Allah in Translations of the Bible by Kenneth J. Thomas

he question is asked by certain groups whether Allah can validly be used to translate words for God in the Bible. It is inconceivable T to many that a word that is commonly associated with the Islamic religion would be found in a Christian Bible. There are some English speak- ers, for example, who say that the words Allah and God refer to different deities and therefore that Allah should never be used in any translation of the Bible. One person who has written a book arguing against the use of Allah by Christians is a Nigerian, G. J. O. Moshay. In his book, Who Is This Allah?, he writes, “For long we had assumed that Christians and Muslims serve the same God, and that it is only in the language of expression and mode of worship that they differ.”1 But he concludes that they are not the same. Significantly, this objection does not come from traditional Arab Christians, most of whom live in the Islamic heartland.

The basic question is whether the word “Allah” can be considered a generic term for the supreme being that can be used to translate elohim or theos, which are themselves generic terms in Hebrew and Greek. The Arab philologists dis- cussed the etymology of the word at great length. Some held that it was a loan word from Syriac or Hebrew, but most regarded it as a contraction of al ilāh (“the god”).2 Western scholars are fairly unanimous that the source of the word Allah probably is through Aramaic from the Syriac alāhā (“the god”).3 In either case, the Arabs used the word Allah for the supreme being before the time of Muhammad.4 Inscriptions with Allah have been discovered in Northern and Southern Arabia from as early as the fifth centuryb .c.5 Christians have used the word Allah from pre-Islamic times, and Allah has been used continuously in Arabic translations of the Bible from the earliest known versions in the This article originally appeared in the eighth century to this day. One Arabic translation of the New Testament using c The BibleTranslator:Technical Papers, the word may even be pre-Islamic.6 Vol. 52:3 (July 2001), 301-305. Reprinted by permission. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have used Allah in their citations and transla- tions of the Bible since the first centuries of Islam. Jewish commentators writ- ing in Arabic used Allah in their translations and citations. Sa´adiah Ga`on b. Kenneth J. Thomas is a UBS th th (United Bible Societies) Translation Joseph, a 9 -10 century a.d. Rabbanite translator of the Hebrew into Arabic Consultant based in New York. (using Hebrew characters), used Allah for elohim. For example, for Genesis 1:4 International Journal of Frontier Missions 23:4 Winter 2006•171 172 Allah in Translations of the Bible he has: “And Allah saw that the light Pashto, Sindhi, and Urdu, Tuhan Allah has been employed in transla- was good.”7 This practice of Sa´adiah in Indonesian). The exceptions to tions of the Bible not only in Arabic was followed by the Karaites, a this practice are the Malay transla- but also in the languages used by the Jewish sect in Jerusalem, in the 10th tions of 1912 and 1988 that use Allah majority Muslim communities in century.8 An acquaintance of St. for YHWH; the Biatah translation the Middle East, Africa and most of John of Damascus, Abu Qurah, the used in Sarawak, Malaysia, and Asia. These include Arabic, Turkish Bishop of Haran in the 8th-9th century the Tausug translation used in Jolo, and Azarbaijani in the Middle East; a.d., uses Allah to translate theos in Philippines, followed the precedent of Bambara, Fulfulde, Hausa, and his citations of the Bible in Arabic. the Malay translations.13 Mankinka in Africa; and Malay, For example, in John 1:1 he has “the Indonesian, Javanese, Madurese and This use of Allah in translations 9 Sundanese in Asia. The exceptions Word was with Allah.” A number of the Bible has served as a bridge th to this generalization are the lan- of Muslim writers in the 9 century between Christians and Muslims a d guages in the geographical area that . . used Allah in their citations of for understanding one another. A is or was Persian-speaking, including the Bible. Al-Tabari, quoting the Christian official in the Vatican, Iran, Afghanistan, and the Mogul words of Jesus in John 10:36, has Thomas Michel, emphasizes, “Allah sent me into the world” and, empire of Akbar (1542-1605) in quoting the words of the devil in India. This part of the world, while Matthew 4:3, has: “If you are the largely Islamic, traditionally rejected son of Allah . . .”10 Another Muslim the use of the Arabic language and writer, Ibn Qutayba al-Dinawari of From the beginning retained the Persian word Khoda