# أليجا



## Hibou57

Hi, Halo, Coucou,

What is the meaning of أليجا which is sometimes written أليجاه ? It often comes with the name of Muhammad, as in أليجاه محمد or أليجا محمد

I did not found it in my Arabic dictionnary (I have a look searching for the root أ ل ج )

Many thanks dear...


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## Abu Bishr

I think this is reference to the founder of the Nation of Islam movement in the United States, who called himself "Elijah Muhammad". Malcom X used to be a member of his group but later broke away. The current leader, I think, is Louis Farakhan, or something like that who is famous for the "Million Man March".

As for the meaning of "Elijah", here is a wikipedia link that will help you.


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## suma

Very good Abu Bishr  that's it exactly
wow hod did I miss that?


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## Hibou57

Thanks 'Abu Bishr ... do you think it originates from Arabic or does it comes from an other language ? I wonder... it look like something which has been imported and transliterated _(the form of the name is typical of imported names, although this suspicion is not a proof)_. I wonder about the source. Any ideas ?


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## Josh_

Hi Hibou57,

It is originally a Hebrew name.  You can check the web page Abu Bishr linked to for more information.


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## Hibou57

Josh Adkins said:


> Hi Hibou57,
> 
> It is originally a Hebrew name. You can check the web page Abu Bishr linked to for more information.


I saw this page, even before Abu Bishr gave it, but I didn't saw where it is tell this is an Hebrew name... it is only said that some Hebrews got this name.

But if you are right, I may look at a semitic root dictionnary, no at a arabic dictionnary.

You're all nice


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## cherine

Hibou57 said:


> I saw this page, even before Abu Bishr gave it, but I didn't see where it is tell this is an Hebrew name


Salut Hibou,


			
				Wiki said:
			
		

> Elijah (*אֱלִיָּהוּ* "Whose/my God is the Lord", Standard Hebrew Eliyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔliyyāhû)


I thought it was clear with the Hebrew transcribtion and the translations of the name that it was an Hebrew name.


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## elroy

Yes.  Since my own name is a variation of the same name , I can confirm that it's Hebrew.  It means "the Lord is my God."

El - God
i - my 
ja (/ya/) - Lord (in abbreviated form)


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## Hibou57

cherine said:


> Salut Hibou,
> 
> I thought it was clear with the Hebrew transcribtion and the translations of the name that it was an Hebrew name.


Salam alayki Chérine.... forgive me for having been a bit foolish... I have though interpreting this sentence as meaning that the Hebrew Eliyyahu was the same as the Arabic Elija was perhaps a too much quick shortcut.

_P.S. Thanks too for the English mistake correction _



			
				Elroy said:
			
		

> Yes. Since my own name is a variation of the same name , I can confirm that it's Hebrew. It means "the Lord is my God."
> 
> El - God
> i - my
> ja (/ya/) - Lord (in abbreviated form)


You're wonderful Elroy, I love you friendly  What a beautiful nice confirmation 


hummmm.... may I abuse with another question ? .... Elija has two spelling : one with an ending Ha, and one without. Are those two spellings equaly lemitimes, or is one of the two a preferred spelling ? _(I suppose the meaning does not change with those two spellings...)_


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## elroy

!خجلتني يا هيبو

Are we talking about English?

The standard spelling in English is "Elijah."  "Elija" may be a variation, but I'm not aware of it.


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## cherine

Hibou57 said:


> Salam alayki Chérine.... forgive me for having been a bit foolish... I have though interpreting this sentence as meaning that the Hebrew Eliyyahu was the same as the Arabic Elija was perhaps a too much quick shortcut.


Salam Hibou,
You haven't been foolish at all. I think we're only having a little misunderstanding : What I'm saying is that Elija is *not* an Arabic word. It's Hebrew. Elija Mohammed chose that name for himself, but this doesn't mean the whole name is Arabic, only Mohammed is; while Elija is an Hebrew name.
The Arabic name for Elija is Elias.

I hope this time I'm clear  sorry if I wasn't clear enough in my past posts.


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## elroy

cherine said:


> The Arabic name for Elija is Elias.


 Well, not quite.

The Arabic version of "Elijah" is "Iliyya."  "Elias" is the Greek version that is also used in the Arab world.  The origin of the name is still Hebrew.


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## linguist786

That's strange. My father's name is Ilyas (spelt like that or in arabic إلياس) and I'm pretty sure it's a Muslim name. Ilyaas was the name of a Prophet and his name is even mentioned in the Holy Qur'aan 

وزكريا ويحيى وعيسى وإلياس. كل من الصالحين
Sorry I don't have the reference but it's in Surah al-a'raaf..


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## elroy

I don't know if it's a Muslim name but what I do know is that it's not of Arabic origin.

Among Palestinians it's considered a Christian name.


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## cherine

elroy said:


> The Arabic version of "Elijah" is "Iliyya." "Elias" is the Greek version that is also used in the Arab world. The origin of the name is still Hebrew.


Sorry about the mistake. I meant to say that Elijah is not used as an Arabic, nor arabized, word; while Elias -the Greek version- is the arabized form, that's used in the Arab world and, as said by Linguist, in the Qur'an too.


linguist786 said:


> That's strange. My father's name is Ilyas (spelt like that or in arabic إلياس) and I'm pretty sure it's a Muslim name. Ilyaas was the name of a Prophet and his name is even mentioned in the Holy Qur'aan


As I said it's the form or version used in the Arabic language and in the Arab and Muslim worlds.


elroy said:


> I don't know if it's a Muslim name but what I do know is that it's not of Arabic origin.
> Among Palestinians it's considered a Christian name.


It's rarely used in Egypt, and I think most -if not all- Elias's in Egypt are Christians too.
Why is it considered Muslim? For a simple reason : Islam respects all the prophets of the Book. This is why we see muslim guys named Ibrahim, Dawood, Is7aaq...


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## elroy

cherine said:


> I meant to say that Elijah is not used as an Arabic, nor arabized, word


 But what about "Iliyya"? That would be the Arabized version of "Elijah," just as "Ilyas" is the Arabized version of "Elias." Certainly you've heard of Iliyya Abu Madi.


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## cherine

elroy said:


> But what about "Iliyya"? That would be the Arabized version of "Elijah," just as "Ilyas" is the Arabized version of "Elias." Certainly you've heard of Iliyya Abu Madi.


Of course, both Elias إلياس and Iliyya إليا are used in Arabic, both are arabized form of the Hebrew name. I don't think there are many Elijah(s) in the Arab world, but there are many Elias(s) and Eliyya(s).
It's like Yousef for Joseph, Ya7ya and Yu7anna for John, Muusa for Moses.... All Yoused, Ya7ya/Yu7anna, Muusa... are not considered Arabic names; they are the arabized form of Hebrew names.


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## elroy

Glad we're on the same page now.


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## MarcB

linguist786 said:


> That's strange. My father's name is Ilyas (spelt like that or in arabic إلياس) and I'm pretty sure it's a Muslim name. Ilyaas was the name of a Prophet and his name is even mentioned in the Holy Qur'aan
> 
> وزكريا ويحيى وعيسى وإلياس. كل من الصالحين
> Sorry I don't have the reference but it's in Surah al-a'raaf..


سُورَة الأَنعَام6:85​


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