If Khuda, then why not Ishwar and God?

If Khuda, then why not Ishwar and God?

In my last post, while translating the words of the Azan, I had used the word Ishwar for Allah. Some friends pointed out that Ishwar should not be used instead of Allah because ‘Ishwar’ is not one among the 99 names of Allah. 

In the Indian subcontinent, salat is known as namaz, and saum is known as roza, despite the fact that these are Persian words which cannot be found anywhere in the Qur'an or Hadith. Can you tell me one more Persian word which is widely used by Muslims in the subcontinent? That word is ‘Khuda’. It is used instead of Allah, despite the fact that Khuda is not one among the 99 names of Allah that we find in the Qur'an and Hadith.

When Persia was taken by Muslim forces in the 7th Century CE, some people approached Caliph Umar Farooqؓ and submitted that the Persians use the word Khuda instead of Allah. Caliph Umar, after weighing that word on the scales of the ayaat quoted below, approved the use of the word Khuda for Allah.

What we understand is that if a word is commonly used by the people of a particular community and language to refer to Allah, and it does not have any negative connotations that go against the tenets of Islam, then that word can very well be used instead of Allah, just as Khuda came to be used for Allah.

In English, that word is God (with a captial G), and in Hindi/Marathi, that word is Ishwar (not Parmeshwar, because that would mean that there are many Ishwars nauzubillah, one among whom is the chief or param).

Please go through these ayaat and their tafseer:

وَ لِلّٰہِ الۡاَسۡمَآءُ الۡحُسۡنٰی فَادۡعُوۡہُ بِہَا ۪ وَ ذَرُوا الَّذِیۡنَ یُلۡحِدُوۡنَ فِیۡۤ اَسۡمَآئِہٖ ؕ سَیُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ

And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing. 

[Surah alA'araf, ayat 180]

قُلِ ادۡعُوا اللّٰہَ اَوِ ادۡعُوا الرَّحۡمٰنَ ؕ اَیًّامَّا تَدۡعُوۡا فَلَہُ الۡاَسۡمَآءُ الۡحُسۡنٰی

 Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names."

[Surah Bani Israel, ayat 110]

اَللّٰہُ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ لَہُ الۡاَسۡمَآءُ الۡحُسۡنٰی

 Allah - there is no deity except Him. To Him belong the best names. 

[Surah TaHa, ayat 8]

- Dr. Parvez Mandviwala