God in Awe and Intimacy: Jewish and Muslim Perspectives on Understanding and Pronouncing the Name(s) of God and its Relation to the Humanitarian Crisis

: The concept of God is essential for both Jews and Muslims. Instead of using the terms Judaism and Islam, this study considers the terms Jews/Jewish and Muslims as more proper to focus on human beings as the subject of religion who are open to dialogue and change. Loving God’ s creations is a process of loving the Creator. Thus, this study tries to connect Jewish and Muslim understanding and belief in God’ s Names and its implications for their actions concerning the humanitarian crisis, especially today’ s Israel-Palestine relationship. This study applies the content and comparative analysis of the texts (documents, videos, and pictures) related to the issue, along with the teachings of Isaac Luria and Mulla Sadra. In addition, a phenomenological approach is also used as it leads to an effort to understand religious thought and behavior from the point of view of the religious person. This study revealed that how humans understand Divine Names is manifested in how they treat each other. As human beings are the best manifestation of God, how we see, treat, and interact with others re flects our understanding of God’s names and vice versa. God’ s names are all beautiful. Therefore, those who believe in God will do good to themselves, others, and the universe. Contribution: This study provides insight into a correlation between one’ s beliefs and actions among Jews and Muslims. One’s actions reflect one’ s understanding of God and vice versa. Also, how we can try to stay physically, mentally and spiritually strong amidst the happening conflicts and chaos through the reflection on the topic.


Introduction
The concept of God is essential for both Jews and Muslims.One cannot be a Muslim without believing in God.In Judaism, one is Jewish if one's mother is Jewish or if one converts to Judaism, but belief in God is also central to Judaism.Whether or not Jews and Muslims are referring to the same God has long been a matter of discussion in religious studies; however, this research will not focus on the Muslims' and Jews' views on Who God is.Instead, how each faith tradition's believers refer to the Divine Name of God in Whom they believe and the implications and reflections from the approaches.
Both Jews and Muslims agree that all believers should be living their lives purposefully and in accordance with their beliefs in God.Everything that human beings do has intention and reason.What intentions and reasons inform how Jewish and Muslim people speak about the divine name of God Who is the Source of their life?Can their intentions and reasons for referring to God's Name relate to their engagement with others?Furthermore, in this present world, where there are a lot of devilish events triggered by the so-called religious people, does that mean that religion and God Himself are bad?Just because someone claims themselves as a believer does not mean they are true believers.God is always right, but our understanding and expressions towards Him are diverse.So, declining the fact that devilish behavior has a religion might not be suitable in this regard.People might want to believe in God and express it in different ways, which, unfortunately, are dangerous for others and even themselves.
Meanwhile, the Israel-Palestine conflict, if we think that this is a religionbased conflict, is also actual.However, the fact that Israel, or more precisely, Zionists, wants to establish a Jewish state by eliminating any other faiths, not only Muslims but also Christians and even pro-Palestine Jewish, proves that this conflict is actually beyond religion.The occupation is driven by several factors: political, social, historical, economic, ethnic, etc.
On April 10, 2015, at a conference entitled "The Israel Lobby: Is it Good for the U.S.? Is it Good for Israel?"Gideon Levy, a well-known Israeli journalist and author, avowed: "I will just give the three principles that enabled us Israelis to live so easily with this brutal reality.(A).Most Israelis, if not all, deeply believe that we are chosen people.And if we are chosen, we have the right to do whatever we want.(B).There were more brutal and longer occupations in history, even though the Israeli occupation gets to quite a nice record.But there was never in history an occupation in which the occupier presented himself as a victim.Not only the victim but also the only victim around.This also enables any Israeli to live in peace because we are the victims.(C).http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofiaHowever, the third set of values is the most dangerous one.This is the systematic dehumanization of the Palestinians, which enables us Israelis to live in peace with everything because if they are not human beings like us, then there is no question of human rights.And if you scratch under the skin of almost every Israeli, you will find it there.Almost no one will treat the Palestinians as equal human beings like us." 1 Dehumanization can be defined as the perception and treatment of others as less than fully human. 2Initially, it was conceptualized as an extreme phenomenon during major intergroup conflicts, 3 like the one currently happening with Palestine, Sudan, Uyghur, and more.Dehumanization is also understood as the failure to recognize the cognitive and emotional complexities of the people around us.While its presence has been well documented in horrific acts of violence, it can also take form in humans' daily actions. 4any people try to investigate the factors that might increase humanity's values and thus decrease the negative implications of dehumanization.Many will agree that faith in God is vital in countering the causes of dehumanization.It provides fundamental reasons and understanding that we are all God's creation and part of the universe with basic human rights and qualities.
God reveals His Divine Name through revelations.Still, apart from God's revelations, people name God variously, according to their differing understandings.Among the many Divine names revealed through revelation and understood through human capacity, this research focuses more on the Divine Personal Name of YHWH from the Jewish perspective and ALLAH from the Muslim perspective.Through this research, it is hoped that humans' understanding of the beauty of the Divine Names can be actualized in humans' actions, respecting fellow humans as everyone is God's creation, thus preventing the seeds of dehumanization and violence.
To understand how Jews and Muslims view the pronouncing the Name(s) of God, this research also discusses the topic and its implications from the teachings and perspectives of Isaac Luria, an influential thinker of medieval Jewish mysticism, and Mulla Sadra, who is considered a pioneer of interdisciplinary thought in Islamic culture.

Literature Review
The information extracted from the previous research, including the readings and the theoretical perspectives of the issues, acted as guides for and supports the development of this research.There has been much research on this topic, especially on the broader issues of the Name(s) of God.However, previous research mainly concentrated on only one religious tradition's view.When there is more than one religious tradition view, the researchers mainly discuss broader or different topics.Furthermore, the author has not found research that explicitly discusses more than one religious tradition's view on God's Name(s) while elaborating on studying human behavior, especially with humanitarian crises and dehumanization.Thus, the author hopes this can be one of the novelties of this research.
Currently, the author can only find one article that closely discusses the topics of this research.

Method
This research focuses on studying Jewish and Muslim understanding and views of the divine name(s) through written text and its implications for their behavior.Thus, the researcher believes that the documentary method, which http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofiafocuses on the text and phenomenological approach that connects with human behavior, fits this research more.
A broad definition of a document is a 'written text.' Documentary research analyzes documents containing information about the phenomenon we wish to study.Documentary research is a type of research method that involves the systematic investigation and analysis of existing documents or records.These documents can be written, visual, or audio materials, such as books, articles, photographs, videos, and audio recordings.Some documentary research data collection methods used are Systematic Searching which involves conducting a thorough and systematic search of documents to identify relevant information by using keywords, search terms, and other techniques to locate relevant documents; Content Analysis which involves analyzing the content of documents to identify patterns, themes, and other insights; Historical Analysis that consists in analyzing historical documents to understand past events, trends, and cultural contexts with either primary or secondary sources, as well as oral histories and other forms of documentation; Comparative Analysis that involves comparing documents from multiple sources or locations to identify similarities and differences. 6eanwhile, the phenomenological approach used in this research is the approach used to study the commonality in the behaviors of a group of people, namely Jews and Muslims.It also uses observations and documents to construct a universal meaning of experiences and establish an understanding of the phenomenon.The richness of the data obtained in phenomenological research opens up opportunities for further inquiry. 7Furthermore, the data collected through documentary research or phenomenological approach is then processed through three concurrent flows of activity: data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification.While data condensation refers to selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting, and transforming the data that appears in the empirical materials to make the data stronger, a display is an organized,

Results and Discussion
The Divine Name in Jewish Perspective (YHWH)  In Jewish thought, a name is not merely an arbitrary designation or a random combination of letters and sounds.The name conveys its nature and essence.Because a name represents the reputation of the named one, a name should be treated with the same respect as the named one.For this reason, God's Names, in all of their forms, are treated with enormous respect and reverence in Judaism. 9od in Judaism could be referred to using several names and titles as recorded in the Hebrew Bible.Some designations are used in both the generic and the specific sense.Others are used only as the personal name for The God of Israel. 10he Tetragrammaton, the "four-letter" name ‫,)יהוה(‬ is viewed as the 'proper/personal name' for the God of Israel and is used 5.410 times in the Hebrew Bible.The term serves to distinguish God from the gods of other nations, 11  "Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD,12 The God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-has sent me to you.'" The name YHWH occurs repeatedly throughout the book of Genesis, but is only introduced formally, in direct response to Moses' request for it, in Exod.http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofia3:13 at the burning bush theophany as written above.Exodus 6:3 corroborates its unprecedented disclosure to Moses, as follow: ‫ם.‬ ‫ָהֶ‬ ‫ל‬ ‫י‬ ‫תִ‬ ‫עְּ‬ ‫נֹודַ‬ ‫ֹּא‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ָה‬ ‫הו‬ ‫יְּ‬ ‫י‬ ‫מִ‬ ‫ּושְּ‬ ‫י‬ ‫דָ‬ ‫שַ‬ ‫ל‬ ‫אֵּ‬ ‫בְּ‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ֲקֹּ‬ ‫ַע‬ ‫י‬ ‫ל‬ ‫אֶ‬ ‫וְּ‬ ‫ק‬ ‫חָ‬ ‫צְּ‬ ‫יִ‬ ‫ל‬ ‫אֶ‬ ‫ם‬ ‫הָ‬ ‫רָ‬ ‫בְּ‬ ‫אַ‬ ‫ל‬ ‫אֶ‬ ‫א‬ ‫רָ‬ ‫ָאֵּ‬ ‫ו‬ "I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as E-l Shad-dai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name YHWH." After the Temple was destroyed, the prohibition on pronouncing The Name YHWH outside of it caused pronunciation of the Name to fall into disuse.The original pronunciation is uncertain, as this was lost from Jewish tradition sometime in the Middle Ages.Still, the pronunciation of Yahweh has been recovered as the historical name of God and is essential and primarily significant to biblical tradition. 13The term ‫יהוה‬ often appears as "YHWH" in languages that use a Roman lettering system. 14he revelation of the name YHWH to Israel through Moses represented a new and fuller revelation of the personal reality of YHWH.The people of Israel know God by this name; no further qualification or definition is needed.He has revealed himself to Israel by the saving acts of the exodus.The distinctive name ‫יהוה‬ indicates that He is a personal being whose essence and attributes can be shared by no one else. 15s a result, observant Jews do not pronounce the Tetragrammaton, as the name is considered too sacred to be used in prayer and reading sacred texts.Nothing explicitly written in the Torah prohibits the saying of the name; however, even during the time of the First Temple in Jerusalem, the name was pronounced only once a year by the high priest on Yom Kippur.When the temple was destroyed, the name was no longer pronounced.Jews will read the name as Adonai (my lord) or HaShem (The Name). 16he prayer book of Saadia Saadya emphasizes the limitedness of human knowledge in understanding God.He describes three reasons why human nature is limited.First, since humans are finite, their faculties, including the faculty of knowledge, are also finite.Secondly, since humans can obtain knowledge using their faculties, knowledge must be finite.Thirdly, since sense perception is the root of all knowledge, knowledge must be finite. 19Given this, people can obtain only minimal knowledge of God, including His Name, which is infinite.
