Quranic Terminology: The Difference between the Terms (Al-Alameen) and (Al-Alimeen)
Published in December 11, 2019
Translated by: Ahmed Fathy
Firstly: about the Quranic term Al-Alameen:
Introductory points:
1- It literally means (the realms/worlds); i.e., the realms of the (non)human and (in)animate creatures created by the Lord God the Creator of the universe.
2- As per the context at hand, this Quranic term might refer to all realms/worlds of the Lord God's creatures without exception or only to some of these realms.
3- This all-encompassing Quranic term (Al-Alameen) asserts all (in)animate creatures within the universe in general (e.g., the heavens, the earth, the metaphysical levels of Barsakh, galaxies, nuclei, insects, jinn, human beings, germs, angels, and devils) in contrast to, or juxtaposed with, their Creator: the Dominant Lord Allah.
4- In some Quranic contexts, the term (Al-Alameen) means some people (or a group of persons) in a certain location and within a given era.
5- We provide more details in the points below, hoping that such details may be pondered by those polytheists who deify Muhammad and Jesus.
The comprehensive, umbrella term (Al-Alameen) means everyone and everything within the sphere of creation:
Allah is the Lord God the Creator of everything in the universe; He originated everything out of nothing; everything and everyone He created has a beginning and an end; Allah grants for everything and everyone the provisions to live and thrive until they die in the predetermined time for each of them. Hence, the term (Al-Alameen) means all beings except the Divine Being: the Lord God. Hence, it is foolishness to adhere to the polytheism of deifying mortals/things/items; there are no gods/deities besides Allah the Lord of the worlds. Allah is the Lord God of Al-Alameen (the worlds), as per the following Quranic verses.
1- "Do they worship within polytheism those who create nothing, and are themselves created?" (7:191).
2- "Is He who creates like him who does not create? Will you not take a lesson?" (16:17).
3- "Those they invoke besides God create nothing, but are themselves created." (16:20).
4- "And yet, instead of Him, they produce for themselves gods that create nothing, but are themselves created; that have no power to harm or benefit themselves; and no power over life, death, or resurrection." (25:3).
5- The Lord of the realms/worlds creates new creatures all the time and we can never know all of these creatures; such knowledge pertains exclusively to Allah the Creator: "...And He creates what you do not know." (16:8); "Would He not know, He Who created? He is the Refined, the Expert." (67:14); "...Is not God aware of what is inside the hearts of the worlds?" (29:10).
6- Since Allah is the Lord of the worlds (or Al-Alameen), it is foolish to adhere to polytheism by deifying mortals: Muhammad, Jesus, Hussein, Buddha,...etc. The Lord of the worlds, Who is the Only One deserving deification, sanctification, and worship, says the following in the Holy Quran: "Say, “Do you reject the One who created the earth in two days? And you attribute equals to Him? That is the Lord of the realms.”" (41:9); "Your Lord is God; He who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself on the Throne. The night overtakes the day, as it pursues it persistently; and the sun, and the moon, and the stars are subservient by His command. His is the creation, and His is the command. Blessed is God, Lord of all beings." (7:54); "It is God who made the earth a habitat for you, and the sky a structure. And He designed you, and designed you well; and He provided you with the good things. Such is God, your Lord; so Blessed is God, Lord of the worlds." (40:64).
7- Allah the Lord of the worlds is the One, True God Who is to be glorified and praised: "Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds." (1:1); "And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds." (37:182); "Praise belongs to God; Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, Lord of the worlds." (45:36); "He is the Living One. There is no God except He. So pray to Him, devoting your religion to Him. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds." (40:65).
8- This is about the destruction of the unjust ones among the ancient nations inflicted by the Lord God: "Thus the last remnant of the unjust people was cut off. And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds." (6:45).
9- This is about the Last Day after the losers are made to enter into Hell and the winners are made to enter into Paradise: "And you will see the angels hovering around the Throne, glorifying their Lord with praise. And it will be judged between them equitably, and it will be said, “Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds.”" (39:75).
10- This is about the Paradise dwellers: "Their call therein is, “Glory be to You, our God.” And their greeting therein is, “Peace.” And the last of their call is, “Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds.”" (10:10).
11- The Lord God is the Only One who deserves being glorified as the Giver of bounties to everyone and everything in the universe: "...Were it not for God restraining the people, some by means of others, the earth would have gone to ruin. But God is gracious towards the worlds." (2:251); this is in the context of the Quranic story of Moses at Mount Al-Tur, in Sinai, Egypt: "Then, when he reached it, he was called: “Blessed is He who is within the fire, and He who is around it, and glorified be God, Lord of the worlds." (27:8).
12- Allah is the God/Lord of the worlds and He is Independent of all beings: "...But as for those who disbelieve - God is Independent of the worlds." (3:97); "Whoever strives, strives only for himself. God is Independent of the beings." (29:6). Allah never desires any injustice towards anyone in the worlds; any unjust law does not pertain to Him: "These are the Verses of God. We read them to you in Truth. God desires no injustice for the worlds." (3:108).
