Malaysian authorities have recently confiscated thousands of Bibles. The reason is that these Bibles use the word Allah to describe God. This is illegal in Malaysia. Why? Because certain Muslim groups suspect that the use of — what they feel to be — an Islamic term for the Supreme Deity in Bibles can be used to win converts to Christianity.
Did they not consider that the conversions might work the other way around if the Name of Allah (or any of the other Names) is employed instead of the Germanic Name?
There is no need to construct such an iron curtain. It belies paranoia and internal weakness, so Muslims reflect: where is their Faith that the Truth will prevail?
Their actions regarding the treatment of the previous Revelations come close to violating the words of the Final Revelation:
And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in that is better, save with such of them as do wrong, and say: We believe in that which has been revealed unto us and revealed unto you, our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender. (Qur’an 29:46)
My uncle lives in Malaysia and is always irritated that a Malay will always commence a lecture at a conference with “As-salaam alaikum to the Muslims and Selamat Datang to non-Muslims”. He thinks “As-salaam alaikum” should replace “Selamat Datang” and that everyone in Malaysia should use the greeting to each other.
As I’ve reflected upon this, the phrase that came into my mind was ‘two bald men fighting over a comb’. Muslim and Christian fundamentalists are fighting over the ownership of a word that is of no practical use to either – they want to possess it, but they don’t know what to do with it. The greatest irony being that ‘Allah’ is the all-inclusive name – comprehending all the Names and Qualities – and therefore, by definition, cannot be other than the ‘God’ of the Christians, Muslims and anyone else who worships something God-like.
This story just confirms my sense that religion – of all flavours – in the twenty-first century is all about externals. And that those who seek its inward dimension don’t need it any more. Who needs the word ‘Allah’, when your focus is the reality that it signifies? Any old word will do. And if it is a secular word, like ‘Truth’, or ‘Reality’, there’s a good chance that the religious won’t take any interest in what you’re saying – because they only respond to the emotive words they have been conditioned to – and they’ll leave you alone.
Salaam James,
I fear you may be right, ultimately, about a great many people. Nevertheless, some words have the potential for being recycled — and garments can be patched up — houses renovated?
I am unsure about the 21st century. But I certainly believe that some of the greatest Muslims of the 20th century were western atheists!
Mu the T
I’m a great believer in recycling, myself. But some things may need to sit in the ground for a bit before they can be recycled. I doubt, somehow, that ‘Jehovah’ is recyclable at present. But maybe in a century or so it won’t carry the baggage of Victorian ‘Hellfire and Damnation’ Christianity (and it is interesting that it still feels unusable despite the fact that nobody – except perhaps the Jehovah’s Witnesses – have really used it for about a hundred years or so).
I fear ‘Allah’ is becoming unusable because of its associations with Muslim extremism. Certainly the takbir is not really something that one can shout in public any more, without everyone around fleeing and covering their heads. ‘Allah’ is no longer a name: it is a currency. And it is interesting to see Christian evangicals (with their covert, manipulative agendas) and Muslim fundamentalists (with their belief that it is their cultural ‘property’) fighting over it in such an undignified manner.
On a more positive note, it seems to me that the Sufis preferred invocation – Hoo! (He) – has the potential to become the Name that designates a decidedly twenty-first century understanding of Divinity (inclusive, pointing to the Essence beyond attributes, and intimate in a deep and curiously ‘impersonal’ way), especially in those cultures where it doesn’t have any gender connotation. The ‘people of beliefs’ – of whatever religion – don’t even seem to be able to comprehend that there could be such an understanding, let alone have any interest in claiming it for their own.
malays are still really really cute!
The Holy Bible is a book of fantasies about the Messiah Jesus a man who was crucified by the pen. Who know more about a man murder then the men who committed the murder? Can you not see all the detail in the murder? To this day no man can give a full detail about a man life except “Lord God”. The Christians and the Jews over plotted in stealing information out of {The Koran with Parallel Arabic Text}.Can you not see that they are fantasizing about “Allah Almighty God” the World Greatest Most High Exalted Creator and Ruler of the Universe. Who did not take the form of a mortal man? This is but one of their fantasies, to clean you of your sins. All “Allah” need say is Be, & it is. People, (The Koran) is “Heaven”, and in Heaven you will find “God”, who lives in Heaven? Also you will find “Paradise” the home of the African-Americans who is the Israelites & Egyptians (Muslims) the faithful servants of Lord God. And the fire that surrounds “Paradise” is the Holy Bible of damnation. The tree that God had commanded you to keep away from He is the Forgiving One, the Merciful God. Allah, we submit this seeking Your divine mercy