Who is "Allah"?

[FollowingHim]

To avoid waylaying another discussion, I thought I should make a separate thread for this, so I can write more freely.

It is common for Christians to assume that Muslims are worshipping a different God to the one Christians worship - and to see "Allah" as the name of this different God. I do not believe this is correct, and I believe this faulty understanding may get in the way of interacting with and witnessing to Muslims.

There is one God, the creator of the universe. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God the Jews worship, and the God the Christians worship.

However, both Jews and Christians believe very different things about God. Firstly, Jews believe they are waiting for a Messiah, and the goal of Messiah will be to save the Jewish people from their enemies - while Christians believe Messiah has already come, and he came for all people both Jew and Gentile. Secondly, Jews believe we are to be saved by following the Law - while Christians believe in salvation by grace through faith (although they have a range of understanding of what laws we should obey following salvation).

Jews usually call this God by Hebrew names - "HaShem" and "Adonai" (choosing not to pronounce YHWH). While Christians usually call Him the generic word for a "god" in their native language (i.e. "God" in English, "Dios" in Spanish, "Allah" in Arabic), or a variant pronunciation of YHWH (e.g. "Jehovah" in English).

Does this mean that Jews and Christians follow two different gods, with different names? Does it mean the Jews follow a vindictive, legalistic YHWH of the Old Testament, and Christians follow a loving God revealed solely through Jesus? Of course not (though some people certainly do teach this heresy). There is one God, and Jews and Christians both worship Him. They just believe different things about Him (where they contradict, at least one of them is wrong).

Muslims also claim to worship the God of Abraham, the Creator. They claim to follow the Old Testament prophets, and even Jesus. They teach that Jesus came directly from God without a human father, that He is the Jewish Messiah and will return in the last days. Islam contains many elements of both Judaism and Christianity (e.g. the prophets), to the extent that the Quran even instructs Muslims to read some books of the Bible. However they also reject that salvation is through Jesus alone by grace through faith, and teach salvation by works. Islam teaches a militant mission, where the goal of religion is to subdue the world by any means necessary and bring it into submission to God.

Muslims call this god "Allah", the name used by Arabic Christians since the earliest Arab converts to Christianity, which was adopted by Islam.

Does this mean that Muslims and Christians follow two different gods, with different names? Does it mean that Christians follow a loving god called "God", and Muslims follow an angry militant one called "Allah"?

I think the answer is as obvious as the answer to the same question considering Jews and Christians. Their insistence on using the Arabic name "Allah" is just a confusing distraction, it does not change anything fundamental. They are not worshipping a different god. They are just wrong about the one God.

I believe Islam is a false religion, a dangerous heresy, a perversion of the truth by Satan. Personally I believe that Satan first tried to counter Jesus by getting people to reject Him entirely (Judaism, pagan Roman religions, atheism) - and this worked for many people. But he could not get everyone to reject Jesus. So his next strategy was to let people accept Jesus as a religious figure - but pervert his teaching, minimise his role, and cause people to lose sight of him in a fog of heretical violence. The most effective one of these strategies was Islam - and it was wildly successful. It is a perversion of both Judaism and Christianity, a heretical cult. The entire point of it is to take people who genuinely want to follow God, and teach them a way to follow Him, but subtly steer them away from the most crucial parts of the truth so that they still miss salvation. Those who will reject God entirely Satan steers into atheism, those who won't reject God but will reject Jesus he steers into Judaism - but those who would otherwise follow Jesus he steers into any cult that includes Jesus as a figurehead but rejects his role as Saviour, Islam being the most successful. Those he cannot stop from becoming Christians, he tries to then mislead within the church into heresies like LGBT activism etc. The most effective lies are mostly truth, but introduce deception at the most crucial point.

Unless we recognise that all these cults contain people who are genuinely trying to follow the Creator, the God of Abraham, we will be unable to stand in the shoes of those in these cults. We will fail to see the cunning genius of Satan's deception, and fail to evangelise accurately.

If we see Islam for example as complete paganism containing no truth at all, then we require converts to Christianity to decide that everything they have been taught is false, everything we teach them is true, and make an enormous shift in viewpoint. This is a massive barrier to salvation. ("Surely everything my grandad and his grandad and his grandad believed can't have been 100% wrong, and I am the first in the family to learn the truth? How can I be arrogant enough to think myself that much smarter than them? This missionary must be deceiving me.")

But if we can recognise that Satan's cunning strategy has been to teach a large amount of truth but just introduce deception at key points, we can build on the foundation people already know and only correct those elements where they have been deceived. This is, in my opinion, a far more efficient road to the truth and far more likely to result in genuine salvation of more people. So both more correct, and more pragmatic.

 

[FollowingHim]

@steve has expressed an opposing view, which certainly has merit:

If there was no being named Allah, I can guarantee that one was provided in the spirit realm.

And I agree that there are almost certainly specific demonic entities associated with Islam who work in furthering this religion. This is a work of satan. I just find it very difficult to accept the idea that there is a specific demon called "Allah", when "Allah" is the name Arabic Christians use for God.
How can there be a demon that has the name that millions of Christians call God? Are they worshipping him too?
If not, what is the purpose of thinking he has this name?

