The God of the Bible and Allah of Islam
I worked for many years with a Muslim engineer whose last name was Mohammed. We had a good working relationship and have several US patents together. At lunch time we often played ping-pong. On our breaks I often discussed Islam and Christianity. My friend was trying to reconcile the two religions. Here a couple of things I learned from him:
Allah is the God of Islam and is not knowable in this sense that a person can have a relationship with him. Allah is a distant and impersonal God. Thus, Muslims do not have a relationship with Allah as Christians have with Yahweh or Jehovah, the God of the Bible.
In Islam, Allah has complete power over every detail of a person’s life. He is all-powerful in such a way that people are not able get close to him. Allah with his own will makes his own decisions. He does what he wants, and no one can question this. Allah wills one to go to heaven and another to go to hell. Allah wills one to live and another to die. Allah wills who in the womb will live and who will die. His control is over everything.
My friend had a tragedy in his life that he had to yield to the absolute dictatorial will of Allah. He brought his parents from Egypt to the US for medical treatment. They were sent back to Egypt together and both killed in the 1999 crash of the Egyptian airliner off the East Coast. He called me to inform me and was terribly distraught but had to yield to the unloving will of Allah.
Below are some of the things we discussed in our conversation about Islam that may be helpful in witnessing to Muslims.
Difference between the God of the Bible
and Allah of the Quran
God made salvation available by sacrificing His Son and promises salvation by grace to those who believe. Allah sacrificed nothing, and only saves if sufficient works are done.
· God has a payment for sins—Jesus Christ. Allah has no payment for sins.
· God’s Christ paid for the sin of mankind. Allah paid for nothing, and all men pay for their own sins.
· God’s salvation is through Christ’s work. Allah’s salvation is through people’s works.
· God sent a Savior, Jesus Christ who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. A major part of Muslim salvation is to believe that Mohammed was the only spokesperson for God.
· God’s book is very different from Allah’s book. They contradict each other, so they cannot both be true. For example, the Bible says Christ was resurrected from the dead. Islam rejects that as a lie.
· God says his Son is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Allah says Christ is “only a messenger.”
Here are a few verses from the Bible that may help in witnessing to Muslims:
“I the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right. –Isaiah 45:19
One God – the God of the Bible –Old Testament
I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God –Isaiah 45:5
I am the Lord, and there is none else- Isaiah 45:18
For I am God, and there is no other- Isaiah 45:22
One true God – New Testament
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent – John 17:3
There is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist- 1 Corinthians 8:6
For there is one God – 1 Timothy 2:5
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17
For in Him (Jesus Christ) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form-Colossians 2:17
Author ~ John Spence