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From: aj3u@opal.cs.virginia.edu (Asim Jalis)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Why Allah?
Message-ID: <1991May9.115102.20960@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 9 May 91 11:51:02 GMT
References: <1991May8.200343.490@wpi.WPI.EDU>
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In article <1991May8.200343.490@wpi.WPI.EDU> christy@CRVAX.Sri.Com (Christy Chase) writes:
> 
> While I can understand this idea, and I do often use the word God when
> speaking with Christians, I must say that I also disagree.  What I
> understand is that although God and Allah are alike, both refer to the
> One and Only Creator, they are also different.  God may become gods,
> godess, or goddesses.  Allah is not male or female and it cannot be
> made plural.  In this sense, it is much more specific.  Also, this is
> the way Allah refers to Himself in the Holy Quran.  We should try to
> translate as little as possible, as in every translation there is a
> loss or change of meaning.
> 


While I understand your argument about "allah" being a more specific
term than just "god", I don't follow your last point.

"Allah" is simply "ilah" the Arabic word for "god" prefixed with "al"
the Arabic definite article.  So how was "God" supposed to refer to
himself in the Arabic Quran?

Also "God" does use the word "ilah", "rab", etc to refer to himself at
several places in the Quran.