“Allah Hafiz or Khuda Hafiz” – Which one is Correct?
Often we hear people around us say “Allah Hafiz” or “Khuda Hafiz” as a farewell. In India, the latter has long been in use. Formerly lately made its way into common speech. Of these two, which is correct? If you speak with academics, they will dismiss the entire debate over these two pleasantries as pointless. In the end, it’s the intention that counts, not how you express it.
However, some other academics are astute enough to differentiate. The Arabic term for God is Allah. Its Persian name is Khuda. Many words in Urdu have their roots in Arabic and Persian, which was the case when the language was still evolving. The Urdu translation of the Arabic phrase “Fi Amaan Allah” became Khuda Hafiz. Over time, Khuda rose to the top of the list of possible gods in Urdu, with both phrases having the same meaning: “May you live in the bliss of Allah.” It was also adopted by many writers for their verses.
Khuda is the Persian word for Allah, and Urdu has taken it in its entirety. Iran is where Indian Sufism first emerged. Indian Urdu reflects the Iranian impact. However, as Persian impact is resisted over time, Allah Hafiz is now more frequently heard than Khuda Hafiz.
Urdu was regarded as the true language during the Mughal period. Across all demographics, common folks were using it more and more. Arabic was hardly ever used, not even in Mughal courts. Because of this, Aadab was preferred over Salaam, another greeting. Since Iran is predominately Shia and the Arab nations are predominately Sunni, there is also an implied Shia-Sunni angle here, but scholars reject this idea. They assert that it has more to do with the two distinct languages than the two separate Islamic sects.
The Political Angle
In actuality, the term “Khuda” appears nowhere in the Quran. The Persian word for God is Khuda, but Muslims would much rather utter Allah. These days, they seem to have decided to stay with Allah Hafiz rather than Khuda Hafiz. This variation does have some political overtones, though. Since Saudi Arabia was Pakistan’s main oil exporter, General Zia ul Haq pushed for improved ties with the country when he assumed power in 1978. Zia ul Haq gained the respect of the Arabs by renaming Layalpur Faisalabaad in honor of King Faisal.
Two significant occurrences occurred in 1979: first, the Soviet Red Army set up camp in Afghanistan, and second, Ayatollah Khomeini assumed control of Iran. To America, both of these were warning signs. Khomeini revised the legal texts in Iran so that they now adhered to Shia theology.
To gain favor with the United States and Saudi Arabia, Zia ul Haq had to establish himself as an enemy of Iran. As a result, during his rule, Sunnis became more prevalent in Pakistan, and Ahmedis, Bohris, and Qadiani Shias quickly lost favor. Zia commanded the media to stop pronouncing Khuda and start pronouncing Allah. The first time Allah Hafiz was heard was on Pakistan Radio in 1979. Although it took some time to get to India, it is now very much present.