The Meaning of the Name 'ALLĀH'
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Meaning Of the Name 'Allāh' by Six Major Scholars
Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله said;
Allah is the Name of the Lord, the Exalted. It is said that Allah is the Greatest Name of Allah, because it is referred to when describing Allah by the various attributes. For instance, Allah said,
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ الرَّحِيمُ - هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَـمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَـنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ - هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَـلِقُ الْبَارِىءُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
(He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the King, the Holy, the One free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the Almighty, the Wise) (59:22-24).
Hence, Allah mentioned several of His Names as Attributes for His Name Allah. Similarly, Allah said,
وَللَّهِ الأَسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا
(And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them) (7:180), and,
قُلِ ادْعُواْ اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُواْ الرَّحْمَـنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُواْ فَلَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءَ الْحُسْنَى
(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ ) "Invoke Allah or invoke the Most Gracious (Allah), by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names.") (17:110)
Also, the Two Ṣaḥīḥs recorded that Abū Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ للهِ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ اسْمًا، مِائَةً إِلَا وَاحِدًا، مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ»
(Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred minus one, whoever counts (and preserves) them, will enter Paradise.)
These Names were mentioned in a Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and there are several differences between these two narrations.
Source; Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr Surat al-Fātiḥah 1;1
Imām Ibn Qayyim رحمه الله
Concerning the name Allāh, Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله said in Madārij as-Salikīn;
"The Name Allāh indicates all of the Perfect Names and Lofty Attributes in all three ways of indication, since it indicates His Divinity which indicates affirmation of all the attributes of Divinity for Him, along with negation of their opposites for Him. So the Attributes of Divinity are: the attributes of Perfection; being free from any likeness to the creation; and free of any deficiency or imperfection." And the explainer of Kitab at-Tawḥīd in Taysīr Al-ʿAzīz Al-Ḥamīd, he also brought a quote from Ibnul-Qayyim regarding the excellent qualities of the name Allāh. And IbnulQayyim (raḥimahullāh) said:
"As for the particular virtues of the meaning of this Name Allāh, then in this regard the most knowledgeable from the creation (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) himself said [to Allāh]:
لَآ أُحۡصِى ثَنَآءً عَلَيكَ أَنۡتَ كَمَآ أَثۡنَيتَ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِكَ
I could not praise You enough as You deserve. You are as You have praised Yourself.
[Narrated by 'Ā`ishah, رضي الله عنها, recorded in Muslim]
So how could we enumerate the special virtues of the Name of The One Who comprises every Perfection unrestrictedly and every praise and commendation and every laudation and exaltation and all splendour and all Perfection and all glory and all beauty and all good and all eminence. And all generosity, excellence and goodness is for Him and is from Him.
So this Name Allāh is not mentioned upon a small amount of something except that it causes it to increase. Nor is it mentioned in a state of fear except that it removes it. Nor is it mentioned upon any misfortune except that it relieves it. Nor in any state of anxiety or distress except that it brings relief. Nor upon any state of difficulty except that it brings ease to it. None who is weak resorts to it except that it brings strength to him. Nor anyone who is in a state of humiliation except that it brings honor to him. Nor anyone in poverty except that he is enriched. Nor anyone who feels estranged and uneasy except that it causes him to feel at ease. Nor is it mentioned by one who is overcome except that it brings aid and victory for him. Nor by one who is in straightened circumstances except that his difficulty is removed. Nor is it mentioned by a fugitive except that he finds refuge.
So it (The Name Allāh) is the Name through which distress is removed, through which the descent of blessings is sought, and through which supplications are answered. Through it, slips are corrected, sins are warded away, and good deeds are brought closer. It is the Name through which the heavens and the earth were established, and with which the revealed Books were sent down, and with which the Messengers were sent. With it, the legislated laws were prescribed. Through it, the prescribed punishments were established. And with it, Jihād was prescribed.
Through this Name, the creation will become divided into the fortunate and the wretched. With it, the true and tremendous Day is established. And with it, the scales of justice are set up, the bridge laid down, and the Paradise and the Fire established. With it, The Lord of all creation is worshipped and praised. For its right, the Messengers were sent, and it will be asked about in the grave. And for it, there will be the Resurrection. Dispute is regarding it, and judgement is to it, and alliance and disassociation are for it. Through it, those who know it and establish its rights will be the fortunate ones. And through it, those who are ignorant of it and leave its rights will be the wretched ones. So it is the reason for creation and command and, through it, they are established and confirmed. And to it, they arrive at conclusion.
