When “god” is used for other than God in Quran

In English, there is no distinction between the words “god” with a lowercase “g” and “God” with a capital “G.” Yet, this is not the case in Arabic. In Arabic, the word for “god” with a lowercase “g” is “إله” (ilah). In Arabic, “ilah” signifies a being that is worshiped, irrespective of whether it is truly worthy of worship. It could also apply to anything people might hold in a status that rivals God. Alternatively, the word for “God” in Arabic is “الله” (Allah). This term refers specifically to “God“—the one and only true entity worthy of worship in the Quran. This distinction is most clearly spelled out in the Shahadah as mentioned in the Quran:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ
La ilaha illa Allah
There is no god but Allah

Arabic	Transliteration	English Translation
لَا	La	No
إِلَٰهَ	Ilaha	god
إِلَّا	Illa	except
ٱللَّٰهُ	Allah	God

In the Arabic Quran, the use of “ilah” and “Allah” is carefully chosen to differentiate between the possible false gods worshiped by different communities and the one true God. The objective of a submitter is to recognize God alone as the only true god and reject the idea of any other gods besides Him.

[2:163] Your god is one god; there is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(١٦٣) وَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

1	wa-ilāhukum	وَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ	And your god (is)
2	ilāhun	إِلَـٰهٌ	god
3	wāḥidun	وَٰحِدٌ	one / only;
4	lā	لَّآ	(there is) no
5	ilāha	إِلَـٰهَ	god
6	illā	إِلَّا	except
7	huwa	هُوَ	Him,
8	l-raḥmānu	ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ	Most Gracious,
9	l-raḥīmu	ٱلرَّحِيمُ	Most Merciful.

Yet, God created this world where individuals can freely choose if they want to have God as their only god or if they wish to select some other entity as god. The fact is that if anyone equates another god in place of God or sets up another god as a rival to God, then they are following the path of Satan.

[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy?

 أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

The reason is that in this world, God granted Satan permission to attempt to entice people to his view of setting up another god besides God.

[17:62] He (Satan) said, “Since You have honored him over me, if You respite me till the Day of Resurrection, I will possess all his descendants, except a few.”
[17:63] He (God) said, “Then go; you and those who follow you will end up in Hell as your requital; an equitable requital.
[17:64] “You may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion.
[17:65] “As for My servants, you have no power over them.” Your Lord suffices as an advocate.

 قَالَ أَرَءَيْتَكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كَرَّمْتَ عَلَىَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

 قَالَ ٱذْهَبْ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمْ جَزَآءً مَّوْفُورًا

 وَٱسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ وَعِدْهُمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا

إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا

This world operates as a halfway house where individuals can choose who or what they want to worship as a god. The believers will only choose God as their only god, yet Satan will convince the masses to take another god beside God. The Quran has numerous examples of other entities people have taken as gods besides God.

statues as a god

[6:74] Recall that Abraham said to his father Ãzer, “How could you worship statues as gods? I see that you and your people have gone far astray.”

 وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ ءَازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا ءَالِهَةً إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

[7:138] We delivered the Children of Israel across the sea. When they passed by people who were worshiping statues, they said, “O Moses, make a god for us, like the gods they have.” He said, “Indeed, you are ignorant people.

 وَجَـٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ

The Sculpted Calf as a god

[20:88] He (the Samarian) produced for them a sculpted calf, complete with a calf’s sound. They said, “This is your god, and the god of Moses.” Thus, he forgot.

 فَأَخْرَجَ لَهُمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُۥ خُوَارٌ فَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ وَإِلَـٰهُ مُوسَىٰ فَنَسِىَ

[20:97] He said, “Then go, and, throughout your life, do not even come close. You have an appointed time (for your final judgment) that you can never evade. Look at your god that you used to worship; we will burn it and throw it into the sea, to stay down there forever.”

 قَالَ فَٱذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ أَن تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّن تُخْلَفَهُۥ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِكَ ٱلَّذِى ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ نَسْفًا

Messengers as a god

[21:29] If any of them claims to be a god beside Him, we requite him with Hell; we thus requite the wicked.

(٢٩) وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّىٓ إِلَـٰهٌ مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

Ego as a god

[25:43] Have you seen the one whose god is his own ego? Will you be his advocate?

 أَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا

[45:23] Have you noted the one whose god is his ego? Consequently, GOD sends him astray, despite his knowledge, seals his hearing and his mind, and places a veil on his eyes. Who then can guide him, after such a decision by GOD? Would you not take heed?

 أَفَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِۦ وَقَلْبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَـٰوَةً فَمَن يَهْدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

Pharoah as god

[26:29] He said, “If you accept any god, other than me, I will throw you in the prison.”

 قَالَ لَئِنِ ٱتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـٰهًا غَيْرِى لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْمَسْجُونِينَ

[28:38] Pharaoh said, “O you elders, I have not known of any god for you other than me. Therefore, fire the adobe, O Hãmãn, in order to build a tower, that I may take a look at the god of Moses. I am sure that he is a liar.”

 وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرِى فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَـٰهَـٰمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجْعَل لِّى صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ

Turning gods into god

[38:5] “Did he make the gods into one god? This is really strange.”

 أَجَعَلَ ٱلْـَٔالِهَةَ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عُجَابٌ

[50:26] He set up besides GOD another god. Throw him into severe retribution.

 ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَأَلْقِيَاهُ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلشَّدِيدِ

Mary & Jesus as gods

[5:116] GOD will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Make me and my mother gods beside GOD’?” He will say, “Be You glorified. I could not utter what was not right. Had I said it, You already would have known it. You know my thoughts, and I do not know Your thoughts. You know all the secrets.

 وَإِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ قَالَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُۥ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُۥ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِى وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