اللهم

Arabic

Etymology

Extended form of الله (allāh). The origin of the ـُمَّ (-umma) is unknown. Most likely, it is a fossilized remnant of a vocative particle—akin to the very common vocative particle يا (yā)—which would have been productive in earlier Arabic. While a vocative suffix of ـُمَّ (-umma) is not attested in any other extant Arabic word, such a suffix did exist in other ancient Semitic languages such as Ugaritic and carried a vocative meaning (both the equivalents of Arabic يا (yā) and ـُمَّ (-umma) existed as ways to form the vocative in Ugaritic).

Other theories include a connection with مَا (mā), or a borrowing from Hebrew אלוהים (elohim), where the final -m is a majestic plural ending. The form is first attested in the Quran (3:26, 5:114, 8:32, 10:10, 39:46). Classical Arabic philologists in the medieval period often also struggled to determine the word’s etymology, with some, including Sibawayh, suggesting it came from a fusion of الله أُمَّـ (allāh ʔumma-), shortened from يَا أَللّٰهُ أُمَّنَا بِخَيْرٍ (yā ʔallāhu ʔummanā biḵayrin, “O God, lead us in goodness”).

(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaɫ.ɫaː.hum.ma/

Interjection

اَللّٰهُمَّ • (allāhumma)

1. O God; vocative form of الله (allāh) used in invocations, oaths, etc.
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 3:26:

     قُلِ ٱللّٰهُمَّ مَالِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي ٱلْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

     quli llāhumma mālika l-mulki tuʔtī l-mulka man tašāʔu wa-tanziʕu l-mulka mimman tašāʔu wa-tuʕizzu man tašāʔu wa-tuḏillu man tašāʔu bi-yadika l-ḵayru ʔinnaka ʕalā kulli šayʔin qadīrun

     O God, Lord of all dominion! Thou grantest dominion unto whom Thou willest, and takest away dominion from whom Thou willest and abasest whom Thou willest. In Thy hand is all good. Verily, Thou hast the power to will anything.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 8:32:

     وَإِذْ قَالُوا ٱللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هٰذَا هُوَ ٱلْحَقَّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاءِ أَوِ ٱئْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

     wa-ʔiḏ qālū llāhumma ʔin kāna hāḏā huwa l-ḥaqqa min ʕindika fa-ʔamṭir ʕalaynā ḥijāratan mina s-samāʔi ʔawi ʔtinā bi-ʕaḏābin ʔalīmin

     And, lo, they would say, "O God! If this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones from the skies, or inflict grievous suffering on us!"

Related terms

• يَا أَللّٰهُ (yā ʔallāhu, “O God”)

Ottoman Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɫɫahɯm/
• IPA^(key): /aɫɫam/

Noun

اللّهم • (Allahım)

1. Is the first-person singular possessive form of الله (“my God”) with the suffix ـم and at the same time the Arabic vocative form اللهم (“O God!”).