Is Yhwh, the Same God as Allah? Part 2
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The claim that "Allah" can be found in the Bible.
"Allah" is not named "YHWH" once in the Qur'an, but then neither is "YHWH" named "Allah" in the Bible. Neither do we find the word "Elohim" (which is applied to "YHWH" 2,500 times in the Bible) in the Qur'an. Neither is he called "I Am", which "YHWH" said would be his name forever to Moses.
Indeed within the Qur'an God is called the "God of the Jews" but this is an impossibility with "Allah". Nowhere is the name of "Allah" found in the Old or New Testament in relation to "YHWH". The word is there, but it is used to refer to Oak Trees, not to God and most certainly never is it used as His Personal name.
While checking the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, I came across the following, which uses a term very close to Allah, The name that the Qur'an uses as the personal name for God, who Muhammad claims is the author of his recitation.
Joshua 24: 26 (Hebrew Translation)
"Yahowshuwa` kathab dabar cepher towrah 'elohiym laqach gadowl 'eben quwm 'allaah miqdash YHWH."
Joshua 24: 26 (English Translation)
"And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah.”
Strong Number H427 (Hebrew)
allaah
al-law'
A variation of H424: - oak
Strong Number H424 (Hebrew)
'e^la^h
ay-law'
Feminine of H352; an oak or other strong tree: - elm, oak, teil tree
The closest term to the Arabic "allaah (ELLH : EaLLlaaH : al llá h)" is the Hebrew 'allaah (ELH : EaLlaaH : a llá h).
Both terms are pronounced identically, the only difference is in an extra L in the Arabic. However the Hebrew 'allaah' is not only a noun but a feminine one, and it means oak (a tree), not God's name.
Yet of the thirteen occasions that I can find this term within the biblcal narrative it never once refers to God, his name or character.
'e^la^h
Total Occurrences: 13
oak tree, 11
Gen 35:4, Jdg 6:11, Jdg 6:19, 2Sa 18:9-10 (3), 2Sa 18:14, 1Ki 13:14, 1Ch 10:12, Isa 1:30, Eze 6:13
elms, 1 Hos 4:13 (2) and teil, 1 Isa 6:13 (2)
Thirteen occassions, thirteen times it refers to trees. Not to God, not to YHWH or even Muhammad's Allah. Notice also that in Joshua 24: 26 two other terms are used to refer to the Eternal Self Existent God, the title ‘elohiym and the name YHWH. Meanwhile, in Aramaic there is no biblical term, close to the arabic "Allah".
Is The Qur'an Pure Arabic.
"And We know well that they say: Only a man teacheth him. The speech of him at whom they falsely hint is outlandish, and this is clear Arabic speech."
(Surah 16: 103 Pickthall)
"We know indeed that they say, "It is a man that teaches him." The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.
(Surah 16:103 Yusuf Ali)
Is the Qur'an the Arabic document which Muslims claim it to be? There are numerous foreign words/phrases included in the Qur'an.
Now some of these have no Arabic equivalent, but, others do, and that is the important thing in this, some of these do! Yet Muhammad recites "...this is clear Arabic speech." "...this is Arabic, pure and clear." (surah 16:103)
If the Qur'an was only revealed in Pure Arabic as is claimed why does it use other Words, from other tongues and nations instead of the Pure Arabic on all occassions except where there is clearly no Arabic Term that would have conveyed the message?
Abraham, Ibrahim, Abu-Raheem
Within the Qur'an we find the name "Abraham, Ibrahim", both of which are not "Arabic". But are taken from the Hebrew and directly added to the vocabulary and language of the Arabic peoples. Yet, the most important name of all, that of the Most High God, "YHWH" (in Hebrew) is not mentioned at all, but rather is replaced by the name of a pagan idol, already known to Muhammad and his immediate family at least.
Then we also have these other obvious glaring contradictions to Islamic Doctrine:
If the Qur'an was only revealed in Pure Arabic why did Muhammad not use the Pure Arabic for these terms, people and places?
Consider:
Which name is of the Greatest importance, that of "Abraham", (in true Arabic Abu-Raheem), or is the name of God, YHWH of greater importance?
If as I surmise, that for most the name of God is of the greatest of importance, why then is God's name "YHWH" not included within the Qur'an, but changed to that of a pagan idol, while that name of the lesser person "Abu-Raheem" is excluded in favor of "Abraham, Ibrahim"?
Indeed it was for this very reason that the Jews of Arabia scoffed at Muhammad's preaching and refused his claimed prophet hood, because he spoke in the name of another god;
"But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' (Deuteronomy 18: 20; JPS)
Pickthall Says In His Translation.
"I have retained the word Allah throughout, because there is no corresponding word in English. The word Allah (the stress is on the
last syllable) has neither feminine nor plural, and has never been applied to anything other than the unimaginable Supreme Being. I use
the word "God" only where the corresponding word ilah is found in the Arabic."
(Pickthall, M. M., The Glorious Qur'an, pg. 1; Translator's Note, Library of Islam; KAZI Pub. Inc, 10th Revision, 1994; ISDN 1-56744-044-4)
If there is no corresponding word for Allah, then "God" can't be used as a conclusion to try to link to YHWH. It is clear that the word "ilah" is used as the term only for God in Arabic, while Allah is the name of this ilah. Thus to say that the term God is the same as saying Allah is totally wrong and misleading.
Muhammad Recites.
The real problem with this conclusion about Allah being a valid name, is that the Qur'an says that what Muhammad preached was the same message of previous prophets before him:
"This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than God; but it is a verification of that (the Torah and Gospel) which is between his (its) hands, and the explanation of the Book, wherein there is no doubt, from the Lord of the worlds." (Surah. 10:37)
"And before this was the book of Moses as a guide and a mercy: and this book is a verification (of it) in Arabic tongue to warn those who transgress and as glad tidings to the righteous." (Surah. 46:12)
"And lo! It is a revelation of the Lord of the Worlds, which the True Spirit hath brought down upon thy heart, that thou mayest be (one) of the warners, In Plain Arabic Speech. And lo! It is in the scriptures of the men of old. Is it not a token for them that the doctors of the children of Israel know it?" (Surah. 26:192-197)
Say: "I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear." (Surah. 46:9)
According to the Qur'an (Muhammad's Recitation.) Muhammad's message is:
The problem immediately arises for God's name in previous scripture was never "Allah".
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