One of the frequent questions I get is “Do Muslims pray to the same God as us (Christians)?” If you would have asked me when I first became a Christian, my answer would have been unequivocally “YES!” Having been taught that Allah is the same God of Abraham (whom both Jews and Christians worship) for 35 years was the reasoning behind that answer at that time. I didn’t understand fully who God Almighty was and more specifically, who He was as revealed by Jesus Christ.
This year, I was mortified to learn that churches right here in Oklahoma City were allowing Muslims to come and pray with them. When I asked how prayers were being conducted, the two people I spoke to said that their Imam was leading the Muslim prayer with everyone there… in the church. Did I mention that this was IN THE CHURCH???
What’s wrong with that?
In my Muslim brain, I would not have seen any issues with that. Same God = Same God. No problem.
As a more mature Christian, my understanding of who we worship is very different! We, Christians worship ONE God in THREE persons: God the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ his only begotten son and the Holy Spirit. All three separate persons who have existed together since the beginning of time (for there is no time for them – they are infinite!). They are three, but ONE.
This is not only completely different than what Muslims believe, it is also considered to be “Shirk.” Shirk is the ultimate sin of blasphemy that puts another equal to God. In Islam, the belief in Allah is called Tawhid. Tawhid comes from the Arabic root word for ONE “Wahid.” One means only one – not a father, no son and no Holy Spirit. In fact, in the Quran, the Trinity is called out by Isa (Jesus) in verse 5:116 (Yusuf Ali):
And behold! Allah will say: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah‘?” He will say: “Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.
Yes… that’s right. The Quran points out that Christians believe the Trinity is Allah, Jesus and Mary. The next few lines say that is blasphemy and guess what… CHRISTIANS AGREE! In fact, the Bible attests to this fact numerous times in both the Old & the New Testament:
Deuteronomy 6:4 (the Shema) ~ “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [NOTE: Jesus repeats this in Mark 12:29]
8:1 Corinthians 6 ~ 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.
In Islam, the five daily prayers (Salat) attest to the Muslim belief that Allah is only ONE and that there are no others equal to him. In fact, there is a beautiful prayer I used to recite each time I prayed and that is called “Surah Fatiha (the beginning prayer).” The Fatiha is prayed at least 16 times a day and can also be prayed upwards of 48 times a day. I would pray this prayer as often as I could as a Muslim.
It is important to note that just in one prayer (there are multiple prayers recited in Arabic during each of the 5 times of Salat), there is a denunciation of the Triune Christian God and also it says that Jews and Christians are going into the path of destruction. Again, I urge you to not just take my word for it, but to look it up for yourself (www.muslimconverts.com). Here’s a screenshot of the prayer with translation in English. Many Muslims have no clue what they are reciting because they have to pray in Arabic and don’t even speak the language.
In the name of inclusion and diversity, people are willing to consider Islam as the same as Christianity. It is not the same – that’s the beauty of real diversity in the United States – that we can worship how we want. I am 100% on board for people wanting to open their hearts to Muslims – we should not only open our hearts, but also our homes. The only caution I give is to not compromise when it comes to belief and worship. Worship of the LORD our God YHWH is sacred and should be kept that way. Christians cannot stand in our place of worship with someone next to them who is denying the Triune God and His Christ with his every word.
Instead of asking do Muslims worship the same God, I think we need to be clear that Christians DO NOT worship the same God.
This is what I believe, along with the thousands before me (The Apostle’s Creed):
| Book of Common Prayer, 1662[28][29][30]
I believe in God the Father Almighty, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, I believe in the Holy Ghost; |
Amen and Amen…
*NOTE: “The holy catholic church” does not mean the Roman Catholic church. It is a term that means the Church Universal (the big “C” Church!)! 🙂
So sorry, hit submit too quickly. I think as Christians we try to be too inclusive, and sometimes to a fault. Your perspective sheds light that we need to understand more fully. Thanks for all you do my Christian friend.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, Richard! I love being inclusive, however we need to be absolutely clear on who we are and how we worship. Here’s another interesting point: Muslims will appreciate that! My Muslim friends tell me that they like the fact that I am clear about who I am in Christ and that I don’t beat around the bush on what I believe. Truth… in love, answer with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
Hi Mona. A good, informative post. I agree that we need to exercise the fruits of the spirit and exhibit the same compassion that Christ exhibited — but not let that get in the way of boldly an lovingly proclaim the reason for the hope we have in Christ. Keep up your good work!
Thank you so much for your note and for reading the blog. May the Lord bless your witness and writing as well!