One of our readers asks:
Hello, I am visiting your blog for the first time. I have a question for you. Do you as a Christian in the middle east call God..Allah? I understand it is just arabic for God.. I would very much like to hear what you call him. May God bless and keep you safe. LILY
Thank you for the question Lily, and here is is my own answer, though different people would answer it in a different way I suppose:
When speaking English I use "God" in talking about Christianity but "Allah" in reference to Islam.
But regarding Arabic: The word "Allah" is a contracted version of "al ilah" which means "THE GOD." Note also that there are no capitals in Arabic which affects how things are written. As a Christian in the Middle East I certainly do use Allah to speak of the Triune God revealed in Scripture. One can also say al rab which means "The Lord" and that is also fine for both Muslims and Christians. When discussing religion with Muslims I will often use "ilahuna" (OUR GOD) and "ilahukum" (YOUR GOD) to differentiate.
One divine title that only Christians use is, of course, "al ab," THE FATHER. That is a concept largely absent from Islam.
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