One of the stories that show how seriously Jews have taken the idea of not pronouncing God's name is written in Avodah Zarah 18a.It states that the Romans brought Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon for judgment because he was found sitting and engaging in Torah study and convening assemblies in public with a Torah scroll in his lap.The Gemara indicates that specific prohibitions do not apply when acting only to acquire knowledge, understand, and teach.But the rabbi was burnt to death because he would pronounce the Name of God in public instead of privately. 20evertheless, Jewish people may understand equally the intention but differ in their reasons for not pronouncing the personal name of God.Some see the name in awe and think of it as too sacred to utter in casual conversation or public; some may be afraid to utter the divine name lest it should cause a dangerous discharge of divine power, for to give a name is both to empower and to exert control. 21hat I understood from the conversation with knowledgeable Jews is that only God Himself knows the real personal name of God.YHWH is not 18 Wout Jac.Van Bekkum, "What's in the Divine Name?Exodus 3 in Biblical and http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofiapronounced since no one knows how to pronounce it. 22Other Hebrew names, like Adonai, El, or Elohim, 23 are pronounced only in prayer or a teaching context.If written on paper, these names are prohibited to be thrown; instead, they must be buried in the ground. 24Further, in casual conversation, some Jews, like Gilana, choose to pronounce the names as Kel or Elokim.

The Divine Name in Muslim Perspective (ALLAH)
The names of God in Muslims' perspective are divided into two categories: the name of the Essence (adh-dhȃt), such as Allȃh, and the names of the Qualities (aṣ-ṣifȃt), such as ar-Raḥȋm (The Most Merciful).The names are referred to as the 99 Most Beautiful Names.The names come from three sources: some have been revealed directly in the Qur'an; others are derived indirectly from specific passages in the Qur'an; and others are traditional but not derived from the Qur'an. 25e Name Allah is often called the supreme name (al-ism al-A'zam), which is not included in the 99 names. 26It appears in the Qur'an 2.697 times.For Muslims, this is the divine name that most indicates the Oneness of God.It can be used only for God.It is not included in any human names (except for those words that reflect God's relationship to humans, for instance, 'Abdullah, 22 Abraham Abulafia states that the actual name of God does not occur in the Pentateuch. The Tetragrammaton is only an allusion to the true name of God.See: Bekkum, "What's in the Divine Name?Exodus 3 in Biblical and Rabbinic Tradition," 14. 23 Elohim is the first Name used for God in scripture.In form, the word is a masculine plural.This Name is used in scripture when emphasizing God's might, His creative power, and his attributes of justice and rulership.Variations on this name include El, Eloah, Elohai (my God), and Eloheynu (our God).See; "The Name of God."/ Torah 101. 24Jews do not casually write any Name of God.The Torah does not prohibit writing the Name of God per se; it only prohibits erasing or defacing a Name of God.However, observant Jews avoid writing any Name of God casually because of the risk that the written Name might later be defaced, obliterated, or destroyed accidentally or by one who does not know better.It is worth noting that this prohibition against erasing or defacing Names of God applies only to Names that are written in some kind of permanent form, and recent rabbinical decisions have held that writing on a computer is not a permanent form, thus it is not a violation to type God's Name into a computer and then backspace over it or cut and paste it, or copy and delete files with God's Name in them.However, the document is printed out, it becomes a permanent form.Normally, Orthodox Jews avoid writing the Name by substituting letters or syllables, for example, writing "G-d" instead of "God."See: "The Name of God." / Torah 101.
The rabbis avowed that their God was both far and near, remarkable and intimate.As the soul fills the body, God's presence pervades the universe.God as Hamakom, the Spacious One, was meant to convey that one could pray in one's heart without uttering a sound and still be heard by God.God was never out of reach.We were immersed in God's ubiquitous presence. 30ifferently, Muslims speak and call the names of Allah anytime as a verbal expression of closeness, unity, and intimacy.Still, at the same time, they also consider the Name of Allah as something sacred and full of awe, a Name that people cannot use in vain for legalizing wrongdoing or false oaths.
