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Allah Hoo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Allah Hoo (Arabic: الله هو, romanized: Allāh Hū) is a traditional Islamic Sufi form of dhikr (remembrance of God), consisting of the repeated invocation of the Divine name Allah and Hū, the Qur'anic third-person singular pronoun referring to Allah and widely employed in Sufi devotional practice.[1][2][3] In the Naqshbandi tradition, the litany Allāhu Allāhu Allāhu Ḥaqq ("Truth") is traditionally traced through the order's spiritual lineage (silsila) to Abu Bakr.[4]

Etymology

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The "Hoo" is due to the nominative suffix (i`rab) -u (ḍamma) being pronounced before initial vowel, as the word Allahu is run together several times: Allahu Allahu Allahu is rendered as /al:a:hual:a:hual:a:h/ (compare the phrase Allahu Akbar where the -u is also audible).[5][6] In traditional Sufi chant, the length of the -u is exaggerated.[6] As a noun phrase, the chant is interpreted as meaning "God is".[2] Haqq is the Arabic for "truth", so that the full dhikr translates to "God is. God is. God is Truth."[4]

Qawwali

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Several distinct Urdu-language Sufi devotional qawwalis titled "Allah Hoo" (or Allāh Hū) exist in the qawwali tradition.[7][8][9][10][11] Although they share the same title and the refrain "Allah Hoo", they often differ substantially in their lyrics and musical composition.[12][13][14] Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan composed the qawwali "Allah Hoo" in the early 1970s, which became a staple of his live repertoire in Pakistan; like many of his qawwalis, it was performed for years in spiritual gatherings before official recordings became widely available in the 1980s, after he was signed by Oriental Star Agencies (OSA).[15][16] Live recordings of "Allah Hoo" were commercially released by OSA following his 1985 UK tour, while a studio recording was subsequently issued by the label in 1988.[12][17][18][19][20] The lyrics of Nusrat's "Allah Hoo" comprise traditional Islamic invocations, Sufi devotional poetry, and interpolated verses.[3][4][8][21] The Sabri Brothers recorded a distinct qawwali titled "Allah Hoo" for their 1978 album Qawwali: Sufi Music from Pakistan, which is compositionally and lyrically distinct from Nusrat's.[11][13] Another distinct qawwali titled "Allah Hoo" was recorded by Badar Miandad for his 1994 album Allah Hoo, Vol. 10.[14] Among the various qawwalis bearing this title, Nusrat's is the best known and has been described as one of his signature qawwalis.[22][23][24] Nusrat's "Allah Hoo" has been covered by numerous artists including Faiz Ali Faiz, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Master Saleem, Sher Miandad Khan, Asif Ali Khan Santoo, and the Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali Group.[25][26][27][28][29][30]

Other musical works

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The Islamic refrain and dhikr chant "Allah Hoo" has also been used in numerous Urdu and Punjabi devotional and popular songs, including works by Hans Raj Hans, Javed Bashir, Naseebo Lal, Saieen Zahoor, and Salman Ahmad, formerly of Junoon.[31][32][33][34][35][36] In 2008, during the first season of Coke Studio (Pakistan), "Allah Hu" was performed by Ali Zafar and Saaein Tufail Ahmed.[32][36] In 2012, during the second season of Coke Studio (India), "Allah Hoo" was performed by the Nooran Sisters in a composition by Hitesh Sonik.[37] Sami Yusuf recorded the English-language song "Allahu" for his 2003 album Al-Muʽallim, while the Malaysian Nasheed group Raihan recorded "Allahu" in Urdu and Malay, based on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's qawwali "Allah Hoo."[10][24][38][39].