 

[The Revolting Man]

Jews and Christians believe the same things about God. Christians just believe
He did certain things already that Jews think He’ll do in the future. But other than that we agree with Jews about everything written from Genesis to Malachi.

Muslims explicitly reject everything written in the Old Testament except for the names of characters. However none of those characters perform the same actions in Islamic retelling.

But here are a few key differences that differentiate our God from Allah:

1) Muslims are adamant that their gif has a name and it’s Allah. Our God is adamant that we can’t know His name.

2) Muslims are adamant that Allah could never be a husband or a father. Our God constantly describes Himself as both.

3) Muslims are adamant that Allah could never desire or want anything from us but our God constantly tells us that He desires us and our obedience.

There are many other differences between Allah and our God. But those are enough to show that Islam took some names and concepts and pasted them on an entirely new religion.

 

[steve]

Muslims explicitly reject everything written in the Old Testament except for the names of characters.

They do accept the dietary laws and concepts about virginity and marriage, just off the top of my head.

 

[FollowingHim]

But here are a few key differences that differentiate our God from Allah

Yes, there are many differences between what Muslims teach about God, and what Christians and Jews teach about God. We could write pages and pages of differences in the teachings.

But why does this mean that they worship two different gods?

Why can it not mean simply that one is wrong? This seems the simplest explanation.

 

[steve]

One is definitely wrong, they may think that the god of the Quran is Abraham’s god , but he isn’t.

You can point out that it is the same word all day long, but you insult your Creator when you elevate the god of the Quran to be His equivalent.

 

[frederick]

On one of the occasions Jesus was talking with the Jews, He challenged them about who they believed in and their relationship with the Father. In John 8:39-44 we read, They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."

Those Jews read and "believed" the Scriptures yet this is how Jesus described their relationship with the Father. Muslims neither read nor believe the Scriptures. They also claim to have Abraham as their father while rejecting the Son, and they seek to murder those who follow the Son. It would therefore seem their relationship with the Father is at least as precarious as those Jews to whom Jesus spoke.

 

[Maddog]

Does Islam say, "Thou shalt not have any other God's before me"? Our God seems to lock them out as worshiping another. Like salvation, if someone believes that they MUST also work their way into Heaven their works will not save them but they still depend on that. They must decry their own efforts. In similar fashion, the ones who come to the Father MUST come thru Jesus Christ (I am the way...) and leave off the identity of Muslim AND Christianity and pick a side.

 

[NVIII]

On one of the occasions Jesus was talking with the Jews, He challenged them about who they believed in and their relationship with the Father. In John 8:39-44 we read, They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."

Those Jews read and "believed" the Scriptures yet this is how Jesus described their relationship with the Father. Muslims neither read nor believe the Scriptures. They also claim to have Abraham as their father while rejecting the Son, and they seek to murder those who follow the Son. It would therefore seem their relationship with the Father is at least as precarious as those Jews to whom Jesus spoke.

Those Jews:

1. Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.

1. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said...

...and then He goes on to say those things you quoted. See, if wasn't ordinary Jews. These were ones who listened and believed Him. But, by the time He was done plowing their fallow ground, they gathered stones to stone Him. I sometimes wonder if He would say the same about us who also call on the name of the Lord, no matter which language or preferred noun we use. Ahh, but I guess He has already said that He would.

No, I don't recon it matters so much what name you use, so long as He knows you.

 

[The Revolting Man]

Yes, there are many differences between what Muslims teach about God, and what Christians and Jews teach about God. We could write pages and pages of differences in the teachings.

But why does this mean that they worship two different gods?

Why can it not mean simply that one is wrong? This seems the simplest explanation.

Because there is nothing about them that is similar. They say diametrically opposed things. They do diametrically opposed things.

One exists and the other doesn’t.

 

[Bartato]

I've heard it said that the Islamic view of God is Panentheistic (not Monotheistic, or Pantheistic).

Saying that Muslims worship the same God (wrongly and mistakenly because they reject the Son) seems similar to saying that Mormons worship the same God, or follow the same Jesus (but do so wrongly).

Mormonism isn't really Monotheistic either, it is Polytheistic (as they believe there are other gods out there besides Yahweh). The Mormon faith also has a deeply different understanding of the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do Jews worship the same God?

I have no doubt that Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah, and other Old Testament saints worship Yahweh. The modern religion of Judaism however seems largely based on the rejection of Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ. That would seem to indicate that they serve a different God.

 

[FollowingHim]

Now this passage is relevant:

On one of the occasions Jesus was talking with the Jews, He challenged them about who they believed in and their relationship with the Father. In John 8:39-44 we read, They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."

Those Jews who rejected Jesus were following the devil and not Abraham or God, as Jesus said. But did that mean that when they said "God", they meant "Satan" or a pagan deity?

Because that's what we're saying if we say "Allah" is a false god. That's a leap in logic beyond what Jesus said.

I agree with everything negative everyone has said about Islam, I am not promoting it.

One exists and the other doesn’t.

