Does Islam worship the same God?

[thirsty]

Often Christianity is lumped together with Judaism and Islam as monotheist religions. I understand and accept that the three all worship only 1 God, but am questioning whether Muslims believe in the same God as Christians.

For instance, why would it be necessary for God to send another prophet, Mohammad, after Jesus? Jesus was not a prophet, but God…so for what necessity would God need to send a prophet after Jesus? Additionally, Muslims claim Jesus was only a prophet and even touch on the Blessed Mother in the Koran. While this seems to make them similiar to the God of Christianity, they still seem way off in their beliefs compared to both Christians and Jews. Islam itself means “submission.” Muslims I have meant, and much of what I have read, interpret this to mean a lack of free will. Perhaps I am misinterpreting…but, if not this is drastically different than Christian theology that puts great import on the doctrine of free will.

Also, while we have fundamentalist that are violent in Christianity we don’t seem to have the identical problems of Islam in that you are either Muslim or you are wrong. Our God preaches love for neighbor and that each person is judged upon death. I hate to lump all Muslims together, but feel that their religion lacks many substantial qualities of Christianity. As a result, I wonder whether they should be considered to worship the same God? Thoughts?

 

[Newbie2]

Often Christianity is lumped together with Judaism and Islam as monotheist religions. I understand and accept that the three all worship only 1 God, but am questioning whether Muslims believe in the same God as Christians.

For instance, why would it be necessary for God to send another prophet, Mohammad, after Jesus? Jesus was not a prophet, but God…so for what necessity would God need to send a prophet after Jesus? Additionally, Muslims claim Jesus was only a prophet and even touch on the Blessed Mother in the Koran. While this seems to make them similiar to the God of Christianity, they still seem way off in their beliefs compared to both Christians and Jews. Islam itself means “submission.” Muslims I have meant, and much of what I have read, interpret this to mean a lack of free will. Perhaps I am misinterpreting…but, if not this is drastically different than Christian theology that puts great import on the doctrine of free will.

Also, while we have fundamentalist that are violent in Christianity we don’t seem to have the identical problems of Islam in that you are either Muslim or you are wrong. Our God preaches love for neighbor and that each person is judged upon death. I hate to lump all Muslims together, but feel that their religion lacks many substantial qualities of Christianity. As a result, I wonder whether they should be considered to worship the same God? Thoughts?

In one sense, perhaps, in another, definitely not:

1. It is possible they have a misunderstanding of who God is and what’s he’s all about.
2. Another explanation is that no, they do not worship the same God.

 

[rwoehmke]

Unless there are two or three Gods of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then Judaism, Islam, and Christianity follow the same God. Certainly each religion understands Him in a different way but that doesn’t make him different in each case. Being immutable, He is what He is and what we think or believe doesn’t change Him.

 

[Valentin]

free will does not contradict submission. free will means - Christian or not Christian. if Christian - than submission. God has a plan for everybody, but not a bunch of plans. so if we follow God’s will, we save our souls, but also it is a submissive reaction.
about muslims, they are still in the Old Testament, as jews are also. the Christ, the 11th commandement is still not existing for them, that of " loving your brother, in the way you love yourself ".
that radically changes the whole behaviour, rules, the whole religion. we have the same God, but different approach.

 

[Spirithound]

For instance, why would it be necessary for God to send another prophet, Mohammad, after Jesus? Jesus was not a prophet, but God…so for what necessity would God need to send a prophet after Jesus? Additionally, Muslims claim Jesus was only a prophet and even touch on the Blessed Mother in the Koran. While this seems to make them similiar to the God of Christianity, they still seem way off in their beliefs compared to both Christians and Jews. Islam itself means “submission.” Muslims I have meant, and much of what I have read, interpret this to mean a lack of free will. Perhaps I am misinterpreting…but, if not this is drastically different than Christian theology that puts great import on the doctrine of free will.

