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Review instances of ilaah (إِلَٰه) in the Quran part I

It is believed that the Arabic word, allah to be derived from the al-ilaah meaning “the god”, which is related to the Aramaic word, Elah. Here is a review of a group of Arabic words from the same root occurs 2849 times in the Quran as shown in the table below:

Note: The data in the above table obtained from the quran.com excluding an instance of ilaah and an instance of allah in the verse 9:129 which does not belong to the Quran.

146 instances of ilaah and 5 instances of allahumma in the Quran are reviewed here to better understand the difference between ilaah and allah, even these two Arabic words sound very close to each other, and many of us cannot make a clear difference between ilaah meaning ‘god’ and allah meaning ‘God’ like rasuul meaning ‘messenger’ and nabiy meaning ‘prophet’.

Details of instances of ilaah

Out of 146, 53 instances of ilaah in 42 verses in the Quran across 14 surahs are detailed below:

[2:133] Or had you been witnesses when the death had come to Jacob; when he said to his children, “What will you worship after of me?” They said, “We will worship your god; god of your forefathers: Abraham, and Ismail, and Isaac – One god (na`budu ilaahaka wa-ilaaha aabaaika ib’raaheema wa-is’maa`eela wa-is’haaqa ilaahan waahidatin). And to Him we are submitters.”

[2:163] And your god is One god (wa-ilaahukum ilaahun waahidun): there is no god except He – the Gracious, the Merciful (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa al-rahmaanu al-raheemu).

[2:255] God: there is no god except He – the Living, the Eternal (allahu laa-ilaaha illaa huwa al-hayyu al-qayyuumu). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Is there anyone who can intercede with Him except of His permission? He knows what is before (past) of them and what is behind (future) of them. And they cannot encompass with anything of His knowledge except of what He has willed. He has extended His Throne to the heavens and the earth, and it does not tire Him in taking care of both of them, and He is the High, the Great.

[3:2] God: there is no god except He – the Living, the Eternal (allahu laa-ilaaha illaa huwa al-hayyu al-qayyuumu).

[3:6] He is the One who shapes you in the wombs how He wills. There is no god except He – the Almighty, the Wise (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa al-`azeezu al-hakeemu).

[3:18] God has borne witness that there is no god except He (shahida allahu annahu laa-ilaaha illaa huwa), and so has done the angels and possessors of the knowledge established with the justice: there is no god except He – the Almighty, the Wise (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa al-`azeezu al-hakeemu).

[3:62] Indeed this, surely, it is the narration of the truth. And there is no god except God (wa-maa min ilaahin illaa allahu). And indeed God, surely, He is the Almighty, the Wise.

[4:87] God: there is no god except He (allahu laa-ilaaha illaa huwa); surely, He will gather you on a day of the Resurrection: there is no doubt in it. And who is more true in statement than God?

[4:171] O people of the scripture, you do not exceed in your religion, nor do you say about God except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary was indeed a messenger of God, and His word He had sent to Mary and a spirit from Him. So, you shall believe in God and His messengers. You do not say, “Trinity.” You shall refrain, which is better for you. God is indeed One god (innamaa allahu ilaahun waahidun); glory is His that there would be a son for Him! To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And it has sufficed with God as a Disposer of affairs.

[5:73] Certainly, there has disbelieved those who said, “Indeed, God is a third of Trinity.” While there is no god except One god (wa-maa min ilaahin illaa ilaahun waahidun). And if they do not refrain from what they say, surely, there will afflict those who have disbelieved among them with a painful retribution.

[5:116] And when (on a day of Judgment) God said, “O Jesus, son of Mary, have you said to the people, `Worship me and my mother as gods other than God (ittakhidhuuni-i wa-ummiya ilaahayni min duuni allahi)?’ ” He said, “Glory is Yours. It would not be for me that I could say what has not been with any right for me. If I had said it, then You would have certainly known it. You know what is in myself, and I do not know what is in Yourself. Indeed You, You are Knower of the unseen.

[6:19] Say, “Which of a thing is greatest in testimony?” Say, “God is a Witness between me (prophet) and you, and there has been revealed to me this – the Quran that I may warn you with it and whoever has reached. Do you indeed surely testify that there are other gods with God (a-innakum la’tash’haduuna anna ma`a allahi aalihatan ukh’raa)?” Say, “I do not testify.” Say, “He is indeed One god (innamaa huwa ilaahun waahidun), and indeed, I am innocent of what you associate.”

[6:46] Say: “Have you thought that if God had taken away your hearing and your eyesight, and He had sealed around your hearts; which god other than God could bring to you with it (man ilaahun ghayru allahi yateekum bihi)?” Imagine how we explain the revelations, then they turn away.

[6:74] When Abraham said to his father Azar, “Do you worship idols as gods (a-tattakhidhu asnaaman aalihatan)? I see you and your people are in far astray.”

[6:102] That is God your Lord: there is no god except He, Creator of everything (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa khaaliqu kulli shayin). So, you shall worship Him, and He is Guardian over everything.

[6:106] You (Muhammad) shall follow what has been inspired to you (Muhammad) from your Lord: there is no god except He (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa), and shall turn away from the idol worshipers.

[7:59] Certainly, we have sent Noah to his people, then he said, “O my people, you shall worship God; there is no god for you other than Him (maa lakum min ilaahin ghayruhu). Indeed, I fear for you a punishment of a great day.”

[7:65] And to Aad their brother Hud. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God, there is no god for you other than Him (maa lakum min ilaahin ghayruhu). Will you not then fear?”