Names often carry enormous significance, being inextricably connected to the very nature of that which is named.Hence, to know the name is to know something of the fundamental traits or nature of the name's bearer.31Furthermore, names are bound up with profound experiences of love, respect, and admiration, which they carry, evoke, deepen, and confirm.What they evoke and imply through their suggestive power is much more than the loved and adored one's name, which is the spoken, explicit appellation.Such names are meeting places of trust and intimacy.They are not definitions or concepts but living relationships. 32pairing the World and the Journey with God Talking about the humanitarian crisis and (in)equality, it is hard not to mention the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.It is understood that this research brings out this issue since it also focuses on both Jews and Muslim, the socalled ones responsible for the humanitarian crisis happening now in Palestine.
Never again is never again for everyone.Thus, it is not an exaggeration to say that this Israel-Palestine conflict is a massive problem of inequality, injustice, and humanitarian crisis.However, this is not about Judaism alone.It is about politics and stuff.What is happening is against the teachings of the Torah.The Ten Commandments that work as moral guidelines for Jewish people are all violated by the Israeli Government.Thus, Anti-Semitism has no place in the Free Palestine movement.Hating people because of who they pray to is not a way of believers.Our issue is with the Israeli government and http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofiaZionism, not with Judaism, not with religion.Many of our Jewish brothers and sisters are standing in solidarity with us, getting arrested, protesting, and crying alongside us.Many also struggle to be devoted Jews who follow the commandments to repair the world and restore harmony.Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), also known as the Arizal, is a famous Kabbalist who formulated the Kabbalah into a comprehensive system known as Lurianic Kabbalah.Meanwhile, Arizal himself never wrote any books.However, all his words were faithfully recorded by his foremost disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vittal, and recorded in Kitvei Ari, the "writings of the Arizal." 33His teachings soon dominated Jewish religious life and brought about many changes in the Jewish ritual, some of which continue today. 34uria introduced his mystical system into Jewish religious ceremonies.Every commandment had an esoteric meaning for him.The Sabbath, with all its ceremonies, is looked upon as the embodiment of the divinity in temporal life.Every ceremony performed on that day was considered to influence the spiritual world.Every word, every syllable, of the prescribed prayers contained hidden names of God, upon which one should meditate devoutly while reciting. 35ccording to Isaac Luria, the Torah was the instrument by which man could restore the universe to its original design.By religious deeds and the performance of the commandments of religion, man can contribute to restoring harmony. 36It is said that Lurianic Kabbalah unites Jewish mysticism and Jewish ethics.That unification occurs here in the conception of how humanity can undo the damage done in the Creation through tikkun olam (repairing the world).For Luria and his followers, ethical behavior takes on a new cosmic significance, no matter how seemingly trivial.It is as simple as, for example, if a Jew forgets to say the blessing over bread, meaning he has contributed to universal evil.When someone puts up a mezuzah (doorpost) on the door of his new house, it means that he has helped to redeem the entire world. 37So, is the destruction happening in Palestine now can be considered repairing the world?Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2024   http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofiaThen, facing many discourages and challenges, what should we do to stay physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy and remain optimistic about the world's future amidst this tremendous humanitarian crisis?What should we do to promote the fundamental values of every religious teaching, such as justice, equality, and peace?Understanding and implementing mystical and philosophical teachings introduced by Isaac Luria, as mentioned above, and the ones offered by Mulla Sadra, might help.