Also, while we have fundamentalist that are violent in Christianity we don’t seem to have the identical problems of Islam in that you are either Muslim or you are wrong. Our God preaches love for neighbor and that each person is judged upon death. I hate to lump all Muslims together, but feel that their religion lacks many substantial qualities of Christianity. As a result, I wonder whether they should be considered to worship the same God? Thoughts?

Speaking as a Christian, it was not necessary for God to send another prophet, and He didn’t. So, Islam is mistaken, but that in itself doesn’t mean we worship different Gods. The origin of our religions still rests in Abraham. Sometimes I wonder if I worship the same Jesus as some liberal Christians ( not really…).

So, Islam means “submission”, but submission is still an act of the will, which is free.

 

[Agabriel]

No, Islam has a god based on cruelty and violence. I see no similarity between the God of the Christians and the Allah of Mohammed.

I know that muslims will keep on insisting that it is the same, but they wouldn’t be justifying their many battles, and even some killings on our own shores, continually shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. Anyway, Mohammad was an illiterate pagan.

 

[ralphinal]

Muslims intend to worship the same God. However, their understanding of that God is distorted, limited, and corrupted by the false messages. Now, does this make Allah different than our God? Yes and no.

Man cannot change God, so from that standpoint the deficient understanding of Allah does not change him. However, when you worship that which is not correctly God, you are no longer worshiping God.

 

[WindyHair]

Often Christianity is lumped together with Judaism and Islam as monotheist religions. I understand and accept that the three all worship only 1 God, but am questioning whether Muslims believe in the same God as Christians.

For instance, why would it be necessary for God to send another prophet, Mohammad, after Jesus? Jesus was not a prophet, but God…so for what necessity would God need to send a prophet after Jesus? Additionally, Muslims claim Jesus was only a prophet and even touch on the Blessed Mother in the Koran. While this seems to make them similiar to the God of Christianity, they still seem way off in their beliefs compared to both Christians and Jews. Islam itself means “submission.” Muslims I have meant, and much of what I have read, interpret this to mean a lack of free will. Perhaps I am misinterpreting…but, if not this is drastically different than Christian theology that puts great import on the doctrine of free will.

Also, while we have fundamentalist that are violent in Christianity we don’t seem to have the identical problems of Islam in that you are either Muslim or you are wrong. Our God preaches love for neighbor and that each person is judged upon death. I hate to lump all Muslims together, but feel that their religion lacks many substantial qualities of Christianity. As a result, I wonder whether they should be considered to worship the same God? Thoughts?

i think to understand people’s gods,
you have to understand their society and
how they evolved, their environment,
their way of living, etc.

study anthropolgy/sociology/history and you will have an
idea how religions evolved with the people.

if your society is mainly agricultural,
your gods will be of that which gives you
life, like the sun, rain, seasons,
mountains, rivers, nature, etc.

if you’re society is nomadic and warring
in nature, you will have gods that are in
the sky, that move with you from
place to place, and as you encounter
other societies and beliefs, you
dominate them with your own beliefs
by eventually making your gods more powerful.

 

[Publisher]

Muslims understand God very differently than I do.

Catholics understand God much differently than Friends do, but only a few “ultra Catholics” would claim that Quakers and Catholics believe in “different Gods”…example as a Friend I do not believe God requires me to approach another to perform a rite or ritual on my behalf…I can approach God directly through Christ without any “priest” acting on my behalf…He alone is my Priest…I understand the role and work of Christ and God differently than those of the Catholic tradition, but it is the same God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…even though we undertand Him differently.

We all have our core belief in the God of Abraham…even though we all understand this God of Abraham much differently than one another.

Yes, we worship the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…but our undertanding are very different as to how this God interacts with creation and is revealed.

 

[Matariel]

No, Islam has a god based on cruelty and violence. I see no similarity between the God of the Christians and the Allah of Mohammed.

