About the word 'Lord'

English

The word "lord" in English has several related meanings. The original meaning is "master" or "ruler," and in this sense, it is often used to refer to human beings: "the lord of the mansion" or "Lord So-and-So" (in the United Kingdom, for example).

The word "Lord," with a capital L, is used in the lexicon of Islam to refer to the One and Only God — Allah. In Islam, there is no ambiguity about the meaning of this word. While it is true that one may occasionally use the word "lord" (whether capitalized or not) to refer to a human being, in Islamic discourse, the reference of this term is always clear from the context. Whereas for Christians, Hindus, and other polytheists, the word "Lord," with a capital L, may refer to Allah, to Jesus, or to some imagined deity, for Muslims, there can be no plurality of meaning. Allah alone is the Lord, and the Lord is Allah — not Jesus, not Rama, not any other being.