13- True Muslims/submitters submit willingly to the Lord God's Quranic commands and they obey them.
13/1: This is about Abraham: "When his Lord said to him, “Submit!” He said, “I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.”" (2:131).
13/2: Abraham said the following to his people about their idols/deities: "They are enemies to me, but not so the Lord of the worlds." (26:77).
13/3: Abraham said the following to his people about the Lord of the worlds: "So what is your opinion about the Lord of the worlds?”" (37:87).
13/4: This is about the Queen of Sheba when she converted to Islam/monotheism: "It was said to her, “Go inside the palace.” And when she saw it, she thought it was a deep pond, and she bared her legs. He said, “It is a palace paved with glass.” She said, “My Lord, I have done wrong to myself, and I have submitted with Solomon, to God, Lord of the worlds.”" (27:44).
13/5: This is about the magicians of Pharaoh when they converted to Islam/monotheism inside the palace of the self-deified Moses' Pharaoh without fearing his terrible punishment: "They said, “We have believed in the Lord of the worlds.”" (7:121 + 26:47).
13/6: The Lord of the worlds has commanded Muhammad to say the following: "Say, “I was prohibited from worshiping those you invoke besides God, now that clear verses have come to me from my Lord; and I was commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.”" (40:66); "Say, “My prayer and my worship, and my life and my death, are devoted to God, the Lord of the worlds." (6:162); "Say, “Shall we invoke besides God something that can neither benefit us nor harm us, and turn back on our heels after God has guided us; like someone seduced by the devils and confused on earth, who has friends calling him to guidance: 'Come to us'?” Say, “The guidance of God is the guidance, and we are commanded to surrender to the Lord of the worlds.”" (6:71).
14- Hence, the human beings choose monotheism (to believe in Allah as the One Lord and Only God without any other gods) or polytheism willingly and the Divine Will asserts their choices: "But you cannot will, unless God wills - The Lord of the worlds." (81:29). Inside Hell, sinners will say the following to their false, misguiding deities: "They will say, as they feud in it. “By God, We were in evident error. For equating you with the Lord of the worlds." (26:96-98).
15- The good son of Adam said the following, about fearing the Lord of the worlds, to his sinful brother who killed him later on: "“If you extend your hand to kill me, I will not extend my hand to kill you; for I fear God, Lord of the worlds.”" (5:28). Satan says the following to human beings deceived by his temptations and whispers as he disowns them: "Like the Devil, when he says to the human being, “Disbelieve.” But when he has disbelieved, he says, “I am innocent of you; I fear God, the Lord of the worlds.”" (59:16).
16- Allah, the God/Lord of the worlds/realms, is the One Who sent messengers/prophets to people.
16/1: This following verse is within the Quranic story of Noah: "He said, “O my people, I am not in error, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds.”" (7:61).
16/2: This following verse is within the Quranic story of Hud: "He said, “O my people! There is no foolishness in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds." (7:67).
16/3: The following verses are within the Quranic story of Moses: "When he reached it, he was called from the right side of the valley, at the Blessed Spot, from the Bush: “O Moses, it is I, God, the Lord of the worlds." (28:30); "We sent Moses with Our Verses...He said, “I am the messenger of the Lord of the worlds.”" (43:46); "Moses said, “O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds.”" (7:104); "Go to Pharaoh, and say, ‘We are the messengers of the Lord of the worlds." (26:16); "Pharaoh said, “And what is the Lord of the worlds?” He said, “The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them, if you are aware.”" (26:23-24).
17- Each of the Lord God's messengers/prophets announced to their peoples that they never seek wages/payment or rewards from them as God the Lord of the worlds will reward them: "I ask of you no reward for this. My reward is only from the Lord of the worlds." (26:109, 26:127, 26:145, 26:164, and 26:180).
18- Allah is the Lord of the worlds Who has revealed the Divine Books (i.e., the Celestial Scriptures); we read these verses about the Holy Quran itself: "This Quran could not have been produced by anyone other than God. In fact, it is a confirmation of what preceded it, and an elaboration of the Book. There is no doubt about it - it is from the Lord of the worlds." (10:37); "The revelation of the Book, without a doubt, is from the Lord of the worlds." (32:2); "A revelation from the Lord of the worlds." (56:80 + 69:43); "It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds." (26:192).
19- All human beings will be made to stand before Allah, the Lord of the worlds, on the Day of the Resurrection: "The Day when the humankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?" (83:6).
The term (Al-Alameen) when it refers to some (groups of) human beings and not everyone or all humanity:
1- The pilgrimage to the Kaaba is for peaceful people and not all people: "The first house established for humankind is the one at Bacca; blessed, and guidance for all people/Al-Alameen." (3:96). This means not every single human being until the end of days will make the journey to perform pilgrimage in Mecca.
2- These verses are about the Holy Quran itself; yet, they do not include people who lived and died before the revelation of the Quran in the 7th century A.D.: "But it is no less than a reminder to the worlds." (68:52); "Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant, to be a warning to the worlds." (25:1); "We did not send you except as mercy to the worlds." (21:107); "...Say, “I ask of you no reward for it; it is just a reminder for the worlds.”" (6:90); "You ask them no wages for it. It is only a reminder for the worlds." (12:104); "It is but a reminder to the worlds." (38:87 + 81:27).
