02-06-2008, 01:22 PM
Akhi Paul,
If "allah" was the pre-Islamic Arabic equivilent to the generic term "god/diety" then why does the Islamic creed read like this:
"There is no ilah but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet."
The way I understand this is that "ilah" is the Arabic equivilent of "god/diety" and "Allah" would then be the "unsacred name" of the Islamic god. If "allah" is a generitic term instead of a personal name, then wouldn't the creed read like this:
"There is no allah but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet."
I've also read before (in some Islamic sources) that the "name", "Allah" is derived from "al-ilah" (the god/the diety), which reveals Islam's polytheisic roots. I understand that as Muhammad chose one of the pre-Islamic gods (the moon god which was the chief god) and declared him to be "The God" (the only god). And thereby the "name" "Allah" seals this god's identity as the only god, thereby being a personal name and not a generic title.
Am I getting it right, or is this purely the Islamic perspective?
If "allah" was the pre-Islamic Arabic equivilent to the generic term "god/diety" then why does the Islamic creed read like this:
"There is no ilah but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet."
The way I understand this is that "ilah" is the Arabic equivilent of "god/diety" and "Allah" would then be the "unsacred name" of the Islamic god. If "allah" is a generitic term instead of a personal name, then wouldn't the creed read like this:
"There is no allah but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet."
I've also read before (in some Islamic sources) that the "name", "Allah" is derived from "al-ilah" (the god/the diety), which reveals Islam's polytheisic roots. I understand that as Muhammad chose one of the pre-Islamic gods (the moon god which was the chief god) and declared him to be "The God" (the only god). And thereby the "name" "Allah" seals this god's identity as the only god, thereby being a personal name and not a generic title.
Am I getting it right, or is this purely the Islamic perspective?