Allah

Allah (Arabic: اللّه) is the Arabic word for “the (one) God”. Muslims prefer to use this term because it unambiguously expresses certain attributes of the Creator:

• No grammatical gender assignment (neither male nor female)
• No plural form (absolutely unique)
• No derivable word root (not created, but eternal)

Thus, the term “Allah” expresses core attributes of God: Uniqueness, Genderlessness, and Uncreatedness.

Allah is not an exclusive “God of the Muslims.” Long before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Arab Christians and Jews used the term Allah for the Creator. Also in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, the word for God means “Allah.”

Islam sees Allah as the same God who also gave revelations to Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. The differences with other religions lie in the understanding of God – for example, Islam rejects the idea of the Trinity or a “Son of God.”

The central creed in Islam is the Oneness of God (Arabic: Tawḥīd توحيد). It means:

• Only Allah is the Creator.
• Only Allah is worthy of worship.
• Only Allah possesses the most perfect attributes.

Tawhid is the foundation of Islamic faith (Īmān إيمان) and is expressed in the Islamic declaration of faith (Shahādah شهادة):

“Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-rasulullah.”
(أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدًا رسول الله)
I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

(Tawḥīd ar-Rubūbiyya توحيد الربوبية)

Allah is the only Lord, Sustainer, and Controller of the universe. Everything happens with His knowledge and will. Whoever sees another as the creator is associating partners with Allah (Shirk شرك).

(Tawḥīd al-ʾUlūhiyya توحيد الألوهية)

All ritual acts like prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, supplication (Du'a دعاء) must be directed exclusively to Allah. One should only love Allah, ask Him for help, submit to Him, and trust in Him.

Quote from the Quran:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Surah 51:56)

(Tawḥīd al-ʾAsmāʾ wa-ṣ-Ṣifāt توحيد الأسماء والصفات)

Allah possesses perfect Names and Attributes. No human or flawed characteristics (e.g., tiredness, birth, death) may be attributed to Him. Examples of His Attributes:

• The All-Knowing (al-ʿAlīm العليم)
• The All-Powerful (al-Qadīr القدير)
• The Most Merciful (ar-Raḥmān الرحمن)

Muslims believe in these attributes without mixing them with human conceptions or questioning their nature.

Quote:

“Vision does not perceive Him, but He perceives [all] vision.” (Surah 6:103)

In Islam, there are two levels of human action:

• Involuntary Events: Birth, death, heartbeat, etc.
• Will-directed Actions: Here, man has free will – within the framework of what Allah has permitted.

Everything happens within the Will of Allah, but not everything corresponds to His Commands.

Quote:

“But you cannot will, unless Allah wills.” (Surah 76:30)
(وما تشاءون إلا أن يشاء الله)

The belief in Allah in Islam emphasizes:

• His absolute Uniqueness
• His sole Worthiness of Worship
• His perfect Attributes
• The responsibility of man to consciously believe and act

Whoever speaks the Shahada with conviction and lives according to it is considered a Submitter to God (Muslim مسلم) in Islam.