Side by side
Same word,
different mouths
The names of God in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic, and the Names of Allah they echo.
Three faiths · Same word, different mouths
Many of the ways Jews, Christians and Muslims speak of God come from the same family of words. The strongest parallels share a root; others share a meaning. We only show the real ones.
| Hebrew | Christian usage | The Names in Islam | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merciful | רַחוּם · Raḥum | Merciful One; Father of mercies | ar-Raḥmān, ar-Raḥīm | Same root, r-ḥ-m: “womb” |
| Peace | שָׁלוֹם · Shalom | The God of peace (Romans 15:33) | as-Salām | Same root, š-l-m; a divine name in both Jewish law and Islam |
| Holy | קָדוֹשׁ · Kadosh | Holy, holy, holy (the Sanctus) | al-Quddūs | Same root, q-d-š; Isaiah 6:3 in synagogue and church |
| One | אֶחָד · Eḥad | “The Lord is one” (Mark 12:29) | al-Aḥad, al-Wāḥid | The same old Semitic word for one |
| Creator | בּוֹרֵא · Borei | Maker of heaven and earth | al-Bāriʾ, al-Khāliq | Same root, b-r-ʾ |
| Most High | אֵל עֶלְיוֹן · El Elyon | The Most High (Luke 1:32) | al-ʿAliyy, al-Mutaʿālī | Same idea, related roots |
| King | מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם · Melekh ha-olam | King of kings | al-Malik, Mālik al-Mulk | Same root, m-l-k; opens every Jewish blessing |
| Living | אֱלָהָא חַיָּא · Elāhā ḥayyā | The living God | al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm | Daniel 6:27 and Qur'an 2:255: “the living God, enduring for ever” |
| Forgiving | נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן · Nosé avon | Forgiveness of sins | al-Ghafūr, at-Tawwāb | All three link turning back and forgiveness |
| Lord | אֲדֹנָי · Adonai | Lord (Kyrios) | Rabb | Saadia's Torah: “Allah our Lord” |
Hear it
The Shema in Hebrew, the Lord's Prayer in Arabic in a London church, al-Ikhlas recited: on the Listen page, each in its own tradition's voice.
Source: our Wave 1 research on Judaism (R2 §4); parallels marked “superficial” there are left out.