What Does Allah (اللَّه) Mean in the Quran?
The name Allah stands alone. Scholars have discussed a derivation from al-ilah, the God, but the name itself is unique, it has no plural and no gender.
Counted from the Uthmani text bundled with this site: every written form of the name, including billah, tallah, wallah, and lillah. The call Allahumma (O Allah) is a distinct written form and is not included.
Inside the Quran
This is the most frequent noun in the Quran, and the reason it belongs at the start of your vocabulary. Recognise it and you can already follow something on nearly every page of the mushaf.
You will meet it with attached particles rather than standing alone: billah (بِاللَّهِ, by Allah), lillah (لِلَّهِ, belonging to Allah), wallah (وَاللَّهِ, and Allah). Learning to see through these one-letter prefixes is the single biggest unlock in reading Quranic Arabic.
“Allāh - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.”
“Say, "He is Allāh, [who is] One,”
“Allāh is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp; the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allāh guides to His light whom He wills. And Allāh presents examples for the people, and Allāh is Knowing of all things.”
Arabic quoted letter for letter from the Uthmani text of our Quran reader. Translation: Saheeh International.
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