The Qurʾān, Islam's holy scripture, states, "Verily, the religion of God (Allāh) is Islam" (3:19). According to medieval Muslim lexicographers, there are twenty to thirty opinions on the origin, etymology, and meaning of the term Allāh. Some say that it should be read as a proper name, as in the English "God." Others claim that it is a contraction of al-ilāh, meaning "The God" or "The Divinity." Medieval Muslim manuscripts from North Africa and Islamic Spain often use al-Ilāh as a synonym for Allāh. Modern philologists relate the term to the Hebrew El or Elohim, used in the Bible. In Arabic, the verb alaha means, "he worshiped, served, or adored." In this sense, Allāh could be translated as "the One who is worshiped or adored." Similarly, the past participle maʾluh, taken from the same root as All...