And that I completely agree with - it's actually my point. There is only one God, the Creator, and he teaches what is written in the Bible.
There is no god who teaches what is written in the Quran - as you say, he does not exist.

So there is not an alternative god whose name is Allah. There is one god, and there are people who teach truth about Him, and others who teach falsehoods about Him.

 

[FollowingHim]

I've heard it said that the Islamic view of God is Panentheistic (not Monotheistic, or Pantheistic).

I've seen it argued more strongly that many branches of Christianity are panentheistic (NOT pantheistic, that's a very different concept). There's a blurry line between monotheism and panentheism - the distinction is basically around to what extent God's presence permeates the universe. I think this is a separate question.

I have no doubt that Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah, and other Old Testament saints worship Yahweh. The modern religion of Judaism however seems largely based on the rejection of Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ. That would seem to indicate that they serve a different God.

For consistency, if Muslims worship a different god because their teachings about him differ from scripture, then Jews must also worship a different god by the same logic. I am not comfortable with this conclusion. But I may be wrong.

 

[FollowingHim]

Developing that logic further, that would mean that the Jews scriptures teach about the Creator, but individual Jews following the teachings of the Talmud and their rabbis worship a false god - without realising it, as they are trying to follow the Creator.

Applying the same concept to Islam, that could mean that the Quran teaches about YHWH (with errors), but individual Muslims following the teachings of the Hadiths and their imams worship a false god - without realising it, as they are trying to follow the Creator.

This is plausible.

So what is a false god? When we talk about a false god, is there an actual spiritual entity that is that false god? Or does the term "false god" refer to a fictitious god - for instance an idol that has no spiritual power whatsoever?

 

[Michael Moon]

So what is a false god? When we talk about a false god, is there an actual spiritual entity that is that false god? Or does the term "false god" refer to a fictitious god - for instance an idol that has no spiritual power whatsoever?

There is one true God, and there are other spirits (elohim) that are false gods. They are the principalities and such that Paul refers to.

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.

- Deuteronomy 32:8 (ESV)

God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”
Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!

- Psalm 82 (ESV)

I believe they were originally tasked by the one true God to be protectors, but they strayed from their mission and led the people to worship them. This would have been right after the Tower of Babel. I think alot of this is referred to as "Divine Council Theology". That's my take.

 

[frederick]

Or does the term "false god" refer to a fictitious god - for instance an idol that has no spiritual power whatsoever?

This might be of help. Ezekiel 14:1-5 Israel came to me and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?

“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.

 

[steve]

an idol that has no spiritual power whatsoever?

Do you believe that such a thing exists?

It’s obvious that an inanimate object has no power of its own, but the dark side will fill any vacuum.
In other words, if a person or people impart any power to an object, the enemy of our souls is happy to assist. His power is limited, but it is not nonexistent.

 

[steve]

A false god is a being that receives worship/obedience that rightly belongs to Yah.
The golden calf was a false god and the worship of it really pissed off the real one.

A false god masquerading under a familiar name is a dangerous thing. By their fruits ye shall know them , and the fruit of Allah is poison.

 

[Asforme&myhouse]

I did some reading many moons ago (pun intended) about the origins of islam, although it’s quite fuzzy in my mind at this point. To generally sum it up in the simplest of terms, Mohamed was a desert pirate who had a merry band of men who robbed, raped and pillaged their way around the desert. At a certain point he started having a harder time getting his guys to be as gongho about charging into the fight because as they got wealthier they realized they wanted to be around to spend the loot... otherwise what was the point. Mohamed needed his own religion for new recruits to be willing to die for. He hatched a plan to start his own religion. He either had some captive Jews or went and captured some, and forced them to write a “holy book” for him (one in which the only sure way to heaven and 72 virgins Is to die in battle). I believe Mohamed himself was illiterate (I could be wrong about that, but I think that’s what I remember). Mohamed and his men and their people previously believed in many gods, one of which was allah (allah was the moon god, hence the symbol of islam is the cresent moon It’s also atop their mosques ).

 

[steve]

I did some reading many moons ago (pun intended) about the origins of islam, although it’s quite fuzzy in my mind at this point. To generally sum it up in the simplest of terms, Mohamed was a desert pirate who had a merry band of men who robbed, raped and pillaged their way around the desert. At a certain point he started having a harder time getting his guys to be as gongho about charging into the fight because as they got wealthier they realized they wanted to be around to spend the loot... otherwise what was the point. Mohamed needed his own religion for new recruits to be willing to die for. He hatched a plan to start his own religion. He either had some captive Jews or went and captured some, and forced them to write a “holy book” for him (one in which the only sure way to heaven and 72 virgins Is to die in battle). I believe Mohamed himself was illiterate (I could be wrong about that, but I think that’s what I remember). Mohamed and his men and their people previously believed in many gods, one of which was allah (allah was the moon god, hence the symbol of islam is the cresent moon It’s also atop their mosques ).

Interesting, I’ve never heard it in quite that way, but it is not in opposition to any of the facts that I am aware of, other than the origin of the Quran.

The Quran was invented, er…. revealed, in bits and pieces over the years as needed. That is stated in the book.