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Is "Allah" credibly the Arabic version of "Alaha?" - Printable Version

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Is "Allah" credibly the Arabic version of "Alaha?" - DavidLeRoy - 01-22-2015

Mark Siljander's book A Deadly Misunderstanding makes a linguistics-based case (pp 44-47, but don't just jump there) that for over 5 centuries before Muhammad, Arab Christians and even some Jews in the Arabian peninsula used the word Allah for God. He documents A Complete List of Qur'anic References to Isa (Jesus) that he groups into 57 categories, many with multiple Sura cites. I'm only a third of the way through this work, but would like to know what Aramaic-based counterarguments can be raised (after having read the whole) by linguistic experts.

Not to in any way elevate the Qur'an from its highly self-contradictory "piece* of work" status, or to denigrate the Peshitta New Covenant / Peshitta-LXX-Masoritic Old Testament with its Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, and Mosaic (Hagar) Covenants (I highly recommend Dr. Jason Lisle's The Ultimate Proof of Creation for critical thinking skill development) from being THE WORD of MarYah Yeshua for which we are accountable, but am interested in whether Siljander's study results and life experiences can be legitimately discounted linguistically.

Siljander makes a case for using the "correct" portions of the Qur'an as a means of defusing Islamic terrorism.

*if it were truly "holy" in any way, of course, it would include some form of The Golden Rule (Mat 7.12), vs. ongoing "kill the infidel wherever" instructions.


Re: Is "Allah" credibly the Arabic version of "Alaha?" - Paul Younan - 01-23-2015

Hi David,

Linguistically speaking, the Arabic word "Allah" is the exact same as Aramaic "Alaha", Hebrew "Eloh" and English "God."

Arabian Christians and Jews did before Islam, and do today, use "Allah" the same way as the English use "God."

Contrary to popular belief, "Allah" is not an Islamic term. It was around a long time before the emergence of that sect.

If you go to any Arabian church service (the Maronites in Lebanon, or the Orthodox in Jerusalem for instance) - you'll hear "Allah" throughout the liturgy, in prayers, and even in their copies of the bible.

Take care,

+Shamasha


RE: Is "Allah" credibly the Arabic version of "Alaha?" - Seeker of the Truth - 05-31-2015

Shalaamu (Shlama) Paul and David,
     The Arabic Name الله ʔallāh is derived from the definite article ال ʔal meaning "the" and إله (or إلاه) ʔilāh meaning "God." The fuller form of the Name of Allah is Al-Ilah (i.e. الالاه ʔal-ʔilāh). Ilah is אלה Elo(a)h in Hebrew (o = ā, Canaanite shift), אלה Elah in Judeo-Aramaic and ܐܠܗܐ Alaha in Syriac.

Blessings to you and yours in peace.
Shalaamu (Shlama)

-- Seitz (הלתואם Hal-Tawʔam)