Dear Editor,

Regarding the “Allah” controversy, it may be of use to consider these facts: At the time of Jesus the lingua franca was Aramaic. The word in Aramaic for “God” was “Ellah.” “Allah” is merely a derivation of “Ellah”.

In Mediterranean Arabic-speaking countries they still pronounce the word, spelt “Allah” in English, as “Ellah.” “Ellah” was derived from the more ancient Eastern Mediterranean use of the word “El” for “God” as is found in many personal and place names of that time and place, such as “Beth-el” or Nathani-el, Micha-el, Samu-el, etc.

The case can therefore be made that the Muslim use of the word spelt in English as “Allah” is really an adoption from the Aramaic “Ellah,” common to all local peoples at the time, and that the specific root that refers to God is “El.” They may then realize that the Muslim use of “Allah” is not original with or a derivation unique to them.

Steve Summers
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada