Allah in the Qur’an: Intertextuality and the Architecture of Divine Meaning

By Adis Duderija, New Age Islam 22 October 2025 The Qur’an’s concept of Allah—the Arabic term for God—is not merely a theological assertion but a richly textured construct shaped by a web of intertextual references, historical contingencies, and rhetorical strategies. To understand Allah in the Qur’an is to engage not only with the text’s internal logic but also with its dialogical relationship to the broader religious and literary traditions of Late Antiquity. As Nicolai Sinai’s scholarship demonstrates, the Qur’an’s theology is deeply interwoven with Biblical, Jewish, Christian, and Arabian discourses, and its concept of Allah must be read through this intertextual lens. Allah as a Theological Reconfiguration The name Allah likely derives from al-ilāh (“the god”), a term used in pre-Islamic Arabia to denote a high deity. However, the Qur’an reconfigures this term into a proper name that anchors its monotheistic vision. Sinai notes that while the term was not novel, its semantic and theological centrality in the Qur’an marks a significant departure from earlier usage. The Qur’an does not merely inherit the name; it redefines it through a sustained theological project that integrates and transforms inherited ideas. This redefinition is not limited to lexical innovation. It is embedded in a broader intertextual strategy whereby the Qur’an engages with Biblical and extra-Biblical traditions. For example, the pairing of Allah with al-Raḥmān (“the Merciful”) echoes pre-Qur’anic invocations but is elevated in the Qur’an to a defining attribute of divine identity. The Basmalah “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate” becomes a liturgical and rhetorical motif that frames the entire Qur’anic discourse. Intertextuality as Hermeneutical Key Sinai’s work underscores that the Qur’an’s major theological concepts—including Allah, revelation (Wahy), mercy (Rahma), guidance (Huda), and justice (Adl)—cannot be fully understood without reference to their intertextual resonances. The Qur’an frequently reworks Biblical narratives, motifs, and terminology, often without explicit attribution. This “embedded intertextuality” is not ornamental; it is foundational to the Qur’an’s meaning-making. For instance, the Qur’an’s depiction of Allah as Rabb Al-ʿAlamīn (“Lord of the world-dwellers”) resonates with the Biblical notion of God as sovereign over creation. Yet the Qur’an subtly shifts the emphasis from cosmic abstraction to relational immediacy. Allah is not only the Lord of the heavens and the earth but also Rabbuka (“your Lord”), addressing the Prophet Muhammad directly. This dual register that is both universal and intimate is a hallmark of Qur’anic theology and reflects its dialogical engagement with earlier scriptures. Similarly, the Qur’an’s use of anthropomorphic language, Allah’s “face,” “hands,” and “coming” on the Day of Judgment, echoes Biblical and rabbinic imagery. However, the Qur’an reframes these motifs within its own theological grammar, often emphasizing divine transcendence while retaining the possibility of eschatological encounter. The promise that the righteous will “gaze upon their Lord” (Q 75:22–23) evokes the beatific vision in Christian eschatology but is articulated in Qur’anic terms that resist full assimilation to prior models. Allah and the Dynamics of Revelation The Qur’an presents itself as the speech of Allah, revealed through the Prophet Muhammad. This self-referentiality is not merely a claim to authority; it is a performative act that situates Allah as both speaker and subject. Phrases such as Tanzīl Min Rabb Al-ʿālamīn (“a sending down from the Lord of the world-dwellers”) and bi-smi rabbika (“in the name of your Lord”) frame the Qur’an as a divine address that is both transcendent and historically situated. Here again, intertextuality plays a crucial role. The Qur’an’s rhetoric of revelation draws on Biblical models of prophetic speech, yet it reconfigures them to suit its own theological and literary aims. The Qur’an’s emphasis on oral proclamation, its use of formulaic expressions, and its staging of polemical exchanges all reflect a complex interplay between inherited traditions and innovative composition. Theological Implications of Intertextuality Understanding Allah in the Qur’an requires attention not only to what the text says but to how it says it—and to what it assumes its audience already knows. The Qur’an often presupposes familiarity with Biblical narratives, theological categories, and liturgical practices. Its concept of Allah is thus not constructed in isolation but through a process of selective appropriation and rearticulation. This has significant implications for Qur’anic hermeneutics. As Sinai argues, the Qur’an’s intertextuality is not a matter of source-hunting but of semantic and theological resonance. The Qur’an does not merely borrow; it transforms. Its concept of Allah is shaped by this transformative engagement, which allows it to speak simultaneously to continuity and rupture, tradition and innovation. Moreover, the Qur’an’s intertextuality serves a pedagogical function. By invoking and reworking familiar motifs, the text invites its audience into a process of theological reflection. The concept of Allah emerges not as a static doctrine but as a dynamic discourse that unfolds through narrative, exhortation, and polemic. Conclusion: Intertextual Theology as Method To grasp the Qur’an’s concept of Allah is to engage in intertextual theology. This means reading the Qur’an not only as a self-contained text but as part of a broader scriptural and cultural conversation. Sinai’s scholarship provides the tools for such a reading, combining philological precision with historical sensitivity. In this light, Allah is not merely the subject of Qur’anic theology but its organizing principle. The Qur’an’s discourse on Allah integrates creation, revelation, judgment, and mercy into a coherent theological vision. Yet this vision is intelligible only when situated within the intertextual matrix that the Qur’an both inherits and reshapes. The study of Allah in the Qur’an, therefore, is not only a theological inquiry but a methodological imperative. It calls for an approach that is historically grounded, philologically rigorous, and attuned to the dialogical nature of scripture. In doing so, it opens up new vistas for understanding the Qur’an’s message and its place within the religious imagination of Late Antiquity. ---- Adis Duderija is an Associate Professor in Islam and Society and Griffith University and a book series editor of a new book series on Islam and Process-Relational Thought (Routledge). URL: https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/allah-quran-intertextuality-architecture-divine/d/137346 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism