What does the term “Allah” mean?
The Arabic word Allah is a contraction of the words “al” and “ilah,” and literally means “The God.” Believers in Islam understand Allah to be the proper name for the Creator as found in the Qur’an. The name Allah is analogous to Eloh, a Semitic term found in the divine scriptures revealed to Muhammad’s predecessors: Moses and Jesus (may peace be upon them all). The use of the term Allah is not confined to believers in Islam alone – Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also use Allah in reference to God, demonstrating thereby that followers of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism believe in a common monotheistic Creator, a fact that many people are surprised to learn. One reason for this may be that English-speaking persons are accustomed to the term God, whereas believers in Islam, regardless of their native language, use the Arabic word Allah. This difference in usage may cause people to view the term Allah with reticence and uncertainty, preventing them from making the connection between
