Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!crackers!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!zahle.wpi.edu!shari
From: jgreat@convex.com (J L Greathouse)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Why Allah?
Message-ID: <1991May12.223400.2831@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 12 May 91 22:34:00 GMT
References: <1991May9.134847.4629@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Sender: news@wpi.WPI.EDU (News)
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Lines: 27
Approved: shari@zahle.wpi.edu
Originator: shari@zahle.wpi.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: zahle.wpi.edu


Salaam Alaikum

Surely the reason for the original person's concern about the use of
the word "God" rather than "Allah" was not that either word is more
"grammatically correct" that the other.

I missed the original post, but believe from reading the responses
that the concern was this: non-Muslims who read this newsgroup might
not realize that the word Allah does indeed mean "The Creator of the
Universe."

While this newsgroup serves as a means of distributing information
about Muslims and Islam, the information is seen not only by Muslims
but also by non-Muslims, for whom this source of information may be
the only source to which they are exposed.

If our goal is to spread Islam and to dispell myths about it, we
should keep in mind those unseen readers who know very little about
Islam. While the use of the word Allah is indeed superior to any
translation of that word, perhaps we can regularly define it for those
who may not realize we are talking about The Only God, the Creator and
Sustainer of the Universe.


Just my humble opinion.
J L Greathouse