Baghdad, quotes Jesus as saying in of contacts between for the supreme being. Accordingly, Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve Bibles translated into the languages both Allah and Mammon.”11 A Jews, Christians and of this region, including Persian, Shi´ite Muslim scholar of the 9th Urdu and Sindhi, have utilized the century, Al-Ya´qubi cites the answer Muslims there was use commonly-used Persian word for the of Jesus to the devil in Matthew 4:7, of Allah . . . supreme being. Another exception is “Do not test Allah your Lord.”12 the Swahili translation of the Bible Thus, from the beginning of con- in East Africa where the traditional tacts between Jews, Christians, and name for the supreme being, Mungu, Muslims there was use of Allah that was retained.16 For fourteen centuries Arabic speak- enabled them to enter into common ing Christians, Muslims and Jews Recent translations of the Bible into discussion about biblical content and have called God ‘Allah’, a common languages used by majority Muslim to dialogue with one another. witness that in spite of our difficul- communities have generally followed It should be noted that the biblical ties our God is one and the same. . . . the precedent set by earlier biblical translations of the Bible into Arabic It is the firm conviction of Christians translations in the major languages and other languages used by the today, and has been through the cen- in the region in their choice of the turies, that the God of Muslims and majority Muslim communities in the word for the supreme being. Thus Christians is one, and hence we must Middle East, Africa and Asia have new translations in Africa (e.g., oppose any attempts to give the Juba and Wolof) and Southeast Asia generally not used Allah to translate impression that we worship different the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH. Gods by the use of different names (e.g., Patani Malay) use Allah, while This is considered to be the particular for the one and the same God. . . . I those in South Asia (e.g., Baluchi name of the supreme being of the have personally discussed this matter and Dari) use Khoda. Likewise, people of Israel as revealed to Moses. with Arab and Indonesian Muslim new translations in Central Asia in In Arabic translations it is transliter- scholars, and they firmly support the areas that were once part of Persia ated as yahwah or translated as rabb importance of the one name for the use Khoda (e.g., Kazakhi, Kirghizi, (Lord), corresponding to the Jewish one God.”14 Tajiki, and Uzbeki). These are the words for the supreme being that custom of using adonai in place of F. S. Khair-ullah, a Christian scholar have long been used by the peoples saying the divine name. Translations in Pakistan (note the use of Allah as in these geographical regions. Thus of YHWH in other languages used an element in his compound name), new translations rarely use a word for in the Islamic world have followed suggests that the precedent of the Arabic in either the supreme being that differs from transliterating YHWH and/or using in Urdu we should not avoid the the common usage of the language a word for Lord (rabb in Bambara word Allah but use it for God so that group or from other available transla- a bridge is formed for a common and Somali, khodavand in Persian, understanding of God.15 International Journal of Frontier Missions here has hardly been any translation work done in very small languages and . . . there is not not likely to T be much more.

Kenneth J. Thomas 173 tions of the Bible found in the major oes common usage of a generic term mean languages of the area.17 There have been biblical translations that Christians and Muslims have the same in a few languages that have changed concept of the supreme being? the word used for the supreme being D from previous translations. The passed a law that Allah and other The use of the same word for the original Pashto translation of the Arabic terms could not be used in the supreme being by people of various Bible in 1895 had Allah, but this was Bible and other non-Muslim publica- religions need not mean that they changed to Khoda in the revision of tions, not only did the Christians pro- all have the same views about deity. the New Testament beginning with test,19 but the other faith communities Each religion defines the meaning the Gospel of Matthew published in Malaysia objected to this law: they of the supreme being according to its in 1931, conforming to the usage in all use Allah to refer to the supreme own convictions. Those of different Urdu and the Iranian languages. The being and have no other word to use religions who use the word “Allah” populations using Pashto