1.2 The deity conceived in Islam is Allah not illah

The deity as conceived in Islam is not merely "god" (llah) but "The God" (Allah).

Ilah: ilah is an Arabic word that means:

• One who is worshipped;
• One whose existence is beyond the comprehension of human mind.
• One who is worth of unlimited love and reverence; and
• One who is not subjected to any of the senses of a person, and is hidden from him.

'Thus the world ilah carries as its translation the "Worshipped One", Khoda'. "diety or "God" in common it is regarded as being with unlimited powers and forces; far away from the visionary senses, capable of being contacted spintually, worthy of bringing harm or benefit to the human beings by sensory and materialistic means and with whose pleasure or displeasure, the fortunes of a man, good or bad, are associated.

llah has been held as a firm belief by the followers of many religious that flourished in different times. It has been held in high esteem for believing that it can do good or harm to human beings. It is not regarded as having the power to create anything. It is in this regard that it is different from Allah.

Allah: According to Islam. Allah is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. All men and nations are equal before Allah: "All human beings equally partake of His unlimited bounties".

"O Mankind! Surely We have created you from a male and a female, and made you tribes and the families that you may know each other, surely the noblest of you with Allah is the most dutiful of you. Surely. Allah has full knowledge and well acquainted (with all things). (XLIX-13).

The word "Allah" is mentioned by a number of other names, every one of which refers to one of His Attributes. The word "Allah", therefore, implies in one word and all the attributes mentioned in the Holy Quran of the Divine Being. It defies all translations, as there is no equivalent to it in any language of the world. It occurs in the Holy Quran 2799 times and is the most frequently recurring.

Therefore, Allah is not merely an object of ritualistic worship, but the possessor of all the dimensions of Highest Excellence indeed, of Absolute Perfection. He is the fountainhead of all values and ideas. He is the Omnipotent. the Omnipresent, the Infinite, the Absolute, the One and the Indivisible God, Who neither in camas nor has any partner or son or compeer. He is Transcendent in His Being and Immanent in the cosmos through His Love. Knowledge and Power He is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Nourisher and the Evolve of everything of the universe. He is the Righteous God, Who does not arbitrarily bestow special favour on any individual or community on such grounds as belonging to some race or colour may even in respect of mere formal tables of "creed".

Now, let us understand Him as He is mentioned in the Quran, in the words of the Quran itself. Let us find Him direct from the Book given by Him.