[MADRASA] What is the meaning of Allah?

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[MADRASA] What is the meaning of Allah?
chachi
07/13/01 at 00:55:19
salaam

i read a article a while ago about the way allah is spelt in arabic

anyway that started me thinking in arabic Al- means 'The' and 'Lah' means 'no'

so does allah mean 'the no'? because that would kind of make sense because in islam everything is allowed except that which is prohibited and it's strange how the first  kids learn is 'no'

and the kalimah starts with a negation and then a affirmation

 penny for your thoughts...
Re: What is the meaning of Allah?
chachi
12/15/00 at 21:27:41

anyway i know this is sort of unrelated but two things really struck me, if anybodies ever seen 'planet of the apes' how the first word the chimpanzee who rejects being experimented upon says is 'no'

and in a different context how ghandi said all he
wanted to teach indians to say was 'no'

maybe more muslims need to be able to say no?
Re: What is the meaning of Allah?
Rashid
12/15/00 at 21:37:45
slm

what I read is that Lah is a contraction of Ilah, which is God in arabic, so by saying Allah we are saying The God.  If we break down La Ilaha illa Allah, it means No God except The God.  See, La is No, while Lah is associated with deity.  This is my understanding, as i'm not fluent in arabi i could be wrong, but i'm learning.
Re: What is the meaning of Allah?
se7en
12/17/00 at 14:39:28

wa alaykum as salaam wa rahmatAllahi wa barakatuh,

I heard in a lecture somewhere.. I'm not sure where... that one opinion states that the word "Allah" is derived from al-elah, and over time it evolved from al-elah to Allah through idhgaam, and that this is an opinion common among the orientalists.

However the dominant opinion is that it is a proper name that has no derivative, and it is unique because it has an emphatic laam, aLLAH not allAH (er..hard to explain without pronouncing)

And this is also the same with the word "Quran", Suyuuti and other say that is is a proper name with no derivative, that it does not come from iqraa etc.

waAllahu 'alam.

wasalaam.
Re: What is the meaning of Allah?
proudtobemuslim
12/19/00 at 12:50:02
Assalam-u-Alaikum

Islam-qa.com

Assalamu Aleikum

    This is my first question to you and it is read as follows:

    Who was the first person to name our holy book (Qur'an) to be named QUR'AN?

    I read from a magazine that it was ABUBEKER (R.A.) . But I couldn't believe! In sura al
    INSAN verse 23 it says, "We brought (down) to you the Qur'an" .

    Dear brother please give me a clear picture about this.

    May Allah help you.

Praise be to Allaah;

You have answered your own question, as it were, because it is Allaah who gave His Book this name,
"Qur’aan."

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

    "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:185]
    "Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully . . .?" [al-Nisaa’ 4:82]
    "So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy . . ." [al-A
    ‘raaf 7:204]
    "Verily, Allaah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that
    their shall be Paradise. They fight in Allaah’s Cause, so they kill (others) and are killed. It is a
    promise in truth which is binding on Him in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and the
    Qur’aan . . ." [al-Tawbah 9:111]
    "And this Qur’aan is not such as could ever be produced by other than Alaah, but it is a
    confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it, and a full explanation of the Book wherein
    there is no doubt from the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)" [Yunus
    10:37]
    "Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan in order that you might understand" [Yusuf
    12:2]
    "We relate unto you [Muhammad] the best of stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this
    Qur’aan. And before this, you were among those who knew nothing about it (the Qur’aan)."
    [Yusuf 12:3]
    "And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of al-Mathaani (the seven repeatedly recited
    verses, i.e. Soorat al-Faatihah) and the Grand Qur’aan." [al-Hijr 15:87]
    "So when you want to recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan, the outcast (the
    cursed one)." [al-Nahl 16:98]
    "Verily, this Qur’aan guides to that which is most just . . ." [al-Israa’ 17:9]
    "And We send down from the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe,
    and it increases the zaalimoon (wrongdoers) nothing but loss." [al-Israa’ 17:82]
    "Say: ‘If mankind and the jinns were together to produce the like of this Qur’aan, they could not
    produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another.’" [al-Israa’ 17:88]
    "And (it is) a Qur’aan which We have divided )into parts), in order that you might recite it to men
    at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages." [al-Israa’ 17:106]
    "We have not sent down the Qur’aan unto you [O Muhammad] to cause you distress" [Ta-Ha 20:2]
    "Then High above all be Allaah, the True King. And be not in haste (O Muhammad) with the
    Qur’aan before its revelation is completed to you, and say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in
    knowledge.’" [Ta-Ha 20:114]
    "Ta-Seen [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and none but Allaah (Alone) knows
    their meanings]. These are the Verses of the Qur’aan, and (it is) a Book (that makes things)
    clear" [al-Naml 27:1]
    "And verily, you (O Muhammad) are receiving the Qur’aan from the One, All-Wise,
    All-Knowing." [al-Naml 27:6]
    "Verily, He Who has given you (O Muhammad) the Qur’aan will surely bring you back to the
    Ma’aad (place of return, either to Makkah or to Pradise after your death) . . ." [al-Qasas 28:85]
    "By the Qur’aan, full of wisdom" [Yaa-Seen 36:2]
    "And indeed, We have made the Qur’aan easy to understand and remember, then is there any that
    will remember (or receive admonition)?" [al-Qamar 54:40]
    "That (this) is indeed an honourable recital (the Noble Qur’aan)." [al-Waaqi’ah 56:77]
    "Had We sent down this Qur’aan on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself
    and rending asunder by the fear of Allah . . ." [al-Hashr 59:21]
    "or a little more; and recite the Qur’aan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style."
    [al-Muzzammil 73:4]
    "Nay! This is a Glorious Qur’aan" [al-Burooj 85:21]

Can there be any doubt after reading all these aayaat that it is Allaah - and not Abu Bakr (may Allaah be
pleased with him) or anyone else - Who has given the name "Qur’aan" to the Book which He revealed to
Muhammad  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?

In Arabic, the word "Qur’an" comes from the word meaning al-qar’, which means "gathering" and
"putting things together." It is so called because it is a collection of all the siwar (plural of surah). It was
also suggested that it is so called because it combines the fruits of the previously-revealed books, or
because it combines all kinds of knowledge.
(See al-Itqaan by al-Suyooti, 1/162-163).

Finally, we advise you to check what you read so that you do not get confused by unreliable sources in
books and magazines that may cause you to doubt the truth. May Allaah bless you and us with beneficial
knowledge and help us to perform righteous deeds.

Wassalam-u-Alaikum
Uzer


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