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Al-Arabi, Shaykh Al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn (2019). The Openings Revealed in Makkah (al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah), (Books 1 & 2). Translated by Winkel, Shuayb Eric. New York: Pir Press Inc. ISBN 978-1945083426.
  2. 1 2 Al-Ghazali, Abu-Ḥamid Muḥammad Ibn-Muḥammad (2016). Invocations and Supplications: Book IX of the Revival of the Religious Sciences. Translated by Winter, Tim (4th ed.). Cambridge: The Islamic Texts Society. ISBN 978-1911141334.
  3. 1 2 Cornell, Vincent J.; Lawrence, Bruce B., eds. (2022). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Islamic Spirituality (1 ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470674208.
  4. 1 2 3 Kabbani, Muhammad Hisham (2003). Classical Islam and the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition. Washington, DC: Islamic Supreme Council of America. ISBN 978-1930409101.
  5. ↑ Haywood, John A.; Nahmad, Hayim M. (1990). A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language (2nd ed.). London: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-0853315858.
  6. 1 2 Chishti, Shaykh Hakim Moinuddin (1985). The Book of Sufi Healing. Rochester: Inner Traditions International Ltd. ISBN 978-0892813247.
  7. ↑ Ruby, Ahmed Aqeel (1992). Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: A Living Legend. Lahore: Words of Wisdom Publishing.
  8. 1 2 Swami, Poorna (2025-06-16). "Our Nusrat". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  9. ↑ Javed, Hiba (2013-08-16). "A Tribute to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan". DESIblitz. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  10. 1 2 Otterbeck, Jonas (2021). The Awakening of Islamic Pop Music. Music and Performance in Muslim Contexts. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-1474490429.
  11. 1 2 Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (1983). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. New York: Random House/Rolling Stone Press. ISBN 978-0394721071.
  12. 1 2 "Allah Hoo, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  13. 1 2 "Qawwali: Sufi Music Of Pakistan, The Sabri Brothers". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  14. 1 2 "Allah Hoo, Vol. 10, Badar Miandad Khan". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  15. ↑ Babb, Lawrence A.; Wadley, Susan S., eds. (1995). Media and the Transformation of Religion in South Asia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0812233049.
  16. ↑ Martin, Andrew R.; Mihalka, Matthew, eds. (2020). Music Around the World: A Global Encyclopedia (1st ed.). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1610694995.
  17. ↑ Bohlman, Philip V., ed. (2013). The Cambridge History of World Music. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521868488.
  18. ↑ "Leicester UK Concert 1985, Vol. 155 (Live Version), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  19. ↑ "Digbeth Civic Hall UK Concert 1985, Vol. 145 (Live Version), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  20. ↑ "Bradford University UK Concert 1985, Vol. 154 (Live Version), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  21. ↑ Akhtar, Suleman (2017-10-01). "How Karbala has Influenced Writers and Poets in South Asia for Centuries". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  22. ↑ Tsioulcas, Anastasia (2019-07-18). "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Voice Offers A Sonic Refuge". NPR. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  23. ↑ Kalia, Ammar (2020-07-15). "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Womad 1985: the qawwali star invokes rapture". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  24. 1 2 Zieman (2004-06-11). "Raihan Denies Plagiarising Pakistani's Signature Tune". The Star. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  25. ↑ "Remembering Legendary 'Qawwali' Maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan". The Nation. 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  26. ↑ "Allah Hoo Allah Hoo, Vol. 26, Faiz Ali Faiz". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  27. ↑ PTC Punjabi (2016-02-01). Lakhwinder Wadali & Saleem Singing 'Allah Hoo' Live I Voice of Punjab 6 I PTC Punjabi. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  28. ↑ Dawn Report (2025-12-16). "Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Mesmerises Music Lovers". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  29. ↑ Kazim, Syeda Shehrbano (2019-06-02). "Late Night Qawwal: A Fitting Celebration of Ramazan". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  30. ↑ Indo-Asian News Service (2013-10-22). "Qawwalis are Associated with Soul: Rizwan-Muazzam". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 2025-08-24. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  31. ↑ Shah, Sadia Qasim (2017-01-17). "A Soulful Performance of Sufi Music". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  32. 1 2 India Today (2017-05-18). "6 Ali Zafar Songs That Prove He Is as Melodious as Dreamy". India Today. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  33. ↑ "Allah Hoo - Single, Javed Bashir". Qobuz. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  34. ↑ Music Today (2015-11-19). Allah Hoo - Hans Raj Hans (Album: Treasured Moments with Hans Raj Hans) | Music Today. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  35. ↑ Ahmad, Salman (2010). Rock and Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution. Riverside: Free Press. ISBN 978-1416597681.
  36. 1 2 Altaf, Frieha. "Bringing Back the Magic of Live Music". jang.com.pk. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  37. ↑ Coke Studio India (2012-07-14), Allah Hoo - Hitesh Sonik feat Jyoti Nooran & Sultana Nooran, Coke Studio @ MTV Season 2, retrieved 2019-05-23
  38. ↑ TheLebai Malang (2011-11-16), Raihan = Allahu, retrieved 2019-05-23
  39. ↑ Beng, Tan Sooi (2007-03-08). "Singing Islamic Modernity: Recreating Nasyid in Malaysia". Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
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