So the creation comes about through it, returns to it and exists because of it. So there is nothing in creation and no command nor reward and no punishment except that it starts from it and ends with it. That is what brings it about and its reason.
رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هٰذَا بَاطِلًا ۚ سُبۡحٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose. Free and far removed are You from that. So save us from the punishment of the Fire.
(Āli 'Imrān, ayah 191)
Then with regard to the Name Allāh, the brief indication of the meaning is: The One Who is truly venerated and worshipped. The One deserving that He be singled out with all worship because of His Perfect Attributes of Divinity.
Source; Explanation of the Names of Allāh by Abū Talha Dawūd Burbank
Imām AbdurRaḥmān As-Sa'dī
Allāh رحمه الله
He's the One and only Deity, the One Who is worshipped and the One Who is deserved to be worshipped by the whole of His creation. This is due to the perfect and beautiful godly attributes that He is described with.
Al-Baqarah 2:255
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةࣱ وَلَا نَوۡمࣱۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءࣲ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ
Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursî extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursî]
Source; Explanation to the Beautiful and Perfect Names of Allāh, extracted from Taysir Al-Karīm ar-Raḥmān, Published by Dar-us-Sunnah publishers, Birmingham
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān حفظه الله
Allāh is a proper noun for Allāh's Self that no-one else is named with. 'Allāh' means the One to be worshipped, AI-Ulūhiyyah which is al-Ubūdiyyah worshipped. Allāh is the One to be worshipped in truth المألوه حقا Ma'lūh which means al Ma'būd المعبود حقا the One to be worshipped in truth and no-one else. He is the Beloved , From the meanings of al llaah is "the Maḥbūb the beloved whom the hearts love and worship.
He is the One to be worshipped the Ma'būd, the Ma'lūh and the Beloved Maḥbūb that the hearts love and no-one is called by the name Allāh' except Allāh, the Glorified and Exalted.
Tafsīr Surat al-Fātiḥah (Translated by Umm Abdir-Raḥmān Tara Hashim)
Shaykh Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn رحمه الله
The word Allāh is the title particular to the Most High Thaat (Essence), meaning the name particular to Allāh, the Mighty and Magnificent, Himself. This title applies to none other than Allāh, whether in times of jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) or times of Islam. For Allāh is Rabbul-’aalameen (The Rabb of all creation), the Mighty and Majestic.
Tafsīr Ayatul Qursiy (Prepared by Dr Saleh as-Saleh رحمه الله)
Shaykh ʿAbdur-Razzāq ibn ʿAbdul-Muḥsin Al-Badr حفظهما الله
'Allāh' is a magnificent Name from the Beautiful Names of Allāh llāh. The Name Allāh occurs the most in the Qur'ān out of all the other names at over 1200 times which no other name does and it begins 33 aayaat.
Some of the people of knowledge hold that 'Allah' is Allāh's greatest Name, that if He is called upon with it He answers and if He is asked with it He gives. This Name has special characteristics which is specific to it.
One of which is that it is the foundation for all the Beautiful Names of Allāh and all the Names are under it.
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَٱدۡعُوهُ بِهَاۖ
And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them,
[Suratul 'Araaf 7:180]
The Name 'Allāh' carries the meanings of all the Beautiful Names, it refers to them in general and the Beautiful Names are the details. It clarifies the Divine Attributes which are Perfect, Majestic and Mighty Attributes. 'Allāh' is the Name that all the others refer back to and it encompasses all their meanings.
The most concise and best saying about the meaning of 'Allāh' is what is narrated by lbn 'Abbās رضي الله عنه when he said:
"Allāh - the One who has the right to be taken as a Deity and worshipped by the whole of creation." Taken from lbn Jarir in his Tafsir.
This means that Allāh with these Attributes of Majesty, Perfection and Might deserves to be worshipped and singled out alone with humility, humbleness and submission.
Source; A Summarized Explanation of Allāh's Beautiful Names, by Shaykh ʿAbdur-Razzāq ibn ʿAbdul-Muḥsin Al-Badr حفظهما الله translated by Umm ʿAbdir-Raḥmān Tara Hashim
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