Do Muslims And Christians Worship The Same God? Proven Answers

Many Christians and Muslims claim that they worship the same god. They do not understand the reasons for the disagreements, even the enmity, that has existed between Christians and Muslims since the dawn of Islam.

Could it be that misconceptions have led some to believe that Allah and the God of the Bible are the same deity? Or, could it be true that the Christian God and Allah are different?  

How can we know if Christians and Muslims worship the same god?

Islam teaches that Allah is the Creator, the God who called Abraham and sent Moses, but when we look closer into the attributes of the god of the Quran, the differences make it impossible to say he is the same God who revealed Himself in the Bible.

Christians need to understand the differences between the True God and Islam’s Allah so we can properly defend our faith and teach the differences to others. Because our culture tries to promote universalism, where we can all meet God through different religions, it is key to point out that this cannot be the case.

Who is Muhammad’s Allah? 

Muhammad did not come up with the idea of Allah completely on his own – his understanding of any deity was formed directly by the culture and context he lived in. He grew up in the Quraish tribe that worshiped the chief idol, Hubal, among 360 gods in Mecca.

Muhammad’s goal was to bring the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula together under one banner so he would be their prophet and leader. To do this, Muhammad combined the Judeo-Christian God, the true God, Yahweh, with attributes of gods from Arab tribal religious practices to make his own version of a god to please all parties and hopefully become a prophet for all.

The Lord God vs Allah: Understanding the core differences

The best way to know the truth is to find the answer to this question: How does the Bible describe God compared to the Quran’s descriptions of Allah?

The name of the God of the Bible versus Allah of the Quran

Names are intimate ways for us to identify ourselves. If Muhammad was being given revelations from the same God of the Jews and Christians, then it wouldn’t be wrong to expect Him to use the same name he’d already given people.

Yahweh is the intimate name of God in the Bible and was originally only supposed to be uttered by the high priest. Under the new covenant through Jesus, we do not need priests to communicate with God (Hebrews 4:14-16); we can now call Him by His name because our relationship with Him is personal.

God is also known as "I AM WHO I AM", the name He revealed to Moses when He assigned him to bring Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 3:14).

The name of Islam’s god is "Allah". The word "Allah" is an abbreviation of the Arabic word "Al-ilah" which directly translates to "the god." This word was used by the Arabs even before Muhammad’s time to refer to their gods, just as we today use the word god to refer to various gods. 

Do the Lord God and Allah have the same character?

The character of Allah is very different from Yahweh's character. While the God of the Bible is consistent (Numbers 23:19), and He is all love and honest, Allah is progressive; he contradicts himself and allows Muslims to lie in different situations.

The God of the Bible is Consistent - Allah is not consistent

In Matthew 24:35, Jesus tells us that "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." God's message is consistent and cannot be changed or negated. Even though the Bible was assembled by over 40 authors from different millennia, the same message runs throughout the entire Bible because God is constant in His plan and His love for humanity.

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19

The Quran was assembled within decades of Muhammad’s death, from recollections based on Muhammad’s teachings (Muhammad himself did not write it). Since it was all within such a close period of time, one would think Allah’s message would be consistent.

Instead, the Quran tells us that Allah changed his commands and substituted ones for others:

"None of our revelations do we abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We substitute something better or similar - knowest thou not that Allah has power over all things?" (Surah 2:106)

This is called abrogation in the Quran. But if Allah were the true god, the all-knowing, omnipotent, and omniscient, then he would not need to replace what he had originally said with "better" messages.

It would be entirely contrary to Yahweh’s character to change His message after centuries and generations of consistency; why would God need to correct or improve his messages during Muhammad’s lifetime, when over 40 authors previously all had consistent revelations from Him.

The Lord’s honesty versus Allah’s deception

Already, Allah is not a trustworthy god according to the Quran – his followers cannot trust that he will not change his mind. But to go a step further, the God of the Bible is completely righteous and never misleads anyone.

God is unable to commit evil or tempt anyone – He never lies. His entire character is upright and holy, without blemish. 

