The understanding and the use of the term Allah as a term for God in translations of the Bible and the Qur’an with specific reference to the Talysh speakers of Azerbaijan

Abstract

The term Allah is a term that quite often evokes strong negative emotions in the Western world. Since both the Bible and the Qur’an are being translated into Talysh, it is worth evaluating what term to use for God, and whether it would have a negative effect or not to use the term Allah in these translations. Suggestions are made from a Western point of view that Tanrı, a Turkish term for God, would be a better term touse than Allah, as the term for the word God in translations of the Bible. The Qur’an aswell as some Bible translations use the term Allah, which is one of the most common terms for God in the greater Turkic-speaking world in several languages. Should the Talysh Bible translation follow suit to make the translation culturally more acceptable?