[7:73] And to Thamud their brother Salih. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God; there is no god for you other than Him (maa lakum min ilaahin ghayruhu). Certainly, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. This is she-camel of God is a sign for you. So, you shall leave her to eat in land of God, and you do not touch her with harm that a painful punishment seizes you.”

[7:85] And to Madyan their brother Shuaib. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God; there is no god for you other than Him (maa lakum min ilaahin ghayruhu). Certainly, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. So you shall give full the measure and the weight and you do not deprive of the people in their things, and you do not spread corruption in the earth after reformation of it. That is better for you, if you have been believers.”

[7:127] And the leaders from Pharaoh’s people said, “Will you (Pharaoh) leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the earth and to forsake you and your gods (li’yuf’siduu fee al-ardi wa-yadharaka wa-aalihataka)?” He (Pharaoh) said, “We will kill their sons and will let live their women, and we are subjugators over of them.”

[7:138] And we had made of Children of Israel across the sea. Then they had come upon a people devoted upon idols to them. They said, “O Moses, make for us a god, like as gods for them (yaamuusaa ij’`al lanaa ilaahan kamaa lahum aalihatan).” He said, “Indeed, you are a people to be ignorant.

[7:140] He (Moses) said, “Other than God should I seek for you a god (a-ghayra allahi ab’gheekum ilaahan), while He has preferred you over a people of the world?”

[7:158] Say, “O people; indeed, I am to you all a messenger of God, the One to Him belongs a dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no god except He (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa). He gives life and causes death.” So, you shall believe in God and His messenger, the gentile prophet (Muhammad), who believes in God and His words, and shall follow him (prophet) so that you may be guided.

[9:31] They have taken their rabbis (Jews) and monks (Christians) as lords other than God, and the Messiah, son of Mary, while they have not been commanded except to worship One god (wa-maa umiruu illaa li’ya’buduu ilaahan waahidun). There is no god except He (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa). Glory is His of what they associate (with Him).

[10:90] And we had made of Children of Israel across the sea, then there had followed them Pharaoh and his troops in rebellion and enmity until when the drowning had overtaken him (Pharaoh), he said, “I have believed that there is no god except the One in Him has believed the Children of Israel (aamantu annahu laa-ilaaha illaa alladhee aamanat bihi banuu is’raa-eela), and I am with the Submitters.”

[11:14] Then if they do not respond to you, then you shall know that it has been sent down with God’s knowledge, and that there is no god except He (wa-an laa-ilaaha illaa huwa). Then would you be Submitters?

[11:50] And to Aad their brother Hud. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God; there is no god for you other than He (maa lakum min ilaahin ghayruhu). You are not but inventors.”

[11:53] They said, “O Hud, you have not come to us with clear proof, and we will not be with abandoners of our gods from your saying (wa-maa nahnu bi-taarikee aalihatinaa `an qawlika), nor will we be with believers for you.

[11:54] We do not say except that there has seized you of our gods with evil (i`taraaka ba`du aalihatinaa bi-suuin).” He said, “Indeed, I call God to witness; and you shall bear witness that I am free of what you associate.”

[11:61] And to Thamud their brother Saleh. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God; there is no god for you other than He (maa lakum min ilaahin ghayruhu). He has created you from the earth and has settled you in it. So, you shall ask forgiveness to Him, then shall repent to Him. Indeed, My Lord is Near, Responsive.”

[11:84] And to Madyan their brother Shuaib. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God; there is no god for you other than He (maa lakum min ilaahin ghayruhu), and you do not make less of the measure and the scale. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, and indeed, I fear upon you a punishment of a day of Surrounding.

[11:101] And we had not wronged them but they had wronged themselves. So, their gods had not helped them in anything (fa-maa aghnat `anhum aalihatuhumu), whom they call other than God when there had come command of your Lord, while they had not increased them other than loss.

[13:30] Thus that we have sent you (Muhammad) to a community, certainly there has passed communities before of it to recite to them what we have inspired to you, while they disbelieve in the Gracious. Say, “He is my Lord, there is no god except He (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa). Upon Him I have put trust and to Him is my return.”

[14:52] This is a message for the people, and that they may be warned with it, and that they may know that indeed, He is One god (wa-li’ya`lamuu annamaa huwa ilaahun waahidun), and that it may remind possessors of the understanding.

[15:96] Those who make with God another god (alladheena yaj’`aluuna ma`a allahi ilaahan ukhara), then they will come to know.(at the moment of their death).

[16:2] He sends down the angels with the Spirit of His command to whomever He wills of His servants that you shall warn that there is no god except I (laa-ilaaha illaa anaa), so you shall fear Me.

[16:22] Your god is One god (ilaahukum ilaahun waahidun). So those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are rejecters, and they are arrogant.

[16:51] God has announced: “You do not worship two gods (laa-tattakhidhuu ilaahayni ith’nayni); indeed, He is One god (innamaa huwa ilaahun waahidun). So, you shall fear Me alone.”

[17:22] Do not make with God another god (laa-taj’`al ma`a allahi ilaahan aakhara) that you may remain being a disgraced, an abandoned.

[17:39] That is of what your (Muhammad) Lord has revealed to you of the wisdom. And do not make with God another god (laa-taj’`al ma`a allahi ilaahan aakhara), then you would be cast into Hell being a blameworthy, an abandoned.

[17:42] Say: “If there had been gods with Him as what they say (law kaana ma`ahu aalihatan kamaa yaquuluuna), then surely, they would have sought a way towards Owner of the Throne.”
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (12/08/2023).