and Urdu in its place.20 understand the nature of the supreme being to which it refers according to live in the same geographical area. Does common usage of a generic The Bengali translation of the Bible the beliefs of their own traditions. term mean that Christians and English speakers can understand made in 1809 by William Carey Muslims have the same concept of used Ishwar, the common word used this reality by reference to their own the supreme being when they employ usage patterns. Allah is the equiva- by Hindus for the supreme being. the word Allah? Jews, Christians When the new Musalmani Bengali lent to the English word “God” with and Muslims all profess that there is a capital “G”. Michel observed that Common Language translation of the only one supreme being, whom they Gospels was published in Bangladesh “Just as ‘God’ is the name in English worship. They affirm that Allah is for the one divine being who alone in 1980, the word Khoda was used the one supreme being who is Lord, since that was the word commonly is to be worshipped and obeyed, Creator, Sovereign, and Sustainer, used by Muslims, Christians and used by Muslims. Now in the year possessing power, wisdom, mercy and 2000 the complete Musalmani Jews, so God’s name in Arabic and truth. But each monotheistic faith those languages who derive their Bengali Common Language Bible has its own understandings about has been published with the word religious terminology from Arabic the supreme being, and it is therefore (like Bahasa, Indonesia) is ‘Allah.’” 22 Allah because that has become the important, when talking about the commonly-used word by Muslims Many Muslims have recognized the supreme being, to identify specific equivalency of these words as generic and Christians from a majority characteristics of the deity. For exam- community background. Conversely terms when writing in English by ple, only Christians profess that the using the English term “God.” the Scripture Union of Malaysia in One whom they worship is “the God its publications has been changing and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” A prominent Arab Christian writes that Allah to Tuhan when quoting the It can be argued that this reality need for more than five hundred years Indonesian translation of the Bible, not justify using different words or before Muhammad, the vast major- Terjemahan Baru, without the consent names for the supreme being. Bishop ity of Jews and Christians in Arabia of the copyright holder, namely the Kenneth Cragg writes: called God by the name Allah. How, Indonesian Bible Society. The result then, can we say that Allah is an [W]e reduce everything to chaos if is no distinction is made in the trans- invalid name for God? And what we suggest that disparate predicates 18 about the 10 to 12 million Arab lation of YHWH and elohim. do not relate to the identical ‘subject’ Christians today? They have been to whom they are ascribed, as if From this survey it can be seen that calling God ‘Allah’ in their Bibles, there could be, in truth, ‘gods many there is a long-established precedent hymns, poems, writings, and worship and lords many’ corresponding to and tradition of using Allah in trans- for over nineteen centuries. What an all the confused concepts, however lations of the Bible. Christians accept insult to them when we tell them not numerous and contradictory. it as their term for the supreme being to use this word Allah! 23 in most of the world where Muslims He goes on to conclude, When those whose mother tongue is are the majority community. They Thus, the answer to the vexed ques- Arabic and who live among Muslims affirm that Allah is not an exclusively tion, ‘Is the God of Islam and the have no problem with the name Muslim name for the supreme being God of the Gospel the same?’ can Allah being used for God in the but is a generic term dating from only rightly be ‘Yes! and ‘No!’ Yes, Bible, this raises a question about pre-Islamic times that is now shared as the common ground of all we say what possible problem there might by Christians, Muslims and others. in partial unison: No, insofar as our be with the use of Allah elsewhere in When the government in Malaysia convictions diverge.21 the translation of the Bible. It would 23:4 Winter 2006 174 Allah in Translations of the Bible seem that those who object to its use Muhammad’s father was named Abd Letter from Vatican Secretariat for Non- do so in order to maintain a radical Allah, God’s servant; see Philip Hitti, Christians” dated October 25, 1984. 15 distinction between the Christian History of the Arabs: From the Earliest Khair-ullah, loc. cit. and Islamic concepts of the supreme Times to the Present, Tenth Edition (New 16Soesilo, op. cit., p. 5. York: St. Martin’s Press, 1970), p. 101. 