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Why does the Quran ignore God’s name: YHWH, Yahweh?

by | May 11, 2016 | Islam, World Religions

In Arabic the word for “God” is Allah. In Hebrew it is Elohim. In Greek it is theos. However, in the Bible, God reveals his name as “YHWH”. There is no name of Allah in the Quran. Why does the Qu’ran not use the same name as the Bible? Why does the Quran reject God’s self-revealed name?

Now for clarification purposes, the term ‘Allah’ has become synonymous with the name of the God of Islam. But, that is incorrect. Again, Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, not the name of the Islamic God. But, common usage has grown enough that the word “Allah” is considered the name of the Islamic God.  So, sometimes clarification is necessary.  Nevertheless, there is a problem for the Muslim.

  • Surah 6:34, “Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers.”
  • Surah 6:115, “The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all.”
  • Surah 18:27, “And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.”

Since the Quran says that none can change the words of Allah, then the name of God, YHWH, also pronounced as Yahweh, cannot be altered.  It must be his true name.  In fact, the word “Yahweh” occurs more than 6000 times in the Old Testament.  Why does the Quran not proclaim the name that God himself proclaimed?

  • Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD [YHWH], that is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.”
  • Psalm 30:4, “Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.”
  • Daniel 2:20, “Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.”

Perhaps the Bible gives us a clue about those who do not promote the name of God.

  • Jeremiah 23:26–27, “How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, 27 who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal?”

Question for Muslims: Why do you ignore God’s name?

If, as Muslims teach, they have the true revelation of God in the Quran, and if it is also true that none can alter the words of Allah (Surah 6:34, 115; 18:27), then surely in the Old Testament when God revealed his name by his own action and voice (Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 42:8), then it cannot be altered and that is the name of God, the true God. Why do the Muslims ignore his holy name?

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