Introduction
The word ALLAH (الله) is not a name unique to Muslims. It is simply the Arabic word for God — the same word that Arab Christians and Arab Jews have used for centuries to refer to the Almighty. It is the name He used for Himself in the Quran.
More importantly, the God of Islam is not a new deity. He is the same God who created Adam, spoke to Musa (Moses), and sent Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Them All). He is the God of Ibrahim (Abraham) (Peace Be Upon Him) — of all the prophets. Islam claims to restore and complete the original, uncorrupted message they all carried.
ALLAH is One — Completely and Uniquely
The most fundamental teaching of Islam is that ALLAH is One — not one among many, but uniquely, absolutely One. He has no partners, no rivals, no equals. He was not born and does not give birth. Nothing is comparable to Him.
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
Qul huwa Allahu ahad. Allahu as-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yulad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.
“Say: He is ALLAH, the One. ALLAH, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.”
This short surah (chapter) captures the essential truth of who ALLAH is. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) described its weight in this hadith:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) said: "By the One in Whose hand my soul is, it is equivalent to a third of the Quran."
He is Not Like Creation
A critical distinction in Islam: ALLAH is not like His creation. He does not resemble humans or anything else He made. He is completely beyond our full comprehension.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
Why This Matters
Many people struggle with the concept of God because they imagine a being like themselves — limited, emotional, changeable. The God of Islam is none of these things. He is eternal, infinite, and beyond the categories our minds use for created things.
He is Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim — The Merciful
Perhaps the most important quality of ALLAH in Islam is His mercy. Every chapter of the Quran (except one) begins with the words:
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim
“In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”
Ar-Rahman — His mercy encompasses all of creation, believer and disbeliever alike. Ar-Rahim — His mercy is especially focused on those who believe and do good.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) said: "ALLAH has one hundred parts of mercy, of which He sent down one part among jinn, mankind, animals, and insects, by which they show kindness and mercy to one another... And He kept back ninety-nine parts of mercy with which to be merciful to His slaves on the Day of Resurrection."
He is Al-Hay, Al-Qayyum — The Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining
ALLAH does not sleep, tire, or need anything. He sustains all of creation at every moment.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ
“ALLAH — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep.”
This verse — known as Ayatul Kursi ("the Verse of the Throne") — is described by the Prophet ﷺ as the greatest verse in the Quran:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace Be Upon Him) asked: "Which verse in the Book of ALLAH is the greatest?" Ubayy replied: "ALLAH and His Messenger know best." He repeated the question. Ubayy said: "Ayatul Kursi." The Prophet ﷺ said: "May knowledge be pleasant to you, Abu al-Mundhir! By the One in Whose hand my soul is, it has a tongue and two lips and it glorifies the King at the root of the Throne."
The Beautiful Names of ALLAH
Islam teaches that ALLAH has 99 names (Asma ul-Husna — the Beautiful Names), each describing an aspect of His nature. A few:
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Al-Khaliq | The Creator |
| Al-Ghaffar | The Repeatedly Forgiving |
| Al-'Adl | The Perfectly Just |
| Al-Wadud | The Loving |
| Al-Hakeem | The All-Wise |
| Al-Qadir | The All-Powerful |
Reflecting on the Names
Knowing ALLAH's names is not just memorization — it is a way of building a relationship with Him. Calling upon Him as Al-Ghaffar (the Forgiving) when you have sinned, or as Al-Shakur (the Appreciative) when you are grateful, transforms how you relate to God.
Is ALLAH the Same God as the Bible?
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all trace their roots to the same God — the God of Ibrahim (Abraham) (Peace Be Upon Him). The Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews of the Middle East have always called God "ALLAH." Isa (Jesus) (Peace Be Upon Him) himself spoke Aramaic, a language close to Arabic, in which God is called Alaha.
Where Islam differs is in the description of God — rejecting the concept of the Trinity and affirming that God is absolutely One, without partners or sons in any divine sense.
Common Questions
"If ALLAH is merciful, why is there suffering in the world?" This is one of the deepest questions in religious philosophy. Islam teaches that this life is a test, and that difficulty is one of the tools through which human beings grow, are purified, and return to ALLAH. Suffering in this world does not negate His mercy — it is part of a larger plan that our limited vision cannot fully see.
"Can I call Him 'God' instead of 'ALLAH'?" Yes. The English word "God" and the Arabic word "ALLAH" refer to the same Being. Using "God" is perfectly fine and is how many English-speaking Muslims speak about Him in everyday conversation.
Your Next Step
The next lesson explores Tawheed — the Islamic concept of God's Oneness in depth. It is the most important concept in Islam and the foundation of everything that follows.
References
Quran
- Quran 112:1–4 — Surah Al-Ikhlas: the purest statement of Tawheed
- Quran 42:11 — "There is nothing like unto Him"
- Quran 2:255 — Ayatul Kursi: the greatest verse of the Quran
Hadith
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, narrated by Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) — on the mercy of ALLAH (TODO: verify citation format)
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) — Surah Al-Ikhlas equivalent to a third of the Quran (TODO: verify citation format)
- Sahih Muslim, narrated by Ubayy ibn Ka'b (رضي الله عنه) — Ayatul Kursi is the greatest verse (TODO: verify citation format)