The Quraysh tribe, as guardians of the Kaaba , were known as Ahl Allah ("God’s people").
The transition of Allah from a high god among many to the exclusive deity of a new empire involved several stages: THE EMERGENCE OF ISLAM IN LATE ANTIQUITY | Almuslih The Emergence of Islam in Late Antiquity: Allah...
Scholars generally agree on the Semitic roots of the word, though they debate the exact path of its development: Description Linguistic Connection A contraction of al-ilāh ("The God"). Common Arabic philology Aramaic Borrowing Borrowed from the Syriac Alāhā or Aramaic ʼElāhā . Biblical Aramaic cognates Semitic Root Derived from the West Semitic creator god ʾIlu (El). Akkadian ilum , Hebrew Eloah 4. The Transformation: Paleo-Islam to Imperial Monotheism The Quraysh tribe, as guardians of the Kaaba
Constant conflict between the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires created a power vacuum in the Arabian Peninsula. Biblical Aramaic cognates Semitic Root Derived from the
In pre-Islamic Meccan religion, Allah was often regarded as a "High God" or creator deity within a larger pantheon.
The first Islamic century shared administrative, monetary, and cultural patterns with the Byzantine era , indicating continuity rather than immediate separation. 2. Pre-Islamic Allah: The "High God"
The emergence of Islam is increasingly viewed by scholars not as a sudden rupture, but as an integral part of Late Antiquity (c. 600–750 CE). This period was defined by: