About Me

I have done a lot of things in my life and have also worked in many different jobs to make a living and to experience life. This blog is just some of my musings, sometimes funny, sometimes inspirational, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes simple but all the time, it's just me.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Can I use the other 99 names instead?

I can now no longer use the word "Allah" to refer to God. Not that I ever did but now I cannot.

If I was a Christian, Jew, Hindu etc. in Jordan, Egypt, Libya or Morocco, I would be allowed to use the word "Allah" in those countries.

But in Malaysia, we are a secular country and we have a sensitive bunch, so, we should not use that word to refer to God.

According to the sources, Allah means the only real supreme being, all-powerful and all knowing Creator, Sustainer, Ordainer, and Judge of the universe.

In Hinduism, the commonly refered to names for God can be Bhagwan, Ishvara,
Maheshvara, Parameshvara, Paramatman, Para Brahman, Adi Purusha, Vishnu, Rama, Shankar, Shiva.

But now Iswara is a Proton car and Hindu's around the world did not make a big fuss and protest against Proton from using the name.

The first Malacca sultan convieniently named himself Parameswara and yet the Hindu's did not complain.

For me, it is not a big deal that I cannot use the word Allah to refer to God. But do I have to stop using the word to refer other things i.e. "Alla, don't be like that lah." or "Alla mak, I forgot to bring my wallet."

In many Hindi movies I see the terms Masha'allah being used - I guess we have to ban those movies or the censorship board must bleep out those words.

Since I cannot use Allah, can I use the other 99 names for God instead?

