The “Name” of God in Ancient Texts[/b]
In the Name of Most Gracious, Most Merciful
This is actually my third writing in this forum, a continuation from my previous post:
http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=2587.msg13400#msg13400. In this writing I basically criticize about Mr. Joseph article: “‘ALLAH’ IS NOT AN EXCLUSIVE NAME FOR GOD” (
http://www.quransmessage.com/articles/allah%20is%20not%20an%20exclusive%20name%20for%20god%20FM3.htm). This article by Mr. Joseph is actually a very important discussion within Islam itself. However, maybe not many people either aware or care about how important this discussion is. In my critics, I do agree that “Allah” is not an exclusive name of God, it is simply a
“linguistic element” used in Arabic to represent the “God” itself in spoken or written language. Nonetheless, we may want to remember that “Allah” might unconsciously have been understood as an “exclusive name” of God by the Islamic people for a very long time. Thus, it is actually very natural for the misunderstanding of many moslems/muslims to think that "Allah" is the “name” of God. Since this might have been a very long time embedded mentality, it would be quite difficult to be “changed” by simply giving an argument the way Mr. Joseph does in his article. Therefore, there might be a better way to deduce whether Allah is the “name” of God or simply a “linguistic element” used to represent The God Himself in Arabic spoken/written language. Now, the question is: how?
If we think about it carefully, Ibrahim (14) verse 4 actually gives a very basic hypothetical question to resolve this problem:
Can we find the name “Allah” in ancient texts/scriptures or can we not?Ibrahim (14) verse 4 actually already explains that every messengers was sent “in the language of his people”. Thus, there is a big chance we won’t find the name “Allah” in ancient texts/scriptures, since
ancient people who far predating the Quran might not have used Arabic as their language. Allah as the “name of God” might have been used only as long as the Arabic language as it is known now started to be used. So, how about the “names of God” before Arabic itself? Did the previous Holy Books use the same Arabic term "Allah" to refer to the Almighty Himself? Or, did they use different "names" to refer to Him?
In the following article, I provide explanation that
if we see beyond the language as merely tools in delivering meanings, we will see similar underlying concepts about God found in Quran within some ancient texts that might have not been even considered before. However, before we enter to the main discussion, it would be better for us to understand how “name” itself works in the first place. Therefore, I will begin this long article with the understanding of “name” itself and hope you won’t get bored along the way.
“Name” As A Label for “Thing”I actually have given a lengthy explanation about how verses in Quran actually give us very basic nature of language itself in my previous writing. Here, I’m just going to repeat it briefly and add a little bit.
The act of “naming” might seem like a simple act. However, if we try to understand the nature of language or look deeper to the underlying principle of how language works, we will find that
“naming” is actually the most fundamental aspect of language itself. This makes the narration of Al Baqarah (2) verses 30-33 are actually very important verses in understanding language itself; the beginning, the nature, the development, and such. Even though so, my writing is actually an initial research towards this Quranic methods. Therefore, I invite you -the people of Quran- to develop this method together with me, so we can study deeper how Quran actually tells us the very basic fundamental nature of many things.
We, humans, give names to anything or everything, either abstracts or concretes. This, apparently, is the basic idea of language itself:
to represent an object/objects in "real life" (concrete or abstract) with spoken or written linguistic elements. This is also why “words” are closely related with “meaning”.
A group, line, cluster, etc. of letters can be called a “word” when it has meaning. Even two letters like “oh!”, as long as it has meaning, could be called as “word”. You may google it yourself, if you don’t believe me. This shows that “words” are nothing but a representative of the real-life objects; or in simple understanding, the “words” actually only “linguistic representative” of the “definition” itself. This is the nature of language. Therefore, if we think and look deeper about it, language might have started by the act of “naming” itself, as it is explained in Al Baqarah (2) verses 30-33. As it is humans that give "names" to "objects", “name” is actually -borrowing Saeed in Semantics (Blackwell, 1998)- only a “label” we attach to the real-life object.
By “naming”, we are actually giving labels to things, concretes or abstracts. We label the act of “move at a regular and fairly slow pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn” as “walk”. We label “the move at a speed faster than a walk” with “run”. We label the action of “run at full speed over a short distance” with “sprint” and etc. The same thing is applied with verbs. In English for instance, the label for verb that indicates past action is the suffix “-ed”. That is why verbs end with “-ed”, surely with some variants in use, represent “action that has been done in the past”. “Walk” for instance, if it is added with “-ed” at the end, it represents “move at a regular and fairly slow pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn in the past”. This is actually how language works. Therefore, a group, line, cluster, etc. of letters can be called a “word” when it has meaning, since
“words” are supposed to represent something. This is why although Al Baqarah (2) verses 30-33 seem like a simple narration, it is actually very important! All verses in Quran is important! Often, people or
we are the ones that do not understand how important they actually are.
