The Origin of the Word ' Allah '... What is the derivation of "Allah"? Some scholars say it derives from al+ illah ("the God"), but many Muslim Ulema and translators of the Qur'an (such as Maulana Muhammad Ali) disagree with this, and say that " Allah " is whole in itself, as a proper name for the Supreme Creator. But is there any philological relationship between Allah and other Semitic terms for "God" such as Eloah (Hebrew) and Alaha (Aramaic/Syriac)? Thank you. Peace and blessings of Allah be with you. Shahid Mufassir, USA Reply Although a lot has been said about the philology of the word 'Allah', however, in my opinion, the former of the two opinions noted by you seems to be closer to the correct one. A detailed discussion compiling the opinions of various scholars of the Arabic language regarding the origin of the word can be seen in " Lisaan al-Arab " under the word " Aliha " ( a-l-h ). In my opinion, 'Allah' is an Arabic word meaning 'the God'. According to the general principle of making proper nouns from common nouns in the Arabic language, the word " ilah " (common noun) has been converted to " al-ilah ", which became " Allah " due to the turgidity and the slight difficulty of pronunciation of the word " al-ilah ". The Qur'an, because its prime and first addressees were the Arabs, used the word "Allah" for the Supreme Being, as that had traditionally been the word used for the Supreme Being in that language. The same had been the case in the older scriptures. Those scriptures, like the Qur'an, used those words for the Supreme Being, which had already in vogue in those languages, to refer to the Supreme Being. However, there have been scholars of the Arabic language who ascribe to the opinion that " Allah " is the actual name of the Supreme Being. It is indeed important to the evidence that they have provided into account. Nevertheless, I feel that to give God a name is a requirement of us, humans. God, being the absolute being is in no need for a name. I hope this helps. In case any question remains unanswered, please feel free in writing back to me at your own convenience. May the Almighty guide us all to the path of His liking. My fondest regards to you and those around you. The Learner