The Word Allah – Names, Meaning, and Maya -

                                                      From my woodcut print.
 

 The Word Allah – Names, Meaning, and Maya

In the paradoxical dance of illusion and revelation that weaves through the heart of the Maya series, few topics sit closer to the core of spiritual identity than the word Allah itself. Much more than a name, it is a pointer to That which cannot be named—a linguistic mystery that embodies the unseen Essence (Zat), as described by the contemporary mystic Ahmed Hulusi. In this reflection dated May 7, 2011, I explored a local controversy that reverberates with cosmic implications: Who has the right to use the name Allah?

In Malaysia, the question became politicized, igniting national debate: Should Christians be allowed to use the word "Allah" in their Malay-language Bibles and publications? The courts ruled yes. But what of the deeper metaphysical implications beyond legalism or politics?

On a flight from Kuwait to Dubai, I found myself beside a Palestinian woman who had spent decades in Washington, D.C. Now working with the UN in Jerusalem, she offered clarity that made me rethink my initial stance. She argued that to use the name Allah, one must understand and honor what it points to: Ahadiyyah, the indivisible Oneness that is beyond sons, fathers, or anthropomorphic framing. As Muslims understand, Allah is not simply a noun—He is the Absolute, the One, free from duality, from limitation, from form.

This debate is not just about names. It's about whether the form of religion can reach beyond its cultural projections into the formless. Whether Maya—the illusion of separateness—can be pierced not only through meditation or self-inquiry but also through the honest articulation of language.

In Ahmed Hulusi’s explanation, the Arabic letters of the word ALLAH themselves symbolize stages of metaphysical awareness:

• The first Alif represents the Essence, Ahadiyyah, primary Oneness—so unconditioned it is inconceivable.

• The double Lam represents connection, attributes, and manifestation.

• The invisible Alif hidden within signifies the mystery between the visible and the ineffable.

• And the Ha is breath—the divine presence made audible.

From this, we understand that Allah is not a matter of linguistic ownership—it is a sacred geometry of being. And yet, in the world of Maya, we mistake the pointer for the pointed. We fight over the finger that shows the moon, not seeing the moon itself.

Ahmed Hulusi once wrote: “Say Allah and leave all else.”

When you utter the name Allah with full presence, you are invoking—not a tribal deity—but the Ground of Being itself. You are awakening to the One Reality, free from form, religion, and dualism. But can this name be rightly uttered by one who has not felt its gravity? Can one truly speak the sacred if they haven’t bowed before it?

This is not a matter of forbidding, but of inviting deeper inquiry. Let Christians, Muslims, and seekers of all paths say Allah, but let them also remember what they are saying.

For in the final reckoning, as Hulusi reminds us, even language must fall away. There is only One, and we are not other than That. Maya fades when we cease to cling to signs and awaken to the signless Essence.

La ilaha illa Allah.

There is no God—Only Allah.

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