Who is Allah in Islam? Belief, meaning and His names

What does the word Allah mean?

“Allah” is the Arabic proper name of the one true God. Linguists explain that it comes from “al-ilāh”, meaning “the God”. The word has no plural and no feminine form, which also reflects in language that God is one.

The word is not used only by Muslims: Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also say “Allah” when they speak of God, and Arabic Bible translations use it too. So “Allah” and “God” refer to the same idea; the first is simply the Arabic word.

What is the place of Allah in Islam?

The foundation of Islam is tawhid, belief in the oneness of God. A person becomes Muslim by saying “Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illallāh, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan ‘abduhū wa rasūluh” (I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger).

The six articles of faith also begin with God: belief in God, His angels, His books, His prophets, the Last Day and divine decree. Prayer, fasting, charity and pilgrimage are all expressions of worshipping God. Muslims begin everything with “Bismillāhir-raḥmānir-raḥīm” (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful).

How does the Qur’an describe Allah?

The shortest and best-known description is Surah al-Ikhlas: “Say: He is God, the One. God, the Eternal Refuge (everything needs Him, He needs nothing). He neither begets nor is born. And there is none comparable to Him.”

According to the Qur’an, God:

• Created everything from nothing and has power over all things.
• Knows, sees and hears everything, and is closer to a person than their jugular vein (Surah Qaf 50:16).
• Has mercy that embraces all things, and forgives those who repent.
• Is beyond time and place and resembles nothing in creation (Surah ash-Shura 42:11).

What are the 99 names of Allah (al-Asmā’ al-Ḥusnā)?

The Qur’an says: “To God belong the most beautiful names” (Surah al-A‘raf 7:180). A hadith mentions ninety-nine names of God, known as al-Asmā’ al-Ḥusnā (the most beautiful names). Some of the best known:

Names such as Abdullah and Abdurrahman, meaning “servant of God”, come from these names.

Is Allah the same as God? How is Islam different from other faiths?

In Islam, Allah is the same Creator that Abraham, Moses and Jesus called people to; all prophets were sent to teach His oneness. The difference lies in how God is described: Islam does not accept that God has a son, a wife or any partner, and Jesus is honoured as a great prophet.

To learn about the last prophet, who brought the Qur’an, read our page Who is Prophet Muhammad?

Where can you see the name of Allah in Istanbul?

Istanbul’s historic mosques hold some of the finest examples of the name of God written in calligraphy. Under the dome of Hagia Sophia, giant round panels carry the names of God, Prophet Muhammad, the four caliphs, Hasan and Husayn. Written in the 19th century by the calligrapher Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, they are among the largest calligraphy panels in the Islamic world.

The dome and mihrab of the Blue Mosque also carry verses and names of God. To prepare for a mosque visit with children, see visiting a mosque with children, and for prayer see mosques for prayer in Sultanahmet.