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” James 1:13

However, Allah is considered "the best of schemers [deceivers]" according to Surah 3:54. Of course, most translations of the Quran do not use the word “deceiver” because they are watered down to be more acceptable to Western readers. Technically, the only true version of the Quran is in the Arabic language, so we must look at the Arabic interpretation.

The word in Arabic in this verse is “makir,” which is translated to mean deceiver/schemer. So, if translated word for word, this verse essentially says:

“The disbelievers lied and deceived, and Allah lied too and deceived (the disbelievers): and Allah is the best deceiver.”

This key verse connects with another point where Muslims are taught it is permissible to be deceptive with unbelievers (non-Muslims). If Allah is able to deceive and mislead, then it is also permissible for Muslims to do so.

The God of the Bible is Love – Allah is not loving

Possibly the biggest difference between Yahweh and Allah can be answered in one question to either Christians or Muslims. If you asked each party this question, you may get different answers: Does God love you?

Christians know that they are loved by God because it is God’s love that has saved them from their sins. God reveals His love to humanity and the world in the Bible through His words and actions.

Yahweh, the God of the Bible, is love. He loves all of His creation, whether they follow Him or not. The entire Bible is a testimony to God’s love for humanity since it is the grand narrative of how He rescues us from our sin and restores us to Himself, even when we do not deserve it.

"The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:8-10

If you asked a Muslim if Allah loves them, they might become uncomfortable or hesitant. Why? Because Allah only "likes" or loves devout Muslims. This means that one must earn Allah's approval by being a devout slave.

“Spend in the cause of Allah and do not let your own hands throw you into destruction [by withholding]. And do good, for Allah certainly loves the good-doers.”  Surah 2:195

This is why the relationship between Christians and the Lord Yahweh and Muslims and Allah is so different.

Do the Lord God and Allah want to have a relationship with us?

The relationship that the Lord, the true God, desires to have with us is nothing like what Allah demands from Muslims. The differences are clear between the Bible and the Quran that it is not the same entity.

The Lord has called us to be His children: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" - John 1:12 NASB.

The God of the Bible wants us to have a relationship with Him like children with a loving Father or like sheep being guided by a caring shepherd (Isaiah 40:11). God’s relationship with His people is compassionate and merciful.

Allah, on the other hand, wants his followers to submit to him like slaves who are afraid of their master. There is no compassion or mercy from Allah unless he chooses to give it, only legalism and standards that Muslims must meet to have a chance to enter paradise.

“When My servants/slaves ask you O Prophet about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. So let them respond with obedience to Me and believe in Me, perhaps they will be guided to the Right Way.” Surah 2:186

Allah does not promise his followers anything – it is a guessing game for the Muslims’ entire life about whether they have done enough to earn paradise or not. Even when they are on earth, they are living in fear of spiritual powers like jinn and other dark spirits that they do not believe Allah will protect them from.

How to talk to a Muslim about the difference between Allah and Yahweh, the God of the Bible

When you talk to a Muslim friend, and they assume that you both worship the same God, do not immediately rush to rebuke that and argue. Instead, ask them if they would be interested in comparing the attributes of Allah to the God of the Bible. This opens up a conversation, not an argument, and leaves room for them to ask you more questions and explore the biblical answers.

Start by sharing the points detailed above, one at a time. Give your Muslim friend time to digest the facts and gain their courage to dare to compare their Allah. In a Muslim’s life, there is tremendous risk and pressure if they dare to question what they have been taught, but with time the Lord gives them the courage to do it! Pray fervently for the Lord to create hunger in their hearts to know Him.

Ultimately, the thing that sets God apart from Allah is His love, so when you're talking to your Muslim friends about Him, that is the main thing to offer to them: a loving relationship with a Father who will never desert them.

Prayer about Muslims discovering the true God, Yahweh

Dear Lord, thank you for calling me to be your child instead of your slave. Please soften my Muslim friend’s heart to be curious about You and Your true character. Let me be a witness to Your goodness so they can know You as I do. Amen.