The name "Allah" is a word that is heard quite often these days whether it is on the television or passed along in conversation. But most non-Muslims have no idea who Allah is. Just the name "Allah" is so shrouded in mystery because most people never take the time to unravel the meaning. Rather they believe what they see portrayed in the heavily biased media and allow their fears to take hold of their chests instead of seeking out the truth for themselves.Some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Allah is a holy deity or some sort of idol that Muslims worship similar to the way in which Buddhists worship Buddha. Others mistakenly think that Allah is an "Arab god," or a "moon god."
The meaning of Allah is so simple. Allah is the Arabic form of the word "The One True God". Muslims prefer to call God by His proper name, Allah, and refrain from using the word "god" itself since it can be attributed to so many other things. For example, in proper English, the feminine form of "god" is "goddess". Allah is a name that is neither feminine nor masculine, and it cannot be made plural (unlike god, gods, goddess, etc).
"Say, 'He is Allah, The One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begets not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like into Him." (Al Ikhlas 112:1-4)
Islam is the only religion on Earth that remained purely monotheistic. Islam is based on the concept of Tawhid, or Unity of God. Muslims are strictly monotheistic, and fiercely reject any attempt to make God visible or human. Islam rejects any form of idol worship, even if its intention is to get "closer" to God, and rejects the Trinity or any attempt to make God human.
Muslims believe that there is nothing in the heavens nor on earth that deserves worship except Allah, the One True Creator. The fundamental pillar of faith in Islam is to declare that "there is no deity worthy of worship except the One True Almighty God" (in Arabic: "La ilaha ill Allah"). Muslims believe that Allah is the One and Only God without partners and that the name "Allah" is unique to the sole Creator of this World and everything in it. In Islam, to liken Allah to another supposed god in any way shape or form is to commit the one unforgivable sin of shirk, which means to ascribe partners to Allah.
The Quran reveals that there are many Beautiful Names of Allah, and that is how Muslims get to know the Creator. Some of the names of Allah are:
Al-Wadud — The Loving
Al-Khaliq — The Creator
Al-Ahad — The One
Al-Aziz — The Mighty and Strong
Muslims pray directly to Allah, with no intermediary, and seek guidance from Him alone.
"When My servants ask thee concerning Me,
I am indeed close (to them):
I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me.
Let them also, with a will,
Listen to My call, and believe in Me,
that they may walk in the right way."
(Al Baqarah 2:186)
Allah is the Most Kind and the Most Merciful. All that Allah has asked for humans to do is to be pious, worship Him alone and be kind to our fellow man.
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Acknowledgment:
-Holy Quran
-Sumayyah Meehan