"Allah" is GOD's Name, "Elaw" means "GOD" in Aramaic: How can they be the same?
This is the argument that I received: How can the Arabic "Allah" equal to the Aramaic "Elaw", when "Allah" is only a Name for GOD Almighty in Arabic, while "Elaw" actually means "GOD"? "Allah" does not mean "GOD" in Arabic, does it?
The response is actually quite simple: "Elaw", or "ilah" in both Aramaic and Arabic respectively are derived from the mother word "Allah". In Islam, GOD Almighty has 99 Names/Attributes: Most Merciful, The Great, Most Gracious, etc... "Allah" is one of those Holy Names/Attributes. Muslims often refer to GOD Almighty as "Allah", because it is not only His Holy Name, but it also means that He is the Supreme GOD. That is why some English translators of the Noble Quran such as Abdullah Yusuf Ali (may Allah Almighty bless him and rest his soul. Ameen) translate "Allah" in the Arabic Quran as "God" in the English translation for some Noble Verses.
To further prove that "Allah" in Arabic means the Supreme GOD Almighty, let us read the following Noble Verses:
"Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. (The Noble Quran, 112:1-4)"
This is how these Noble Verses are translated in the Abdullah Yusuf Ali English translation. Notice that he used "God" for "Allah". The Noble Verses in Arabic are as follows:
"Qul huwa Allah ahad, Allah al-samad; lam yalid wa lam yuwlad; wa lam yakun lahu qufuwan ahad. (The Noble Quran, 112:1-4)"
These Noble Verses clearly prove that "Allah" means Supreme GOD in Arabic, because they start with "Say he is Allah..." Notice that it didn't say "Say his name is Allah...", even though GOD Almighty's Holy Name is "Allah". But the "Say he is Allah..." quote clearly indicates that "Allah" here is a DESCRIPTION or an ATTRIBUTE to GOD Almighty, and not just a personal Name. This clearly proves that "Allah" means the Supreme GOD Almighty in Arabic. There are other Noble Verses that I can present from the Noble Quran that would further prove this point, but I think Noble Verses 112:1-4 are sufficient enough.
When a person embraces Islam, he/she would say:
"I bare witness that there is no GOD but Allah, and Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger."
The "no GOD but Allah" means that Allah Almighty is the supreme GOD. Many gods and idols exist in the world. People took idols for worship as the far eastern Hindus and Budhists do. Others took GOD Almighty's creation such as fire and the sun as gods such as the Zoroastrians and others. Others even took humans and worshiped them such as the Egyptians during Pharaoh's time, and the modern Trinitarians worshiping Jesus, the Son of Mary peace be upon him and her.
So gods did and still exist today and will always exist. It is part of our human nature to worship idols in a hope to get closer with GOD Almighty Himself, the Supreme GOD Almighty. But man does not need to go through any god, because The Most Supreme GOD of all, Allah Almighty, exists and had always existed, and He is close to us and He listens to our Prayers:
"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (The Noble Quran, 2:186)"
So there is no need for us to associate any partners with Allah Almighty to worship Him. We can worship Him directly without any idols or mediators. Please visit What is the Wisdom of Islam? to learn more about the Oneness of Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran.
The words "elaw" in Aramaic, and "ilah" in Arabic are words that were derived from the root word "Allah". Allah Almighty is the GOD of the Universe, and He is the Supreme GOD. When Jesus cried to GOD Almighty "Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani?" in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, he said "My God my God why have you foresaken me?" in English translation. "Eloi" is derived from "Elaw", and the later is derived from "Allah".
Conclusion:
The Aramaic "Elaw" and the Arabic "Allah" are the same. The Aramaic "Elaw" is derived from the Arabic "Allah", and it means "GOD". "Allah" in Arabic also means "GOD", the Supreme GOD Almighty. You can easily see the close similarity in their pronunciation.
The 99 Names and Attributes of Allah Almighty.