The first journey from this world to God provides the seeker with the intellectual principles for understanding philosophy.In this journey, the seeker moves away from diversity and phenomenal deception towards unity and an awareness of the underlying nature of reality.The second journey in God with God is a discourse on the nature of God, the divine attributes, and his famous proof of the existence of God.It is the stage of the mystic's absorption in the divine essence and his effacement of the self.The third journey from God to this world explains the God-world relationship, nature, time and creation, and ontological categories.For the mystic, this is the return to sobriety and a realization of the duties of moral agency in this world.The final journey in this world with God describes human psychology, focusing on soteriology and eschatology.This is the final stage of the mystic's journey, a recognition that everything as a unified whole reflects the ontological unity of the divine and that the realized human recognizes a desire to return to the principle, the one who is the source of being, God. 38urthermore, in several works, he sets out eleven principles of his method that show the relevance of metaphysics to psychology and eschatology.This research chose to discuss the seventh principle since it is in accordance with this topic.The seventh principle states that the body's identity is determined by its soul, not materiality.Human identity remains constant through the eternality of the soul, from its form in the womb to childhood through to old age and into the grave and beyond into the world of the afterlife. 39This can be a http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofiaconsiderable reflection point for us in this era full of discourages, challenges, and conflicts; we should try to rethink who we are and why we are created.What do we want in this life?Is it worth harming others to chase earthly things that one day will have to be left behind?
Thus, it is essential to learn and internalize God's Name(s) so that it is easier for the positive thoughts on God to resurface and float whenever our minds drown with negativities.By remembering and saying God's Name(s), we constantly purify our thoughts about Him.It teaches us to erase our doubts about God or His Plans.
When Allah created Adam, the angels did not understand why Allah created humans who would destroy this earth: "˹Remember˺ when your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to place a successive ˹human˺ authority on earth."They asked ˹Allah˺, "Will You place in it someone who will spread corruption there and shed blood while we glorify Your praises and proclaim Your holiness?"Allah responded, "I know what you do not know."(Al-Baqarah: 30).This shows that having good thoughts about Him and His plans makes it easy for us to be more at peace.On the other hand, doubting God's plans and judgment will only make us feel restless.So trust Him.Trust His plans.There can be no imperfection.There can be no fault.Everything happens for wisdom only He knows of, for He is Al-'Alīm (The All-Knowing) and Al-Ḥakīm (The All-Wise). 40

Conclusion
God is unique to each person.The human naming of God is a matter of how our understanding of God can manifest in our knowledge of God's creation.As I am created in the image of God, so are you, they, and the whole universe.How we consider God's sacredness and intimacy, even through His Name, can manifest in how we see the universe's sacredness and intimacy, actualizing God's manifestations in us properly in our relationship with others and the universe.
Human beings are named as God's most beautiful and perfect creation.As a microcosm, the Divine Names of God are manifested in us.With every imperfection, how humans actualize the divine names decides our creation's perfection.Knowing and understanding the meaning of God's Names can help us navigate our reason for creations and actions.
Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2024   http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofiaBeautiful eyes will only see beautiful things; beautiful hearts will only intend and do lovely things.God is good, so those who believe and love God with His Divine Name(s) will only do good to others and themselves.Our behavior and actions are our most excellent promotion.To promote justice, equality, and peace, we need to manifest the beauty of the Divine Name(s) and live hand in hand together in justice, equality, and peace.
7 Linda A. Bliss, "Phenomenological Research: Inquiry to Understand the Meanings of People's Experiences," Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2024 http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofia Gaon 17 specifically mentions about guarding the name of God: 13 Samuel Rayan, "Naming the Unnamable," in Naming God, ed.Robert P. Scharlemann (New York: Paragon House Publishers, 1985), 8; Byrne, The Names of God in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Basis for Interfaith Dialogue, 22. 14 Byrne, The Names of God in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Basis for Interfaith Dialogue, 22.As far as Your glorious name is concerned, Your name is in accordance with Your praise, in Your name Your people will rejoice, for the sake of Your name You will be lenient, You will bestow honor to Your name, because everyone who knows Your name, it is Your name that is pleasing, the one who guards it will mention it in awe, purity, and holiness, in accordance with Your glory......" 18 is one of the oldest prayer books, dating to around the 900's C.E. Saadia Gaon was a rabbi and philosopher who wrote in Judeo-Arabic (a combination of Hebrew and Arabic).He was born in Egypt and was influenced by Islamic kalam philosophy.Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of IslamicMysticism, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2024http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofia"