe that the Qur’an calls on people to live in peace and submission to Allah, within one’s self, with others, and with the world. In addition to the Qur’an, Muslims follow sayings and practical guidance from Muhammad, compiled shortly after his death.
Faithful Muslims practice several rituals, some occurring daily and others on holy days. A key practice is observing the Five Pillars of Islam, the five duties of a Muslim. The first pillar is the shahada (faith), a statement of Islam’s two essential beliefs: that there is no god but God and Muhammad is God’s prophet. The second pillar is salat (worship), instructing Muslims to pray five times during the day. The third pillar, zakat (almsgiving), requires Muslims to contribute money to the faith, and the fourth, sawm (fasting), commemorates the gift of the Qur’an during Ramadan, the ninth year in the Islamic calendar. The fifth pillar, hajj (pilgrimage), requires every Muslim to journey to Mecca at least once.
Bibliography
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