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When people of different religions study together in search of truth, it is good to establish common ground. The teachings of Christ and the teachings of Mohammed are opposite in so many ways. Yet we share the belief that there is one God, and once this is established we can move to the next step, which is to determine how God communicates with people--is it through the Koran or the Bible? Islam is promoted and maintained by terror and violence. Its adherents are warned they will be killed if they defect. Christianity is promoted by teaching about Jesus, which includes who He is, what He did, His doctrine (taught by Him and His apostles), and what He offers those who trust and obey. The Koran was written by one man who never did a miracle, sign, or wonder to confirm that his teachings were from God. The Bible is composed of 66 books and was written by 40 writers over a period of about 3500 years, yet its continuity and harmony are truly amazing. God confirmed the writers to be inspired with various miracles and signs (John 20:30-31; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). Jesus performed many miracles, offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and was resurrected from the dead, which is confirmed in history books such as those written by Josephus, the Jewish historian.
Many Muslims can be taught the truth revealed in the Bible, but unless Christians accept and utilize the common ground, which is that we worship the same God, there will be few conversions. Therefore, Christians who truly want to see Muslims converted should be leery of the idea that Muslims worship a false God.
Muslims SAY they worship the God of Abraham, who is the God of Israel--the same God Christians worship and their book also confirms this, so why deny it? Yes, many Muslims have been led to believe and practice terrible things, but this does not change the fact that both Christians and Muslims worship the one God who was the God of Abraham. With this established, it is evident that Muslims have no basis for making the charge that Christians are infidels.
Some Christians insist that the God Muslims worship is not the God they worship because Muslims call him Allah and there is no mention of Allah in the Bible. But Allah is the Arabic word for God. "Allah...is the Arabic word for God...literally "the God", referring to the God in Abrahamic religions (Wikipedia). Is it reasonable and correct to conclude that because of this Arabic name for God, Muslims have accepted and worship a different God? The French word for God is Dieu. Must we conclude Frenchmen worship a different God because they do not refer to Him using an English word? Admittedly, Muslims complicate and confuse the issue by saying in English, "There is no God but Allah." When speaking English, Muslims who want to be correct and not gender strife, should simply say, "There is only one God." This is something over which Muslims and Christians do not differ.
Christians agree that Muslims ignorantly worship God because they have followed the teaching of men instead of the inspired word of God, the Bible. Christians also agree that we need to show them the truth. But telling them their God is the wrong God is not the place to start. When Paul visited Athens he took the opportunity to build common ground with a people who were pagans, but according to him, ignorantly worshipping. These people knew nothing about the God of Abraham but their evil practices (worshipping idols) did not keep Paul from acknowledging that they were worshipping God. You see, they had made a sign that said, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD" and Paul said, "him declare I unto you" (Acts 17:23).
"For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you" (Acts 17:23).
Occasionally, some Christian will assert that Allah is a "moon god". But the Koran does not support that charge:
"And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not bow down (prostrate) to the sun nor to the moon, but only bow down (prostrate) to "Allah" Who created them, if you (really) worship Him." [Noble Quran 41:37]
Some contend that Muslims worship a different God than Christians because they do not have a proper concept of God. But this can be said of United Pentecost Church members who believe Jesus is the only person in the godhead. It can also be said of Jehovah's Witnesses who believe that Jesus was a created being and not God at all. There are even members of the Church of Christ who believe that Jesus was just a man.
That the God Muslims worship is the God of Abraham is clear because of the following quotes from the Koran:
"Twenty-Five Prophets Mentioned by Name in the Holy Qur'an Lo! We inspire thee (Muhammad) as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as we imparted unto David the Psalms; 164 And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spake directly unto Moses; 165 Messengers of good cheer and off warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise."
Thus, the Koran itself indicates their idea of God is based on the O.T. teaching, which Christians understand to be that Abraham and the other prophets believed in and worshipped the one God.
No matter how badly one behaves or how ignorant one is regarding God's true written word, whether Muslim or Christian, the fact that Muslims and Christians believe in the same one God is indisputable. Christians and Muslims have common ground and that is helpful in coming to a better understanding of Gods true will. Certainly there is no justification for any Muslim to seek to kill "unbelievers" when in fact those very people ("people of the book") worship the one God.
To say Allahu Akbar is not to chant some battle cry. It simply means "God is greatest." Indeed, He is but he wants people to learn the truth about him and put their trust in him and do what he says. Mohammed, through the Koran, teaches such things as deception, terror, murder, rape etc.--all contrary to the teaching of Jesus and his inspired apostles. Mohammed also teaches that those who turn away are to be killed. While such teaching and practice served him well in his efforts to keep converts from leaving, it suppresses the search for truth and seals the destiny of all Muslims in the event that the Bible, rather than the Koran, is the true word of God. One cannot reject Jesus Christ as the Son and truly know God the Father, yet this in no way proves that Muslims who say they worship the God of Abraham are actually worshipping a false god.
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