The Name: ALLAH
The Name
ٱللَّٰه — ALLAH — The One God, The Only God
This is not a title or a description. It is the proper name of the Creator.
Every chapter of the Quran but one opens with Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim — In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Every declaration of Islamic faith — La ilaha illa ALLAH — centers on this name. ALLAH is the name at the heart of everything Islam teaches about God.
What This Name Means
ALLAH is the proper name of the Creator in Arabic. Unlike rabb (Lord), malik (King), or ilah (god/deity in general) — which are titles and descriptions — ALLAH is a personal name. It is the name He uses to name Himself throughout the Quran.
Arabic scholars note two features of this name:
- It cannot be made plural in the way that refers to the same being — aalihah (gods) refers to other deities, not multiple ALLAHs
- It encompasses all of ALLAH's other names and attributes
When a Muslim says ALLAH, they are invoking the One who is also Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, Al-Malik, Al-Alim, and all of the other beautiful names. This name is the anchor from which the others unfold.
Evidence from the Quran
إِنَّنِىٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدْنِى وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِذِكْرِىٓ
“Indeed, I am ALLAH. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.”
This is ALLAH's own introduction of Himself — spoken to Musa (Moses) (Peace Be Upon Him) at the burning bush. He names Himself: I am ALLAH. He declares the implication: There is no deity except Me. Worship follows directly from this reality.
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
“Say: He is ALLAH, the One. ALLAH, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begot nor was begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.”
Surah Al-Ikhlas is among the most recited chapters in the Quran. In four verses, it states the heart of Islamic monotheism: ALLAH is One, Eternal, and has no equal, no parent, and no offspring. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) described this surah as equivalent to one-third of the Quran in its meaning.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ
“ALLAH — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence.”
The opening of Ayatul Kursi — the most famous verse in the Quran, recited by Muslims morning and evening and after every prayer. It begins by naming ALLAH and declaring His absolute oneness, then describes His eternal life, His knowledge, and His majesty.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
“In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to ALLAH, Lord of all the worlds.”
Al-Fatiha opens every unit of every prayer. The name ALLAH appears in the first verse and the second — it is the very beginning of Islamic worship.
What This Name Teaches About ALLAH
He is One without partner. La ilaha illa ALLAH — there is no god except ALLAH — is the foundational declaration of Islamic faith. No associate, no co-creator, no equal.
He is Self-sufficient. The Quran calls Him As-Samad (Quran 112:2) — the Eternal Refuge, the Self-sufficient One whom all beings need and who needs nothing.
He is incomparable. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad — there is none comparable to Him. His attributes cannot be compared to anything in creation.
An Important Caution
When we affirm ALLAH's names and attributes, we affirm what He has revealed about Himself — without asking "how" and without imagining any resemblance to creation. The Quran says: "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing." (Quran 42:11) This is the boundary of what we know.
Effect on Worship
The name ALLAH is the most frequent word in Islamic worship. It appears in the call to prayer (adhan), in the declaration of faith (Shahada), in the prayer (Salah) seventeen times in each recitation of Al-Fatiha alone, in the remembrance after prayer, and throughout the supplications Muslims make each day.
When a Muslim says Allahu Akbar — ALLAH is the Greatest — at the start of prayer, they are deliberately placing ALLAH above everything else in that moment: above distraction, above worry, above all of worldly concern.
Du'a Reflection
Calling on ALLAH directly — simply saying Ya ALLAH (O ALLAH) — is itself one of the most direct forms of remembrance. The Quran says: "And to ALLAH belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them." (Quran 7:180) The name is an invitation to turn toward the One it names.
Common Questions
Muslims believe that ALLAH is the same Creator worshipped by Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Them All) — the God of all the prophets. The Islamic understanding of God's nature differs from later Christian theology in significant ways (Islam does not accept the Trinity or the divinity of Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him)). But the God being addressed is the One Creator. Arab Christians also use the word ALLAH for God in Arabic translations of the Bible.
ALLAH is the name used in the Quran — the word ALLAH uses to name Himself. The English word "God" is a common noun that can be pluralized ("gods") or made feminine ("goddess"). ALLAH in Arabic has neither of those grammatical possibilities — it is singular and complete. When speaking in Arabic or in Islamic devotional contexts, ALLAH is used rather than a translation, because the name carries this precision.
The name ALLAH points to all of His other names and attributes. To understand what ALLAH is like, Muslims study those names: He is Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), Al-Alim (the All-Knowing), Al-Qadir (the All-Powerful), Al-Wadud (the Most Loving). The Quran says: "To ALLAH belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them." (Quran 7:180) Each name reveals a dimension of who He is — affirmed as He has described Himself, without asking how and without imagining any comparison to creation.
Key Takeaways
- ALLAH is the proper name of the Creator — not a title, not a description, but a name.
- The name cannot be pluralized or made feminine in Arabic, reflecting the uniqueness it names.
- Surah Al-Ikhlas (Quran 112) states the heart of Islamic monotheism: ALLAH is One, Eternal, and incomparable.
- All of ALLAH's other beautiful names describe dimensions of the One this name encompasses.
- Worship in Islam centers on this name — it is the axis of the Islamic understanding of God.
Related Names
- Ar-Rahman — The Most Gracious
- Ar-Rahim — The Most Merciful
- Al-Malik — The Sovereign
- Names of ALLAH Overview
Next Recommended Step
→ Ar-Rahman — The Most Gracious
References
Quran
- Quran 20:14 — "Indeed, I am ALLAH. There is no deity except Me."
- Quran 112:1–4 — Surah Al-Ikhlas: ALLAH is One, Eternal, incomparable
- Quran 2:255 — Ayatul Kursi: ALLAH, no deity except Him, the Ever-Living
- Quran 1:1–2 — Al-Fatiha: In the name of ALLAH; all praise to ALLAH, Lord of all worlds
- Quran 7:180 — "To ALLAH belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them"
- Quran 42:11 — "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing"
All Quran translations in this article require verification against a standard scholarly translation before final publication.