17Soesilo, op. cit., pp. 2f., gives an being. Precedence indicates that each 5 faith community has clearly defined René Dussaud, Les Arabes en Syrie example of an exception to this general- avant l’Islam (Paris, Ernest Leroux, its distinctive understanding of Allah ization in a recent Indonesian translation, 1907), pp. 141f., and Hitti, loc. cit., pp. Kitab Suci: Torat dan Injil (Jakarta: Bet through its contextual use, teaching 100f., citing the work of F. V. Winnett, Yesua Hamasiah, no date), in which the and tradition. A Study of the Lihyanite and Thamudic tetragrammaton is translated YAHWE Translators involved in new transla- Inscriptions (Toronto: 1937), p. 30. and elohim is transliterated as Eloim. This 6 tions of the Bible or revisions of the One existing manuscript may be was done for the ideological objection to Bible in languages used by the major- pre-Islamic. See A. Baumstark, “Das the use of Allah in the Bible. problem eines vorislamischen christli- 18 ity Muslim community are advised to Soesilo, op. cit., pp. 1f. chen-kirchlichen Schrifttums in Ara- 19Soesilo, op. cit., p. 2. use the word for the supreme being bischer Sprache,” Islamica 4 (1929/1930): 20Because of this protest the law was that is commonly used by people in 562-567, in Kenneth Bailey, “Early modified. that language group. It is a standard Arabic New Testaments of Mt. Sinai and 21 principle of translation to use the the Task of Exegesis (with special focus Kenneth Cragg, Muhammad and (London: Darton, Long- on Sinai Ar. 72 and Luke 15),” Theologi- the Christian words and expressions in common man and Todd, 1984), 124f. use, and that principle also applies to cal Review, XII/2 (1991): 49. See also 22Michel, loc. cit. the word for the deity. In spite of Meira Polliack, The Karaite Tradition of Arabic Bible Translation (Leiden: E. J. 23Fouad Elias Accad, The Qur’an as allegations that Allah is not the same Brill, 1997), p. 6. a Bridge to the Bible (Colorado Springs, as the elohim and theos in the Bible, 7Meira Polliack, op. cit., p. 112. CO: NAV Press, 1997), p. 22. Accad is the use of Allah by Christians the former General Secretary of the Bible 8Loc. cit., pp. 36ff. Note the example speaking Arabic and many other of Yefet ha-Levi ben ‘Eli’s use of Allah Society of Lebanon and father of the present General Secretary. languages demonstrates its acceptance (hll’) in his introduction to Genesis, loc. as a word to be used in their Bibles. cit., pp. 43 and 293. Christians should not be encouraged 9Father Yusuf Qushaqji, S.J., to avoid the use of Allah where it has Ta‘rib al-Anajil wa al-A‘mal ol-Rusul been traditionally used. The argument (Arabization of the Gospels and Acts of of non-Arabic speakers cannot be the Apostles)(Beirut: Libran Oriental, determinative for those who have a 1961), p. 108. Dr. Manuel Jinbachian long history of using the word Allah. graciously provided me the information Rather the term for the supreme being from this book and the translation of the Arabic quotes. in the translation of the Bible should 10Loc. cit., pp. 113, 115. be determined by what is already the 11Loc. cit., p. 119. term used by the Christian commu- 12Loc. cit., p. 120. nity, whether Allah, Khoda, Mungu, 13 The completely revised Malay or some other local word. IJFM Bible of 1996, however, restored the practice of translating elohim as Allah. This was at the advice of the Malaysian Endnotes church leaders, who considered the 1 Ibadan, Nigeria: Fireliners Int., translations of 1912 and 1988 as not 1990, 8. being exegetically accurate or faithful 2Arthur Jeffery, The Foreign Vocabu- to the original texts. Thus the render- lary of the Qur’ān (Baroda: Oriental ing of the divine names returned to the Institute, 1938), p. 66; D. B. Macdon- precedent established in the history of ald, Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition the Malay/Indonesian translations since (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1971), III, 1093. 1629. The Biatah translation is also being 3Jeffery, loc. cit.; J. Spenser Trim- revised to restore Allah as the transla- ingham, Christianity among the Arabs in tion of elohim. Information from Daud Pre-Islamic Times (London & New York: Soesilo, “Translating the Names of God Longman, 1979), p. 251, n. 14. Revisited: Field Experience from Indo- nesia and Malaysia,” (a paper presented 4H.A.R. Gibb & J.H. Kramers, at the Annual Meeting of the SBL/AAR Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam (Ithaca, NY: in November 2000), pp. 4 and 8. Cornell University Press, 1974), 33. Even 14 Thomas Michel, S.J., in “Official International Journal of Frontier Missions