Do Muslims, Jews and Christians worship the same God?

Is the God of Judaism and Christianity also the God of Islam?

We cite three English translations of the Quran, Islam’s holy book:

YUSUFALI: Take not with Allah another object of worship; or thou (O man!) wilt sit in disgrace and destitution.
PICKTHAL: Set not up with Allah any other god (O man) lest thou sit down reproved, forsaken.
SHAKIR: Do not associate with Allah any other god, lest you sit down despised, neglected.
– Source: Quran, Sura (chapter) 17:22

Yet the Quran also states that Muslims, Jews and Christians worship the same God:

YUSUFALI: And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, “We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).”
PICKTHAL: And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender.
SHAKIR: And do not dispute with the followers of the Book except by what is best, except those of them who act unjustly, and say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our Allah and your Allah is One, and to Him do we submit.
– Source: Quran, Sura (chapter) 29:46

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However, Islamic tradition teaches that only Muslims will be admitted to Paradise. Though they are considered “People of the Book” – a reference to Jewish and Christian scriptures – Jews and Christians are excluded.

Muslims claim – without providing irrefutable proof – that Christians and Jews have corrupted the Scriptures, and teach that everyone must instead accept the teachings of the Quran.

When compared with the Jewish and Christian scriptures, the teachings of the Quran show that Allah is not the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians.

God — The Koran asserts that the god of Islam is the God of Christians and Jews (Sura 29:46). Nothing could be farther from the truth.7

The god of Islam, Allah, is most definitely not the God of the Bible. Allah is presented in the Koran as an autocratic ruler who is aloof and arbitrary (Sura 5:40). Allah is unknowable whereas the God of the Bible is knowable (2 Timothy 1:12). Allah is impersonal, unlike the personal God the Scriptures reveal (1 Peter 5:6-7). Allah is unitarian (Sura 4:48) whereas the God of the Bible is trinitarian (2 Corinthians 13:14). Here is what the Koran says about the God of the Bible (Sura 4:171): “Believe in Allah and say not “Trinity.’ Cease! It is better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from his transcendent majesty that he should have a son.”

Allah is capricious (Sura 2:284), whereas the true God is trustworthy. And Allah is never anywhere presented as a god of love — which is the essence of the nature of the true God (1 John 4:7-16).

Jesus — The Koran denies point blank that Jesus was the Son of God (Sura 112:2-3). It also denies His atoning sacrifice by claiming that he never died (Sura 4:157). A substitute died for Him on the Cross. Jesus was translated to Heaven, like Enoch, where He will remain until He returns to kill all pigs, destroy all crosses, and convert the world to Islam. Jesus will marry, reign for 40 years and then die and be buried next to Muhammad in Medina.8 Jesus is characterized in the Koran as nothing more than “an apostle of Allah” (Sura 4:171).
– Source: The Truth About Islam Dr. David R. Reagan

Christian leaders vs. George Bush

In November, 2003, evangelical Christian leaders took George Bush — who identifies himself as a Christian ¹ — to task for his assertion that “Muslims worship the same Almighty” that he does.

At a news conference with Prime Minister Tony Blair in England on Thursday, a reporter noted that Bush has often said that freedom is a gift from “the Almighty” but questioned whether Bush believes that “Muslims worship the same Almighty” that he does.

“I do say that freedom is the Almighty’s gift to every person,” the president replied. “I also condition it by saying freedom is not America’s gift to the world. It’s much greater than that, of course. And I believe we worship the same god.”

Bush’s remarks sent immediate shock waves through Christian Web sites and radio broadcasts. A Baptist Press report quoted Richard D. Land, president of the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, as saying that Bush “is simply mistaken.”

“We should always remember that he is commander in chief, not theologian in chief,” Land said in a telephone interview yesterday. “The Bible is clear on this: The one and true god is Jehovah, and his only begotten son is Jesus Christ.”

The Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, also issued a statement contradicting Bush.

“The Christian God encourages freedom, love, forgiveness, prosperity and health. The Muslim god appears to value the opposite. The personalities of each god are evident in the cultures, civilizations and dispositions of the peoples that serve them. Muhammad’s central message was submission; Jesus’ central message was love. They seem to be very different personalities,” Haggard said.
– Source: Bush’s Remark About God Assailed Washington Post, Nov. 22, 2003

Mutually Exclusive

Neither Christianity nor Islam can logically endorse the other religion’s distinctive claims and practices without denying its own.

Much more needs to be discussed concerning Muslim and Christian relations in a religiously pluralistic world. However, we must conclude that despite their common monotheism, Islam and Christianity have very different views of God, worship, and mission. Therefore, it is unreasonable to claim that they worship the same God.
– Source: Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? by Douglas Groothuis, TrueU.org

Trinity — The Most Important Difference

The Muslim and Christian view of God have many similarities. Muslims and Christians agree that there is one God who is the Creator of everything in the universe. Both view God as sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, just, and righteous. In these ways, Christians and Muslims worship the same God. However, there are also significant differences between Islam and Christianity’s view of God. While Allah (Allah is the Muslim and Arabic word for God) possesses the attributes of love, mercy, and grace, Allah does not demonstrate these attributes in the same manner as the biblical God acts.

The most important difference, though, between the Muslim and Christian view of God is the concept of the Trinity. Christians believe that God has revealed Himself as one God in three Persons: God the Father, the Son of God (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit.

God’s Son became a human being, Jesus Christ, to take away the penalty and power of sin by dying on the cross. After rising from the dead, Jesus went back to heaven to be with His Father. He sent His Spirit to teach men the truth through His Word, the Bible. One day, Christ will return to judge the earth; those who have trusted in Him will go to heaven, but those who have rejected Him must be separated in hell from the holy God.

Therefore, the belief in the Trinity is essential to the Christian faith. Without the Trinity, there is no incarnation of God’s Son in the Person of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ, there is no salvation for sin. Without salvation, sin condemns all to hell.
– Source: Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?, GotQuestions.org

See Also

• The God of the Quran and the God of the Bible: their similarities and differences

This entry is maintained by Anton Hein, the founder and co-publisher of Apologetics Index.

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