I know that muslims will keep on insisting that it is the same, but they wouldn’t be justifying their many battles, and even some killings on our own shores, continually shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. Anyway, Mohammad was an illiterate pagan.

I agree with Agabriel.

What god said those things written in the Koran? What angel came to Mohammed? If you’re a Christian, you’ll admit, our God did not speak in the Koran, nor was that false angel our archangel Gabriel-- Therefore, that god and that angel, cannot our God and archangel, or else you admit that those things said in the Koran came from our God, and that those things came from the Archangel Gabriel; and then we should all abandon Christianity and become Muslims

So their god could not be the same as our God.

 

[notsmart]

Muslims understand God very differently than I do.

Catholics understand God much differently than Friends do, but only a few “ultra Catholics” would claim that Quakers and Catholics believe in “different Gods”…example as a Friend I do not believe God requires me to approach another to perform a rite or ritual on my behalf…I can approach God directly through Christ without any “priest” acting on my behalf…He alone is my Priest…I understand the role and work of Christ and God differently than those of the Catholic tradition, but it is the same God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…even though we undertand Him differently.

We all have our core belief in the God of Abraham…even though we all understand this God of Abraham much differently than one another.

Yes, we worship the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…but our undertanding are very different as to how this God interacts with creation and is revealed.

I would agree with this.

 

[ralphinal]

not and publisher,
Does the different understanding of God that Muslims possess, and I agree with that postion, make it difficult to discuss with them our various faiths? Does the fact that the Qur’an contains incorrect information about Christianity make it hard to dialog? Is the different understanding actually more of a road-block than if it was a different god?

 

[notsmart]

not and publisher,
Does the different understanding of God that Muslims possess, and I agree with that postion, make it difficult to discuss with them our various faiths? Does the fact that the Qur’an contains incorrect information about Christianity make it hard to dialog? Is the different understanding actually more of a road-block than if it was a different god?

I dont know. I do know, that we do have common principals and in the case of Catholics- Mary as something to link to that may help.

 

[Matariel]

I agree with Agabriel.

What god said those things written in the Koran? What angel came to Mohammed? If you’re a Christian, you’ll admit, our God did not speak in the Koran, nor was that false angel our archangel Gabriel-- Therefore, that god and that angel, cannot our God and archangel, or else you admit that those things said in the Koran came from our God, and that those things came from the Archangel Gabriel; and then we should all abandon Christianity and become Muslims

So their god could not be the same as our God.

Did our God say this?

“Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them.” (Koran, 8:12)

That wasn’t our God speaking.

Therefore, the Christian God* does not equal* the Muslim god.

 

[Publisher]

not and publisher,
Does the different understanding of God that Muslims possess, and I agree with that postion, make it difficult to discuss with them our various faiths? Does the fact that the Qur’an contains incorrect information about Christianity make it hard to dialog? Is the different understanding actually more of a road-block than if it was a different god?

Interesting question…in my own experience…No…dialog with Muslims has not been an issue or concern. I guess to a Catholic I am lost in “indifferntism” as I have not tried to dialog to prove Islam incorrect, but to share with them our similarities as each of us seek to live in the Light. The Meeting I attend has had a few Muslim visitors…they commented afterwards that our worship space was very respectful and they were impressed there were no “images” of any kind present.

We spoke of the Light, that of God in each of us and our responsibility to this God of Light and Truth to Live a life which taught peace toward one another.

So, No, discussion with Muslims has not been an issue with Friends, we believe the same God is within each of us…“that of God in every man” and we seek to speak to “that of God” in one another…it is seeking to “speak” to the same Light Within…the same Divine Spark that we are able to converse with gentleness and understanding.

We understand the differences…but we seek to speak to the similarities.

