Salaam,

Hi, I'm a recent revert that is struggling with one particular point in Islam, and have not been able to find an answer. Since I came to Islam after examining Jewish beliefs, I have been hooked on the fact that the (a) name of Allah is the Tetragrammaton (Yod Ha Waw Ha) in the Hebrew bible. But the trouble is, I have not found a single Hadith or aya in the Quran that make any mention of that name, nor have I found a theory that satisfies my concern. I've heard mention of a 'secret name' of Allah, that may solve my query, but that too I have not been able to verify in sunnah. It's just striking that a name that the Jews esteem so highly, (so much that they wont even utter it for fear of defiling it), would have no place in Islam. (They even consider it a personal name.) It's very had for me to believe that name would be part of the corruption of the Hebrew Bible, for it is used so so frequently by itself or with the ilah cognate elohim.

I hope someone out there has either a source for this 'secret name' theory or a better solution...

Ma Salaama

There is no 'secret' name of Allah. All of Allah's Names and Attributes are found in the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih 'Uthaymeen (rahimullah) said:

Read the rest here.

Ask the camel bro..

Anyhow, the names in the Qur'an, if you have read the Qur'an before you have definately recited this name.

Peace.

I think the brother might be referring to the lecture of Brother Zakir Naik, where he says that the Jewish scriptures have 'ilah' that stands for 'Allaah'?

Hmmm, I doubt it. 'Yod Ha Waw Ha' does not resemble 'Ilah' at all.

Well Brother, i'm not so sure that Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta'Aala IS the tetragrammaton. i've heard Mufti Ismail Menk define exactly where the name Allah comes from but i don't remember which lecture and as i have over a hundred of them i don't know where to start to look. iirc, it's a contracted form of a long name meaning the one who deserves to be worshipped and perhaps the only one.

the Jews didn't ALWAYS consider the name to be a secret. they stopped pronouncing it in order not to take it in vain , but because they stopped pronouncing it, my belief is that they just plain forgot what it was and therefore was NO SECRET AT ALL!!

check out this excerpt on Ezra:

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/vi...=E&search=Ezra


—In Rabbinical Literature:
Ezra marks the springtime in the national history of Judaism. "The flowers appear on the earth" (Cant. ii. 12) refers to Ezra and Nehemiah (Midr. Cant. ad loc.). Ezra was worthy of being the vehicle of the Law, had it not been already given through Moses (Sanh.21b). It was forgotten, but Ezra restored it (Suk. 20a). But for its sins, Israel in the time of Ezra would have witnessed miracles as in the time of Joshua (Ber. 4a). Ezra was the disciple of Baruch ben Neriah (Cant. R.); his studies prevented him from joining the first party returning to Jerusalem in the reign of Cyrus, the study of the Law being of greater importance than the reconstruction of the Temple. According to another opinion, Ezra remained behind so as not to compete, even involuntarily, with Jeshua ben Jozadak for the office of chief priest. Ezra reestablished the text of the Pentateuch, introducing therein the Assyrian or square characters, apparently as a polemical measure against the Samaritans (Sanh. 21b). He showed his doubts concerning the correctness of some words of the text by placing points over them. Should Elijah, said he, approve the text, the points will be disregarded; should he disapprove, the doubtful words will be removed from the text (Ab. R. N. xxxiv.). Ezra wrote the Book of Chronicles and the book bearing his name (B. B. 16a).

He is regarded and quoted as the type of person most competent and learned in the Law (Ber. R. xxxvi.). The Rabbis associate his name with several important institutions. It was he who ordained that three men should read ten verses from the Torah on the second and fifth days of the week and during the afternoon ("Minḥah") service on Sabbath (B. Ḳ. 82a); that the "curses" in Leviticus should be read before Shabu'ot, and those in Deuteronomy before Rosh ha-Shanah (Meg. 31b; see Bloch, "Die Institutionen des Judenthums," i. 1, pp. 112 et seq., Vienna, 1879). He ordained also that courts be in session on Mondays and Thursdays; that garments be washed on these days; that garlic be eaten on the eve of Sabbath; that the wife should rise early and bake bread in the morning; that women should wear a girdle (B. K. 82a; Yer. Meg. iv. 75a); that women should bathe (B. Ḳ. 82a); that pedlers be permitted to visit cities where merchants were established (B. Ḳ. 82a; see Bloch, l.c. p. 127); that under certain contingencies men should take a ritual bath; that the reading at the conclusion of the benedictions should be "min ha-'olam we-'ad ha'olam" (from eternity to eternity: against the Sadducees; see Bloch, l.c. p. 137). His name is also associated with the work of the Great Synagogue (Meg.17b). He is said to have pronounced the Divine Name (Yhwh) according to its proper sounds (Yoma 69b), and the beginnings of the Jewish calendar are traced back to him (Beẓah 6a; Rashi, ad loc.).

According to tradition, Ezra died at the age of 120 in Babylonia. Benjamin of Tudela was shown his grave on the Shaṭṭ al-'Arab, near the point where the Tigris flows into the Euphrates ("Itinerary," i. 73). According to another legend, he was at the time of his death in Babylon, as a courtier in the retinue of Artaxerxes (see Vigouroux, "Dictionnaire de la Bible," ii. 1931). Josephus, however, relates that Ezra died at Jerusalem, where he was buried ("Ant." xi. 5, § 5). In the seliḥah for the 10th of Ṭebet the date of Ezra's death is given as the 9th of Ṭebet (see Shulḥan 'Aruk, Oraḥ Ḥayyim, 580).E. C. E. G. H. I. Br.

—Critical View:
The historical character of the Biblical data regarding Ezra the Scribe (after Ed. Meyer, "Die Entstehung des Judenthums," p. 321) is generally conceded. But the zeal of Ezra to carry out his theory that Israel should be a holy seed ( ), and therefore of absolutely pure Hebrew stock, was not altogether effective; that his views met with opposition is indicated in the books of Ruth and Jonah. The "book of the law" which he proclaimed at the public assembly (Neh. viii.-x.) is substantially identified with the Priestly Code (P), which, though containing older priestly ordinances ("torot"), came to be recognized as the constitutional law of the congregation (Judaism) only after Ezra's time and largely through his and Nehemiah's influence and authority. E.

according to this, prior to Ezra, the name WAS pronounced, and also infers that maybe, just maybe, Ezra was the "author" of the "book of the law"!

i have a thread about this possibillity, based upon Richard Elliot Friedmans "Who Wrote The Bible" currently titled Snakelegs gets her name in another thread. it's a a work in progress.

Perhaps I phrased that wrong. The name in question, is one that refers very often to Deity in the Torah and Hebrew Bible. Because I haven't found it to resemble any of the Islamic names for Allah, I wonder: Why is it so important to the Jews? they consider it a personal name for the Deity? And I find no corresponding personal name in Islam, in terms of similar word structure - as I have been told - Allah, if any, is The personal name - Faizah is correct, Allah in word form does not seem to resemble the Tetragrammaton (four-letter-word). But since the Quran says that Allah sent the Torah and Gospel, I am complelled to a degree to think that the name in question reffers to him - BUT, I am somewhat cautious, I understand that corruption can certainly be present in the Hebrew we see today - someone could possibly have added that to the text. I don't know what the differences are between the Torah we see today and the Torah given to Moses. But if this name arose out of corruption it would be a huge corruption, given its frequency of use. I see the point of that reference you gave, Faizah: if its not in the Sunnah, how would we know for certain? It's then best to assume its not to be used out of caution.

My question is basically - what is the Islamic stance on that name? Is it just an unknown phenomenon?

It's hard for me to believe there hasn't been any deep scholarly debate on this issue. I'm curious to know if anyone has found one or more.

HOWEVER, there are a couple of brothers in England who work out some of this stuff. one of the things that they have pointed out is the similarity of the royal plurals Elohim and Allahumma.

if you write them without the vowels, LHM and LlHM m, then you have a pretty close match.

the brothers do some interesting and entertaining work, Insha' Allah, i will find a link to some of their Youtube stuff and post it.

EDIT: doh! i forgot about Br Yusuf Estes, and American Chaplain who reverted to Islam. he has alot more stuff posted on the web than most.

http://www.islamalways.com/

asalamu alaikum.

there is no secret name for Allah. whatever anyone teaches u about islam ask them to give u proof. so many people just lie about islam these days. if they dont give u evidence find it. if u can't find it ask a man with knowledge. (the imaan in the mosque) make sure u ask him for evidence aswell.

remember, the Quran is a COMPLETE guidance to mankind.

No offence, but that's just silly logic.

How can you ask for evidence from an imam? It's like a patient asking his doctor for information on how he came up with a diagnosis. The patient won't know what the doctor's talking about, because he just doesn't know the depth behind what the doctor's studied.

Secondly...even if he did give you evidence, how on Earth can you deduce whether it is right or not, without being a scholar of hadith/quran yourself?

Hmmmmmmmn I have read that Allah has 100 names of which we only know 99, I read this story in Arabic so please don't crucify me, I admit I am not a scholar I am just relaying what I read..

the story goes that whomever invokes Allah by the 100th name all his prayers shall be granted and the only one that knows the name is Satan, which he intends to use on the day of judgement to have his sins forgiven, but it so happens that Allah will make him forget the hundredth name..

but there is a du3a that alludes to the 100th name

it goes

Allhouma as'alak bikol ism samyet beh nafsak, aw anzaltaho fi kitabak, aw 3lamtaho a7adan min khlaqak aw is'ta'thrta beh fi 3ilm ilghyb 3indak, an taja3al alquran rabee3 qalbi, w noor sadry, wajala 7ozhni wa zhahab ghami..

Allah a3lam, if anyone knows this, can either confirm or deny it I am all ears...

I got this most unusual 'theories' from a random blog if unsuitable here pls remove

http://paternosters.blogspot.com/2006/11/99-100.html

Assalamu Alaikum

Inshallah this will be of some help?


[...]

In support of the view that the beautiful names of Allaah are not limited to this number, they quoted the report narrated by Ahmad (3704) from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood who said:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says:

‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi

(O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),’

but Allaah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, should we learn this?” He said: “Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 199.

The phrase “or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You” [bolded above] indicates that there are beautiful names of Allaah that He has kept with Him in the knowledge of the Unseen, and which none of His creation has come to know. This indicates that there are more than ninety-nine Names.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said concerning this hadeeth in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (6/374):

This indicates that Allaah has more than ninety-nine names.

And he said (22/482):

With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Allaah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever learns them will enter Paradise,” this does not mean that He does not have any names apart from these, rather it means that whoever learns these ninety-nine of His names will enter Paradise. This is like when the Arabs say: “I have one hundred horses which I have prepared for jihad for the sake of Allaah,” which does not mean that the speaker has only these hundred horses, rather these hundred are prepared for this purpose.

[The rest can be read here-Source]


fi aman Allah
w'salaam

Jazaki Allah khyran... helpful indeed =)