only “There exists no god except the one whom you already call Allah’ ” (Hastings, p. 326, emphasis mine). “Islam owes the term ‘Allah’ to the heathen Arabs … Muhammad did not find it necessary to introduce an altogether novel deity but contented himself of ridding the heathen Allah of his companions [known as the daughters of Allah] … Had he not been accustomed from his youth to the idea of Allah as the supreme god in particular in Mecca, it may all be doubted whether he would have come forward as a