 

[ralphinal]

Interesting question…in my own experience…No…dialog with Muslims has not been an issue or concern. I guess to a Catholic I am lost in “indifferntism” as I have not tried to dialog to prove Islam incorrect, but to share with them our similarities as each of us seek to live in the Light. The Meeting I attend has had a few Muslim visitors…they commented afterwards that our worship space was very respectful and they were impressed there were no “images” of any kind present.

We spoke of the Light, that of God in each of us and our responsibility to this God of Light and Truth to Live a life which taught peace toward one another.

So, No, discussion with Muslims has not been an issue with Friends, we believe the same God is within each of us…“that of God in every man” and we seek to speak to “that of God” in one another…it is seeking to “speak” to the same Light Within…the same Divine Spark that we are able to converse with gentleness and understanding.

We understand the differences…but we seek to speak to the similarities.

So, and this is a major hypothetical here, you would see no issue with living 100% under Islamic law? Or paying a tax to be a Friend? Or being told that you have no rights to assemble publically or publically profess your faith? These are taught in Islam as being part and parcel of the faith. You cannot fully divorce the moral code from the civil code.

If some of the more eccentric researchers are correct, America is under the “Good Muslim” phase where we have only the best and brightest Muslims who are more openminded. Once we get about 20% Muslim as a nation, it shifts to having more closed minded or radical ones. I am not saying that I buy into that, but there seems to be some correlation with the size of a Muslim population in a nation and the visibilty of radical Islam.

 

[ralphinal]

I dont know. I do know, that we do have common principals and in the case of Catholics- Mary as something to link to that may help.

True. Some Catholics have used Mary as a tool for dialog.

 

[jblake]

thirsty;:

I understand and accept that the three all worship only 1 God,

The Q’ran mandates that Allāt, al-'Uzzā and Manāt be worshiped. As such, it is a polytheistic religion, not a monotheistic one.

xan

jonathon

 

[Publisher]

So, and this is a major hypothetical here, you would see no issue with living 100% under Islamic law? Or paying a tax to be a Friend? Or being told that you have no rights to assemble publically or publically profess your faith? These are taught in Islam as being part and parcel of the faith. You cannot fully divorce the moral code from the civil code.

If some of the more eccentric researchers are correct, America is under the “Good Muslim” phase where we have only the best and brightest Muslims who are more openminded. Once we get about 20% Muslim as a nation, it shifts to having more closed minded or radical ones. I am not saying that I buy into that, but there seems to be some correlation with the size of a Muslim population in a nation and the visibilty of radical Islam.

I have spoken to Friends who have been in Muslim countries…since Friends do not have “churches” per se and do not use images since we believe for us detracts from our worship instead of enhancing it…they have met for worship without any reprisal…true there have been only three to four Friends meeting in worship on the basis of Silence…so there may be a differenc there as well. Friends “publically profess our faith” in deed, not necessarily in word. We profess “that of God” in the Muslim as well as the Catholic…as well as the atheist.

I do not know what I would do should America become Muslim…that is a theroretical question and in many ways asked in such a way to inspire fear…I chose to not live in “what if”, but what is.

I know many fear “radical Islam”…I chose not to live in 'fear". I guess time will tell. I really don’t have an honest answer to provide other than…“I don’t know what I would do.”

 

[ralphinal]

I have spoken to Friends who have been in Muslim countries…since Friends do not have “churches” per se and do not use images since we believe for us detracts from our worship instead of enhancing it…they have met for worship without any reprisal…true there have been only three to four Friends meeting in worship on the basis of Silence…so there may be a differenc there as well. Friends “publically profess our faith” in deed, not necessarily in word. We profess “that of God” in the Muslim as well as the Catholic…as well as the atheist.

I do not know what I would do should America become Muslim…that is a theroretical question and in many ways asked in such a way to inspire fear…I chose to not live in “what if”, but what is.

I know many fear “radical Islam”…I chose not to live in 'fear". I guess time will tell. I really don’t have an honest answer to provide other than…“I don’t know what I would do.”

As always, you give honest and thoughtful answers.