In reality, there is no specific rules in this act of “naming” or giving “labels” to things. If we consider how God has endowed us with our linguistic capability as He taught language to the first human (Al Baqarah [2] verses 30-33), there is almost no limitation to this act of “naming”. The limitation is simply our own creativity. This might be how there are so many languages in the world, because the humans have this “basic” ability to create their own language. This explains
the arbitrary nature of language; the differences or varieties of various languages never come from the languages themselves, but rather from the creativity of the users of the languages in producing, inventing, developing, and choosing their own languages (note: this is not a rigid and final definition. Further development is needed. This definition is made to make you easier in understanding the “arbitrary” concept.) For you who are interested more in the arbitrary of language, you may want to visit this website page:
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-arbitrariness-language-1689001 You actually can see the evidence of this in every-day life. In reality, we can create our own “words” with those who are close to us. In other words, you can choose specific “labels” for things or act and so on. The only requirement needed for that “labels” to work in an act of communication is simply to be understood by the participants in which that “labels/words” are used. Isn’t this how we create “codes” to signal some particular “information” or “action” and such that is only known by some particular people (or here, the participants)? You can create these special codes with your children that only you and your children understand for instance, like “poo-poo” for time to go to restroom or “gram-gram” for grandmother and such. Surely, higher level of participants, like an underground community or government organization, will require more complicated “codes” or “labelling” and may even need to have their own “rules” in using this “special languages”. Only when the participants are getting larger, a “convention” is needed.
The “convention” within a language is the final stage required because the “participants” or the “users” of the language are growing wider and larger. This “agreement” between “users or participants” of a language is needed to make “the flow” within an act of communication effective and efficient. Yet, it does not mean this is a very basic requirement. This “convention” is simply needed for the purpose of effectiveness and efficiency of a communication itself. If someone who does not know the convention of a language participate in that language, it is likely that this particular person will have some trouble to adjust in using that language. This often happens to us when we learn foreign language. There is actually a long and deeper discussion for this, but for now, let’s go back to the fundamental problem of “name” itself.
Since name is merely a label “attached” by humans to every objects, either concrete or abstracts, “name” can be varied, unique, or seem like it has no relation with the object itself. Again, this shows the arbitrary nature of language itself. This is also the reason why there are so many and/or various languages in the world. The same with the “name” or more precisely the “reference” of God,
various people in various ages or places could have their own “label” for God. It could be anything. For example, in English, the Entity that is worshiped by the believers is labeled as “God”, in Arabic as “Allah”, in ancient Egypt as “Aten”, in Indonesia as “Tuhan”, and so on. The “label” could be anything, but it simply represents the Entity that is worshiped by their believers. Therefore, although the “labels” could be varied, the “general concept” that underlying these “labels” actually remains the same. This is how translations works!
Until this point, we are actually seeing that
basically humans are the ones that produce, “invent”, develop, and use language by organs that has been endowed to us and the teaching of God as it has been mentioned in Al Baqarah [2] verses 30-33. So,
language basically is our own product. We use our linguistic ability to “represent” real-life objects, either abstract or concrete. English people use the word “God” to represent the concept of “Entity” worshiped by Its believers. Arabic people use the word “Allah” to represent the same concept. And since linguistic ability is endowed to humans by God, every societies or every cultures that has existed or still exists might have their own “label” or linguistic element to represent the concept of God itself. God uses these “linguistic elements” to make us understand about Him and His messages. Surely,
since every societies or every cultures might have their own versions of “linguistic elements”, God sent every messengers with the knowledge of these “linguistic elements” so they can deliver His messages clearly. This is actually what is being implied in Ibrahim (14) verse 4. Sure anyone can understand this verse clearly for it is actually quite easy to understand. But, then again,
have we ever thought to use this understanding in Ibrahim (14) verse 4 to find His ancient names in ancient texts?
Unfortunately enough, understanding the underlying concept of the “name” of God is not enough in finding other “names” of God in the past. As you can see, every civilizations might have their own “label” for God, either in time or space. The easiest way to see this is by using Google Translate. Just put the English word “God” and start to translate it into another language. You will see that each nations or languages might have their own “label” for God. Similar things might also happen for every cultures within the timeline of history.
Every nations, kingdoms, cultures, tribes, etc. that have ever existed in history might have their own “labels” for God. I agree with Mr. Joseph that, in his own words, “Allah” is actually only a linguistic element that represent the concept of God in Arabic language. Therefore, it is actually equivalent with “God” in our language. God is far too great to be represented by our linguistic capability; He is far beyond any humans can ever think of or even imagine. However,
Quran also mentions that there are people who literally invented “name” to their self-created Gods in at least these verses: Al A’raf (7) 71, Yusuf (12) 40, and An Najm (53) 23. Therefore, it would be wiser if we use the Quran itself as a reference point for “Beautiful Names” of God, not out of it, to avoid including false “names” of God among the “real” ones. These “names” being mentioned in Quran has meanings and, in these meanings, there are many lessons that we actually could learn. Furthermore,
not only extremely meaningful, these “Beautiful Names” of God can actually be used to find the other “names” of God in ancient time. We just have to follow or see the “characteristics” of God (or “names” if you prefer) as it has been mentioned in multiple verses of Quran. Therefore, the real question here is actually not the name itself, but rather “the characteristics of God”.
This is actually why the discussion of “Exclusive Name of God” is quite important to discuss. Yet, apparently not many people are aware of, understand, or even care to discuss this. Thus, here I am trying to make you understand how important this matter actually is - of course with my own limitation. In the next discussion, I will show you the evidences of Ibrahim (14) verse 4 and also Al A’raf (7) 71, Yusuf (12) 40, and An Najm (53) 23 within the course of history itself.
Salamun Alaikum,
Ocyid