Sharma: Do
you know that the Arabic word "Allah" derived from Sanskrit
language? If you break down the word “Allah”, you get “Al+ilah”. The word
for Goddess in Sanskrit is “ilah”. “Allah” is not the only word that Arabic
language borrowed from Sanskrit. There are so many words that Arabic language
borrowed from Sanskrit. I can give you the web links if you want to check out.
Abdullah: The word Allah is not a
SPECIFIC name of God. It is a GENERAL name of God in Arabic language. Arab Jews
and Christians call god by Allah but their God's actual name is Yahweh. Arab
Hindus call God by Allah but their god's actual name is Rama. Arab Buddhists
call God by Allah but their God's actual name is Buddha. Arab pagans call God
by Allah but their god's actual name is Habul. They use the word Allah in
general sense & actual names in specific sense. For example, the general
word for God in Hindi language is Bhagavan. Indian Jews and Christians call god
by Bhagavan but their God's actual name is Yahweh. Indian Hindu call God by
Bhagavan but their god's actual name is Rama. Indian Buddhists call God by
Bhagavan but their God's actual name is Buddha, and so on.
Do Muslims have a specific name of God? Muslims believe God
doesn’t have a specific name. The reason why Muslims call God by “Allah” than
by any other name is Quran was reveled on Arabic. And the word for “God” in
Arabic language is “Allah”. God says we can call him by any best names (The
Quran 17:110). There are two criteria of best names:
(1) We can’t call God by evil names (e.g., liar) or by weak
names (e.g., powerless).
(2) We cannot call God by the positive or comparative forms a good adjective. We have to call God by the superlative form of a good adjective. For example, we cannot call God “powerful” or “more powerful”.
Instead, we have to call God “the most powerful.”
Allah (Al-Elah) is the Arabic word which means “The-God”
in English. “Al” means “The” and “Elah” means “God” in Arabic. The word “Allah”
is derived from Hebrew, not from Sanskrit. The word for “God” in Hebrew is
“Elohim”. Hebrew language borrowed the word “Elohim” from Sumerian language.
The word for God in Sumerian is “ILU” and the word for goddess is “ILATI”.
Sumerian is the oldest language of the world which dates back to 1000 BC. All
three languages (Sumerian, Hebrew, and Arabic) are Semitic languages.
Note that just because Arabic language borrowed the GENERAL
word for “God” from Sumerian language through Hebrew language, we cannot say
Arabs worshipped the same Gods as Sumerians did. If you look at the history of
Arabia prior to Islam, you will see that pagan idols of Arab religions were
different than pagan idols of Sumerians. This proves different languages can
borrow the GENERAL word for “God” from each other but the concept of God of the
speakers of those different languages are different because they have SPECIFIC
word for “God” when they address God in specific sense.
The question may be raised why a language will borrow “a
general word for god” from other languages when that language already has “a
general word for God”. When speakers of one language preach their religion to
speakers of another language, “the general word for God” may enter from one
language to another. Or, when speakers from one language start living with
speakers of another language, “the general word for God” may enter from one
language to another. For example, when Turkish Muslims ruled India, the word
“Parvardigar” which is a general word for God in Turkish language entered Hindi
language. Even today “Parvardigar” is used as a general name for God in Hindi
language.
You said there are a lot of words that Arabic language
borrowed from Sanskrit. What makes you so sure about it? It can be other way
around too. It may be Sanskrit language that borrowed words from Arabic
language when Arabs traders first came to India around 7th century
AD. As I mentioned earlier, Arabic language did not borrow “the general word
for God (Allah)” from Sanskrit language. But for the sake of argument
if I say Arabic borrows “the general word for God (Allah)” from Sanskrit
language, then I find no connection between the concepts of God in Islam &
Hinduism. This is because both religions have specific way to call God which is
separate and distinct from each other.
Reference:
Sumerian Dictionary:http://www.ping.de/sites/systemcoder/necro/info/sumerian.htm
Mash'Allah akhi. May Allah reward you for your effort and increase you in knowledge.
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