Islam and Christianity both believe in an all-powerful, loving, merciful God; however, Allah (in Islam) differs significantly from the one described in Scripture – for example allowing Jesus as his Son but excluding Holy Spirit from its fold.
Furthermore, Allah in Islam is not triune, making it impossible for him to be identical with Yahweh in Hebrew religion.
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1. Allah is the name of God in the Qur’an
The word Allah derives from Arabic al-Ilah (the God), with an extensive etymological history. It also has roots in Semitic Elohim which appears in the Bible. Importantly, Qur’an uses Allah as an act of worship and devotion rather than denoting a specific attribute or characteristic.
The Qur’an describes Allah’s divine nature as transcendent, beyond time, space, and matter, creating everything – all living creatures included. Allah is known in Islam as Creator, Sustainer and Judge; all-powerful yet benevolent while compassionate and just at once.
Islam regards as sacrilege any attempt at knowing or communicating directly with Allah in any intimate fashion. According to the Qur’an, we can only know Him through His revelations; any attempt at worshipping other than Him (i.e. shirk) is forbidden by Islam and considered idol worshipping. According to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there were 99 names given for Allah but He may even like odd numbers better!
According to the Qur’an, all living things – both living and nonliving – in heavens and on earth worship Allah with worshipful prostration. This includes plants, animals, mountains, sun/moon/stars systems and moving creatures such as fish. He possesses power over those who disobey His commands as well as honour those who heed them.
Some have attempted to distinguish Allah and Yahweh because each has unique attributes, yet this is incorrect; both religions believe in one all-powerful Creator with prophets sent out to reveal his message and produce scriptures for guidance.
Furthermore, Allah holds greater significance than Yahweh in terms of meaning. Yahweh represents an image of love as seen in 1 John 4:18 which states “God is love”. Meanwhile, Allah emphasizes His power rather than love or mercy.
2. Allah is the name of God in the Bible
Many Christians claim that Allah, as defined by Islam, denies both the Trinity and incarnation of Jesus Christ. This argument fails due to Arabic Christians referring to God in their Bibles as Allah long before Muhammad came along, while Allah can also be found throughout Scripture (both Old and New Testaments) using this Arabic term for God.
Allah, which is Arabic for God, is also commonly known by different names in Jewish and Christian Bibles. For instance, Eloah or Jehovah appear among them while Allah can be found in other Arabic works such as Qur’ans.
Old and New Testaments both use anthropomorphic language to portray God’s nature and acts. While some of this anthropomorphism may appear silly, it helps mankind comprehend certain incomprehensible truths about God – for instance describing His eyes, hands, and feet to convey this understanding. Anthropologimorphic language allows us to relate better with Him while understanding His love.
The Bible depicts God as having regrets and feelings, an allusion meant to convey that He understands our struggles as humans and accepts us without judgment or criticism. Additionally, Scriptures depict Him as merciful, forgiving and compassionate – characteristics which should ring true in today’s society.
Some Muslims argue that the God of the Bible cannot be Allah because He can lie, which is an error since Scripture clearly teaches otherwise. According to Scripture, however, He remains true and constant throughout; He doesn’t change His mind or deceive people.
In addition, the Bible teaches that God holds power over all of His creation – both living creatures and inanimate ones alike; including sun, moon, stars, mountains and forests. He can punish those who disobey Him while honoring those who submit.
3. Allah is the name of God in Judaism
The word Allah is used frequently in Judaism. Translated from Arabic, the term means “god” but there are some considerations when using this term. First off, Allah should not be taken as representing Yahweh who is known in Scriptures; rather Allah should be seen as general term for supreme being.
Islam and Christianity both use Allah interchangeably when speaking about God; for Muslims, Allah refers to one universal deity who created all things in existence and sent prophets as messengers to preach his message; while Christians believe Yahweh is their Lord and Creator.
These differences can be seen in how Muslims and Christians pray; Jews typically use Hebrew, while Christians use English; they also differ in how they address God: Jews call Him “YHWH,” while Christians use terms such as Lord or God when speaking of their Creator.
Another difference between the two religions lies in their respective views on how God interacts with humanity. While the Jewish God loves sinners as children and wants a relationship with them as his family members, the Islamic god despises sinners; his desire for them being saved instead depends on them adhering to his laws voluntarily. On the contrary, Christianity offers hope through its belief in Christ’s death on the cross as being means for their redemption and salvation.
Another key difference between Muslim and Christian views of God lies in their respective views of whether or not He lied. According to Islam, He does not lie because it goes against his nature while in Christianity the God is faithful in fulfilling his promises. Therefore when using Allah it should not be used in a manner which implies He lies.
4. Allah is the name of God in Hinduism
Islam is a monotheistic religion that adheres to Allah, described as all-powerful, all-present, and all-knowing. Muslims believe Allah created everything living, as well as being all powerful yet beneficent; His name may also be known by other names within the faith – though Allah remains most commonly utilized.
Allah refers to “the” or “one God,” although this term isn’t found anywhere in the Hebrew Bible and does not have an equivalent plural form. Instead, its usage can be found by translating “Allah is.”
Before Islam was established, Muslims practiced five daily prayers at a shrine known as the Kaaba. At these services they faced Mecca and offered up prayers to Allah – even though each tribe in Mecca worshiped its own god with different names but all considered Allah. People living there would refer to their god as Allah regardless of whether they practiced Islam themselves.
Some scholars have conducted an examination of Allah and Yahweh to highlight similarities between their respective religions. Both belief systems believe in one monotheistic God who has sent prophets to reveal His will and produced scriptures which guide our lives; both religions also share an idea that there is only one path leading to eternal life.
However, there are significant distinctions between Allah and Yahweh. First of all, Allah is male-based while Yahweh is female-based. Additionally, Allah refers to one God while Yahweh encompasses several divine entities.
Some scholars have also asserted that Yahweh and Allah do not equate, with some noting that God of the Bible cannot lie as part of His nature while Allah can be misconstrued as having deceptive meaning; some others maintain that Allah fits more aptly with pagan polytheistic religions than Christianity – yet other scholars have dismissed these arguments as invalid.
