الله

ALLAH

The Creator, the One and only true God

Meaning and Explanation

Allah is the proper name reserved for the Creator in Islamic belief — it gathers all the other beautiful names (asma al-husna) in itself, the name of the one true God unlike anything else. Linguists debate whether the word derives from another root: one view holds it is a proper name with no derivation, unique to God's essence; another holds it comes from "ilah" (the one worshipped), which with the definite article ("al-ilah") evolved into "Allah" over time. Either view leaves the core belief of tawhid — that there is no god but God — unchanged; Surah Al-A'raf (7:180) states "To Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them," tying every other beautiful name back to this one.

Traditional Note — Abjad Value

This name's abjad (letter numerical value) calculation is 66.

Letter-by-letter abjad calculation: ا (1) + ل (30) + ل (30) + ه (5) = 66 — the value most consistently repeated across sources.

Quranic Usage and Related Verses

2:255

The opening of Ayat al-Kursi: "Allah — there is no god but Him" — the most concentrated statement of God's oneness.

7:180

"To Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them" — the direct Quranic basis for the concept of the beautiful names.

Dhikr Counter

Historical abjad value: 66.

0 / 33

Specific counts, days, or times are not religious obligations or guarantees of outcomes. Dhikr and abjad methodology

Remembrance and Reflection

In some Sufi traditions, repeating only the name "Allah" (dhikr of the Supreme Name) is described as a common practice, resting on the Quran's general encouragement to remember God by His names (Al-A'raf 7:180) — but no specific count or method carries a religious obligation.

Understanding This Name

Reading the proper name with the other names

The name Allah is not one quality placed beside the others. It identifies the One to whom every beautiful name belongs. Al-Araf 7:180 therefore joins the proper name with the instruction to call upon God through His beautiful names. A reader can move from the general confession of God to a more attentive knowledge of mercy, wisdom, justice, life, and power without imagining separate divine parts. The names disclose meanings for worship; they do not divide the One they name.

Other Names

Ar-Rahman Al-Wahid

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “Allah” the name of a different deity from the God named in English?

No. Arabic-speaking Muslims and Christians both use the word Allah for God. In Islamic belief it is the proper name of the one Creator, not a separate regional deity.

Sources

TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry "Allah" (in Turkish)
Al-Ghazali, al-Maqsad al-Asna fi Sharh Asma' Allah al-Husna
Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Kur'an Yolu Tafsir (Fâtiha 1:1-4, İhlâs 112) (in Turkish)
English Translation — Noor International Center (v1.1.2)
TDV Encyclopedia of Islam — Esmâ-i Hüsnâ — in Turkish
Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs — The 99 Names of God — in Turkish

Prepared by: Kadir Özbek · Updated: October 17, 2026