3- The term (Al-Alameen) here describes some people in a certain region on earth and not about other people in other regions and not about (in)animate non-human creatures in the heavens and the earth: "And We delivered him, and Lot, to the land that We blessed for the worlds." (21:71).
4- This is about Mary and Jesus, but this has nothing to do with people who lived and died before Jesus was born: "And she who guarded her virginity. We breathed into her of Our spirit, and made her and her son a sign to the worlds." (21:91).
5- Within the story of Noah and his Ark, these two verses do not include people who lived and died before the era of Noah or non-human creatures in the heavens and the earth in all eras: "But We saved him, together with the company of the Ark, and We made it a sign for the worlds." (29:15); "Peace be upon Noah among the worlds." (37:79).
6- The following verses are about the Lord God's preferring some messengers to the others; this has nothing to do with other (non)human creatures in the heavens and the earth: "And Ishmael, and Elijah, and Jonah, and Lot - We favored each one of them over the worlds." (6:86); "God chose Adam, and Noah, and the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran, over the worlds." (3:33). This is about Mary, preferred and chosen from among all women: "The angels said, “O Mary, God has chosen you, and has purified you. He has chosen you over all the women of the worlds." (3:42).
7- In the same vein, the following verses are about the Israelites: "O Israelites! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you, and that I favored you over the worlds." (2:47 + 2:122); "He said, “Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah, when He has favored you over the worlds?”" (7:140); "And We chose them knowingly over the worlds." (44:32); "We gave the Israelites the Book, and wisdom, and prophecy; and We provided them with the good things; and We gave them advantage over the worlds." (45:16). This is about factors leading to being chosen or preferred from among people: "When Moses said to his people, “O my people, remember God’s blessings upon you, when He placed prophets among you, and made you kings, and gave you what He never gave any of the worlds.”" (5:20).
8- In case of disobeying the Lord God and never living up to the responsibility of being preferred by Him, the disobeying sinners among the Israelites deserve being insulted and likened to animals: "Say, “Shall I inform you of worse than that for retribution from God? He whom God has cursed, and with whom He became angry; and He turned some of them into apes, and swine, and Taghut worshipers. These are in a worse position, and further away from the right way.”" (5:60); "And you surely knew those of you who violated the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be despicable apes!”" (2:65); "Then, when they rebelled against the commands to refrain, We said to them, “Be despicable apes.”" (7:166). This is the response of the Lord of the worlds to the Israelites who demanded from Jesus that Allah would descend a table of food upon them from heaven: "God said, “I will send it down to you. But whoever among you disbelieves thereafter, I will torment him with a torment the like of which I never torment any other beings/Al-Alameen.”" (5:115).
9- Likewise, for Quran-believing people, being chosen or preferred is linked to certain conditions: "You are the best community that ever emerged for humanity: you advocate what is moral, and forbid what is immoral, and believe in God. Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are the believers, but most of them are sinners." (3:110). When the Muhammadans abandoned the Holy Quran, they have become the worst community/Umma that ever emerged to people on earth; these two Quranic verses apply to the polytheistic Muhammadans: "Or do you assume that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle, but even more errant in their way." (25:44); "We have destined for Hell multitudes of jinn and humans. They have hearts with which they do not understand. They have eyes with which they do not see. They have ears with which they do not hear. These are like cattle. In fact, they are further astray. These are the heedless." (7:179).
10- The following verses come within the Quranic story of Lot; the term (Al-Alameen) here is confined to the people who lived during the era of Lot: "And Lot, when he said to his people, “Do you commit an immorality no people/Al-Alameen anywhere have ever committed before you?”" (7:80); "And Lot, when he said to his people, “You are committing an obscenity not perpetrated before you by any people/Al-Alameen." (29:28); "Do you approach the males of the worlds/Al-Alameen? And forsake the wives your Lord created for you? Indeed, you are tyrants.”" (26:165-166); "They said, “Did we not forbid you from the other people/Al-Alameen?”" (15:70).
Secondly: about the Quranic term Al-Alimeen or ulema:
It means the knowledgeable ones or ulema/ulama (i.e., scholars); this is exemplified in the following Quranic verses:
1- "Is it not a sign for them that the scholars of the of the Israelites recognized it? " (26:197).
2- "...From among His servants, the knowledgeable fear God..." (35:28).
3- "These examples - We put them forward to the people; but none grasps them except the knowledgeable." (29:43).
4- "And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colors. In this are signs for those learned ones." (30:22).
5- This is within the Quranic story of Joseph: "They said, “Jumbles of dreams, and we not knowledgeable about the interpretation of dreams.”" (12:44).
6- This is within the Quranic story of Abraham: "We gave Abraham his guidance formerly, and We are Knowledgeable about him." (21:51).
7- This is within the Quranic story of Solomon: "And to Solomon the stormy wind, blowing at His command towards the land that We have blessed. We are Knowledgeable about everything." (21:81).