الله صالح
Allah salih
To say 'God is good' in Arabic, you use الله صالح (Allah salih).
The phrase الله صالح is a statement of faith expressing that God is benevolent and morally perfect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the phrase ربنا كويس is used to mean 'Our God is good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase الله صالح, the subject Allah is followed directly by the adjective salih to form a nominal sentence. This structure functions as 'God is good' without needing an explicit word for 'is'.
How do you pronounce it?
Allah salih
When do people say it?
While الله صالح is a theological statement, Arabic speakers typically use the phrase الحمد لله (Alhamdulillah, meaning 'Praise be to God') when expressing gratitude for God's goodness in daily conversation.
Did you know?
- The word الله may have originally included an extra letter 'l' specifically to emphasize that this deity is distinct from all others.
- The word صالح is also used in Arabic to describe a 'righteous' person or a 'valid' contract.
- The adjective صالح in the phrase الله صالح does not just mean 'good' in a moral sense, but also carries the meaning of being 'sound', 'whole' or 'proper'.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Layla are talking about their faith.
- أحمد Ahmedكيف تشعرين تجاه الحياة يا ليلى؟Kayfa tash'ureena tujaha al-hayat ya Layla?How do you feel about life, Layla?
- ليلى Laylaأشعر بالسلام لأن الله صالح.Ash'uru bi-salam li'anna Allah salih.I feel peace because God is good.
- أحمد Ahmedهذا صحيح، إيماننا يمنحنا القوة.Hadha sahih, imanuna yamnahuna al-quwwa.That is true, our faith gives us strength.
- ليلى Laylaنعم، الحمد لله على كل شيء.Na'am, al-hamdu lillah 'ala kull shay.Yes, praise be to God for everything.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries الله, صالح, CC BY-SA 4.0.
