The study of the historical roots of the name "Allah" in Pre-Islamic texts

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Philosophy and Theology Department , Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran

2 Philosophy and Theology Department , Al-Farabi complex of Tehran University, qom, Iran

3 Arabic Language and Literature Department, Al-Farabi complex of Tehran University, qom, Iran

Abstract

The debate on the word “Allah” etymology is pervasive. Because of its interrelations with various disciplines such as history, archeology, Semitic languages, and theology, the detailed analysis of the topic demands mastery of all these sciences. The word’s slightly different pronunciation from the corresponding term referring to Almighty God in the scriptures of pre-Islamic Abrahamic religions has sometimes incited religious disputes leading some to cast doubts on the name’s identical referent. This article demonstrates that the origin of the word “Allah” is the Syriac word “Alaha,” meaning “God,” and while studying linguistic changes of this word over time also proves it to be cognate with the Hebrew words “oluh,” and “Alvah” in Torah. Furthermore, this paper shows that in pre-Islamic centuries, Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians used the same word, “Allah,” to refer to the concept of the Supreme God.

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Main Subjects

References

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Quarterly of Arabic Language and Literature
Volume 19, Issue 2
July 2023
Pages 187-204

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