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From: zama@midway.uchicago.edu (iftikhar uz zaman)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Why Allah?
Message-ID: <1991May9.115014.14052@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 9 May 91 11:50:14 GMT
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	Translation is never straightforward--one has to make choices.
The question with the God <-> Allah translation is also one in which
choices have to be made.

	The source for most indo-pak muslims' insisting on the word
Allah is probably Iqbal who said that Allah is not equal to God, since,
as pointed out, "God" can be "gods", but there IS no plural for "Allah."
(Probably others in various parts of the world have also made this
observation...)

	On the other hand, most Arab lexicographers consider "Allah" to
be a contraction of "al-ilah". "Ilah" does have a plural ("aaliha")
and thus corresponds almost directly to "god/gods".  Now the "al" in
"al-ilah" turns the indefinite "ilah" into the definite Allah--and,
simultaneously, there can be no plural.  Capitalizing the "G" in god,
achieves the same syntactic effect--God is used to indicate that the
noun is definite.  I wonder, is it permissable to say "Gods," with
a capitalized plural?

	So it seems to me that sticking to the word Allah *because*
it does not allow for a plural *could* be a reason, on the other hand,
upon examination, it might not be as strong as it seems at first glance.
Nevertheless, it *could* be the benefit of sticking to this word.

	On the other hand, it seems to me that the harm in sticking to
this word to describe the deity as explained to us in the Muslim tradition,
*does* carry the negative aspect which those who started this thread
were suggesting.  And, in my own opinion, this harm is far more than
the benefit of sticking to the word Allah--you are rarely able to convey
the fine points which you are observing in using this word instead of
God to an audience which knows little about Islam.  On the other hand,
it is quite probably that you *do* end up confirming their prejudices
regarding the deity of Muslims being something "new" ...

	If instead you use "God" and then, when you get a chance,
explains how there are problems with this translation, I think you get
the best of both worlds.  (and now, on to a more relevant and
practical question: "how many angels can dance on the pin of a
head?"...)


						Wassalam