1 الرحمن Ar-Rahmān The All Beneficent
2 الرحيم Ar-Rahīm The Most Merciful
3 الملك Al-Malik The Owner, The Sovereign, The True and Ultimate
4 القدوس Al-Quddūs The Most Holy, The Most Pure, The Most Perfect
5 السلام As-Salām The Peace and Blessing, The Source of Peace and Safety
6 المؤمن Al-Mu'min The Guarantor, The Self Affirming,
7 المهيمن Al-Muhaymin The Guardian, The Preserver
8 العزيز Al-Azīz The Almighty, The Self Sufficient, The Most Honorable
9 الجبار Al-Jabbār The Despot, The Irresistible, The Compeller
10 المتكبر Al-Mutakabbir He Who Reveals His Greatness
11 الخالق Al-Khāliq The Creator
12 البارئ Al-Bāri' The Rightful
13 المصور Al-Musawwir The Fashioner of Forms
14 الغفار Al-Ghaffār The Ever Forgiving
15 القهار Al-Qahhār The All Compelling Subduer
16 الوهاب Al-Wahhāb The Bestower
17 الرزاق Ar-Razzāq The Ever Providing
18 الفتاح Al-Fattāh The Opener, The Victory Giver
19 العليم Al-'Alīm The All Knowing, The Omniscient
20 القابض Al-Qābid The Restrainer, The Straightener
21 الباسط Al-Bāsit The Extender / Expander
22 الخافض Al-Khāfid The Abaser
23 الرافع Ar-Rāfi' The Exalter
24 المعز Al-Mu'izz The Giver of Honour
25 المذل Al-Mu'dhell The Giver of Dishonour
26 السميع As-Samī The All Hearing
27 البصير Al-Basīr The All Seeing
28 الحكم Al-Hakam The Judge, The Arbitrator
29 العدل Al-`Adl The Utterly Just
30 اللطيف Al-Latīf The Gentle, The Subtly Kind
31 الخبير Al-Khabīr The All Aware
32 الحليم Al-Halīm The Forbearing, The Indulgent
33 العظيم Al-'Azīm The Magnificent, The Infinite
34 الغفور Al-Ghafūr The All Forgiving
35 الشكور Ash-Shakūr The Grateful
36 العلي Al-'Aliyy The Sublimely Exalted
37 الكبير Al-Kabīr The Great
38 الحفيظ Al-Hafīz The Preserver
39 المقيت Al-Muqīt The Nourisher
40 الحسيب Al-Hasīb The Bringer of Judgment
41 الجليل Al-Jalīl The Majestic
42 الكريم Al-Karīm The Bountiful, The Generous
43 الرقيب Ar-Raqīb The Watchful
44 المجيب Al-Mujīb The Responsive, The Answerer
45 الواسع Al-Wāsi' The Vast, The All Encompassing
46 الحكيم Al-Hakīm The Wise
47 الودود Al-Wadūd The Loving
48 المجيد Al-Majīd The All Glorious
49 الباعث Al-Bā'ith The Raiser of The Dead
50 الشهيد Ash-Shahīd The Witness
51 الحق Al-Haqq The Truth, The Real
52 الوكيل Al-Wakīl The Trustee, The Dependable
53 القوى Al-Qawwiyy The Strong
54 المتين Al-Matīn The Firm, The Steadfast
55 الولى Al-Waliyy The Protecting Friend, Patron and Helper
56 الحميد Al-Hamīd The All Praiseworthy
57 المحصى Al-Muhsi The Accounter, The Numberer of All
58 المبدئ Al-Mubdi' The Producer, Originator, and Initiator of All
59 المعيد Al-Mu'īd The Restorer, The Reinstater Who Brings Back All
60 المحيى Al-Muhyi The Giver of Life
61 المميت Al-Mumīt The Bringer of Death, The Destroyer
62 الحي Al-Hayy The Ever Living
63 القيوم Al-Qayyūm The Self Subsisting Provider of All
64 الواجد Al-Wājid The Perceiver, The Finder, The Unfailing
65 الماجد Al-Mājid The Illustrious, The Magnificent
66 الواحد Al-Wāhid The One, The Indivisible
67 الاحد Al-'Ahad The One, The Unique
68 الصمد As-Samad The Eternal, The Eternally Besought of All, The Everlasting
69 القادر Al-Qādir The All Able
70 المقتدر Al-Muqtadir The All Determiner, The Dominant
71 المقدم Al-Muqaddim The Expediter, He Who Brings Forward
72 المؤخر Al-Mu'akhkhir The Delayer, He Who Puts Far Away
73 الأول Al-'Awwal The First (Alpha)
74 الأخر Al-'Akhir The Last (Omega)
75 الظاهر Az-Zāhir The Manifest, The All Victorious
76 الباطن Al-Bātin The Hidden, The All Encompassing
77 الوالي Al-Wāli The Patron
78 المتعالي Al-Mutā'ali The Self Exalted
79 البر Al-Barr The Most Kind and Righteous
80 التواب At-Tawwāb The Ever Returning, Ever Relenting
81 المنتقم Al-Muntaqim The Avenger
82 العفو Al-Afuww The Pardoner, The Effacer of Sins
83 الرؤوف Ar-Ra'ūf The Compassionate, The All Pitying
84 مالك الملك Mālik-ul-Mulk The Owner of All Sovereignty
85 ذو الجلال والإكرام Dhū-l-Jalāliwa-l-'ikrām The Lord of Majesty and Generosity
86 المقسط Al-Muqsiţ The Equitable, The Requiter
87 الجامع Al-Jāmi The Gatherer, The Unifier
88 الغني Al-Ghaniyy The All Rich, The Independent
89 المغني Al-Mughni The Enricher, The Emancipator
90 المانع Al-Māni' The Withholder, The Shielder, the Defender
91 الضار Ad-Dārr The Distressor, The Harmer, The Afflictor
92 النافع An-Nāfi The Propitious, The Benefactor, The Useful
93 النور An-Nūr The One Who Creates the Light of Belief in the Hearts of All
94 الهادي Al-Hādi The Guide
95 البديع Al-Badī The Incomparable, The Originator
96 الباقي Al-Bāqi The Ever Enduring and Immutable
97 الوارث Al-Wārith The Heir, The Inheritor of All
98 الرشيد Ar-Rashīd The Guide, Infallible Teacher and Knower
99 الصبور As-Sabur The Patient, The Timeless.

Take care and be well.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm all this talk about God's name... and yet did God ever give anyone to speak on his behalf...???

yea right... its always God to me alone but nobody else trick...

and best of all other get all riled up about the semantics...

Next person who talks to me about God I am going to ask him/her to show me an authorisation letter signed by GOD for him/her to talk about God with me...

heyy..its the same principle.. its just like if a person claims to be a policeman... we ask him/her to show his ID card...

and...only 99 names... God the all powerful got only 99 names...hmmm..doesnt sound like God laa..

Nil said...

With the government ruling on Allah, all non-Muslim Selangor, Kedah, Perak, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan residents can no longer sing their state song since it contains the word Allah.

chchoo said...

very sad, i can no longer sing negaraku because it contains the word, tuhan, as we do no tknow whose's tuhan the national anthem refers to.

macK said...

what have become of us?