Contrary to some traditional views, the name was well-known in Arabia long before Muhammad’s mission.
Scholars generally agree on the Semitic roots of the word, though they debate the exact path of its development: Description Linguistic Connection A contraction of al-ilāh ("The God"). Common Arabic philology Aramaic Borrowing Borrowed from the Syriac Alāhā or Aramaic ʼElāhā . Biblical Aramaic cognates Semitic Root Derived from the West Semitic creator god ʾIlu (El). Akkadian ilum , Hebrew Eloah 4. The Transformation: Paleo-Islam to Imperial Monotheism The Emergence of Islam in Late Antiquity: Allah...
In pre-Islamic Meccan religion, Allah was often regarded as a "High God" or creator deity within a larger pantheon. Contrary to some traditional views, the name was
Notably, while other deities were represented by idols (such as Hubal ), no known iconic representation of Allah existed in the pre-Islamic period. 3. Etymology and Linguistic Origins Biblical Aramaic cognates Semitic Root Derived from the
The Quraysh tribe, as guardians of the Kaaba , were known as Ahl Allah ("God’s people").