Allah: the name sacred and profane.

Allah is not a big issue. Just declare it is exclusively for Islam in Malaysia. It is a matter of principle. It isn't inferior to the principle of the rule of law or doing what is right. It reaffirms our faith in Allah. Switzerland bans minarets. France bans the headscarf. Switzerland and France do not ban Islam. They ban Islamic appurtenances. So, Malaysia, learn the lessons there.

I have been asked repeatedly to read Quran 7:180.

There in that verse, we are told we can call Allah by whatever names. These of course refer to what Muslims know as the 99 most beautiful names- which explain and describe the attributes of Allah. It is through these names the Muslim appreciate the Supreme Being.

But there is also the caveat. We are asked to shun such men as use profanity in his Names. The ones who use His name profanely use them in a manner to suggest anything derogatory to His dignity and His unity.

I have already written something about this in my previous article, Pagan God and Uslub Mujadalah. To non Muslims, Allah is just a name. To Muslims, Allah is founded on Aqeedah which incorporates the concepts of Tauheed. Allowing Allah to be used as 'just' a name means you devalue the Muslim Allah.

See what is happening already? When you allow Allah to be used fluidly, it assumes any form you fancy. For instance, I have already mentioned about the inclination of some people asking Muslims to be less excited on forms. That would imply that Allah is just a form.

If I were to be strict, then I will have to say, to suggest that the Name Allah is just a form fits the act of using the name of Allah profanely. That's why I in turn suggest- now we can worship a tree because, it's just a form.

Hence from a monotheistic position, allowing fluidity in the name of Allah, we have pantheism, a school of thought which has been debated upon by Muslim scholars a long time ago. Let me alert those who imply that Allah, a name is just a form:-

Pantheism is the philosophy that everything is God (pan=everything, theos=God) or that the universe and nature are divine. For all practical purposes, according to Islam, pantheism is atheism because it does not acknowledge the existence of God apart from the world, nor does it say that there is a God Who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, nor does it say that there is divine judgment or the hereafter. From this it is clear that pantheism cannot have any place in Islam.

To those who ask us to read 7:180;

It is true that Islam gives 99 names to God. But this does not mean that God can take 99 forms! These names signify the qualities of the One God, such as the Creator, the Sustainer, the Merciful, the Forgiving. And they do not in any way mean that God takes different forms or incarnates in those forms. The polytheists or those who believe in the incarnations of God may try to misinterpret the significance of the names of God to find some justification for their false beliefs. But from the point of view of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, there is no

Chance for such misinterpretation. Most assuredly, they are wrong.

And Allah knows best.

Someone also asked why do I waste time and effort debating this issue? My answer: for the same reasons that motivate those who argue for the fluidity in the use of Allah. I am sure those who share my convictions don't see their efforts as wasting time and effort.

Until this issue comes to closure, we shall debate it civilly. Agree?