Meaning of the name Allah

Greatest name of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)

“Allah” is the greatest name of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), because it is referred to when describing Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) by the various attributes. For instance in surah 59, ayats 22-24 (Huwal-laahul-lazee laaa Ilaaha illaa Huwa ‘Aalimul Ghaibi wash-shahaada … ) Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentioned several of his names as attributes for his name Allah.

99 names of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)

The name Allah is a mercy on us

There are 99 names of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), and if, before initiating an action, we were to invoke the name of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), we would have to anticipate and remember all the difficulties we might encounter and then, in an instant, recall and recite all the necessary ones like Bismi-as-shafi, Bismi-ar-rahman etc. Even with this effort, humans would not be able to protect against unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has simplified it for us by providing just one name, “Allah,” which includes all 99 names.

Occurrence of the name Allah in the Quran

It is the first and the last name of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) that is mentioned in the Quran (in Alhamdulillah in Surah Al-Fatiha and ilaahi’nnaas in Surah Naas)

No meaning (proper noun):
According to a minority opinion it is a proper noun and we shouldn’t look for a meaning here.

Waliha (astounded):
According to some scholars, the name Allah comes from the root word “waliha” which means astounded, amazed, confused etc. So when a person tries to think of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and comprehend Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), he will become astounded, amazed and it is beyond his comprehension. Another meaning of Waliha is to lose one’s mind because of a loss of a beloved. In general, a mother who loses her son is called a Muwallah in Arabic. Hence, the one who doesn’t have Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) in his life is suffering from this ultimate grief and madness.

Alaha (protector):
According to some scholars, the name Allah comes from the root word “alaha” which means to turn to for protection/refuge. Hence Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is the ultimate being to which everyone turns for protection.

Aliha (comfort):
According to some scholars, the name Allah comes from the root word “aliha” which means to remain or stay in a place for security i.e. comfort. Hence, when we turn to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) we have stability i.e. comfort in our lives.

Laha yalihu (to be raised up):
Another interpretation is that the name Allah comes from the verb “laha yalihu” which means to be raised up. Therefore the one who believes in Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has raised himself up in this world and the next and will be honored in this world and in the next.

Aliha ya’. lahu bima’na abada ya’budu (the one who is worshipped):

While all above opinions are valid and correct in their own ways, the vast majority opinion, including Ibn-Abbas (radi allahu anhu), one of the companions of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), consider that the name Allah comes from “Aliha ya’. lahu bima’na abada ya’budu” which means the one who is worshipped. So Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is the ultimate being who is worthy of worship. The linguistic meaning of the name Allah is the deity that deserves to be worshipped. 

When we say that the primary name of our creator is Allah, we imply that each and every attribute of perfection belongs to him, because Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) would not be worthy of worship if he were not Sami’, Baseer, Aleem, Rahim, Ghafoor and all other names of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). In other words, the name Allah is the ultimate name and it implies all other names. It is the most powerful name, the most comprehensive name and the mother of all names. All ninety-nine names are ascribed to this name. Hence we say that Ar-Rahman is Allah’s name and not the other way round.