Is Allah of Islam the God of the Bible?

Michael H. Edens

medens@nobts.edu

July 22, 2013

• Although many Muslims would quickly answer, “Yes!” and many Christians would just as quickly answer, “No!” , we need a better answer. 1. So, I have outlined what the Bible says about the living God. 2. Drawn together what Islamic written authorities (The Qur’an and Al Hadith Qudsi*) say about Allah. 3. Drawn contrasts and comparisons

• *Al Hadith = the sayings and practices of Muhammad the prophet of Islam as remembered and quoted by a chain of his followers ahis companions. Muslims disagree about which hadith are valid. The subset of these sayings which are considered the thoughts of God expressed in his words are al hadith qudsi.

• The Qur’an is truly only an Arabic book, by definition; however, translations of its meaning are available. The English translation of the Qur’an done by Yousef Ali is quoted in this presentation.

• The hadith are quoted from Forty Hadith Qudsi which is translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim & Denys Johnson-Davies

Qualities of Allah and the Biblical God

• We will find compatible and contrasting qualities.

• First, we will examine some “common ground” in the qualities of Allah and the God of the Bible

Comparable Essential Qualities

God is alive, the creator and provider of life.• Jer. 10:10; 1 Thess. 1:9; John 5:26; John

14:6; Heb. 7:16.

God is self-conscious and has His own will.• Ex. 3:14; 1 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 1:9, 11.

Comparable Essential Qualities

Spirituality• God is not matter, nor is He dependent on matter.

John 4:24; Rom. 1:20; 1 Tim. 1-17; Col. 1:15.

Infinite and Eternal• God cannot be limited and is without beginning or

end. He is only self-limited. I Kings 8:27; Job 11:7; Ps. 90:2, 102:27, 139:7, 145:3 & 9; Isa. 66:1; Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 17:27-28; Rom. 8:39, 11:33; 1 Tim. 1:17, 6:16; Rev. 1:8.

Comparable Essential Qualities

• God is self-caused and self‑existent. Ex. 3:14; 6:3.• All else exists because of His creative decree.

• God possesses quantitative completeness and qualitative excellence. Matt. 5:48; Ps. 18:30.

• To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth .… That is Allah, your Lord! there is no god but He, the Creator of all things: then worship ye Him: and He hath power to dispose of all affairs. … His grasp is over all vision:… is acquainted with all things.

• —the Qur’an, Al-An’am (Sura 6), ayiah (verse) 101-3

Comparable Essential Qualities

oGod is all knowing.oPs. 139:2; Isa. 44:28; 46:9-10; 1 Sam. 23:12;

Matt. 6:8; 10:29; Acts 15:8, 18; Heb. 4:13.

oGod’s choice of that which is always best.oJob 9:4; Job 12:13; Ps. 104:24; Rom. 16:27.

oGod rules perfectly and without limitation over all the universe.oPs. 59:13; 115:3; Isa. 40:15; Dan. 2:21; 1 Tim.

6:15; Rev. 19:16.

• Hadith Qudsi 17:Abu Dharr al-Ghifari heard the Prophet say that Allah said: “…‘O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you….”

Comparable Essential Qualities

Unity/Simplicity • There is no distinction in His essence and

existence. • God is ‘simple’ in that He is not composed of

parts.• Ex. 34:6-7; Deut. 6:4; Eph. 4:5-6.

• Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. 

—the Qur’an, Al-Ikhlas (Sura 112), ayat (verses) 1-4

The Qur’an is not in agreement on how the unity of God is expressed:

However: The God’s unity in the Bible is a unity of essence and complexity of persons. This concept is prohibited by the Qur’an.

So are there other differences?

• While there are minor differences, we will focus on other major conflicts between the concept of Allah and God of the Bible.– Besides rejecting the three persons of the

Godhead, the moral and relational impact of the God of the Bible is missing from Allah.

– Justice is replaced by sovereign capriciousness

• Veracity/FaithfulnessoGod is always true to His word and He is

Himself Truth and, therefore, the standard of truth.

oDeut. 32:4; Jer. 10:10, 11; Lam. 3:22, 23; John 17:3; Tit. 1:2; Heb. 6:18; Rev. 3:14.

o Righteousness/Justice oGod always does what it right and He is himself

the standard of righteousness and Justice. Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4; Ps. 19:8; Isa. 45:19; Rom. 3:25, 26

o HolinessoGod has perfect hatred for all sin. Ex. 32:9, 10;

Deut. 9:7, 8; John 3:36; Rom. 1:18.oGod eternally wills and maintains His own moral

excellence and, as well, is that attribute by which God is separated from all other entities as transcendent. Ex. 15:11; Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8.

Justice and Holiness is not a focus in the Allah of Isalm

• Hadith Qudsi 34: Anas heard the Messenger say:"Allah the Almighty said: ’O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you.

• Hadith Qudsi 39: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that Muhammad said: "Paradise and Hell-fire disputed together, and Hell-fire said: ‘In me are the mighty and the haughty.’ Paradise said: ‘In me are the weak and the poor.’ So Allah judged between them, ‘You are Paradise, My mercy; through you I show mercy to those I wish. And you are Hell-fire, My punishment; through you I punish those I wish, and it is incumbent upon Me that each of you shall have its fill.’" 

• Hadith Qudsi 17:Abu Dharr al-Ghifari heard the Prophet say that Allah said: "‘O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you….

• Eternal Love exists between God, the Father, Word or Son, and Spirit• Love

oGod is eternally self-giving.oZeph. 3:17, 18; John 4:8; 17:24.

• GoodnessoGod is the perfection of good.oPs. 34:8; 100:5; 106:1; Luke 18:19.

oGrace, mercy, patience - Grace is God's expression of goodness in His not giving us our due punishment; mercy is God's pity and goodness expressed toward those in distress; patience is the expression of God's goodness in withholding due punishment over a period of time.

• Hadith Qudsi 4: Abu Hurayrah reported that Muhammad said: "Allah said: ‘Sons of Adam inveigh [angrily fight] against Time, and I am Time, in My hand is the night and the day.’"

• "Unto Allah belongesth the heavens and the earth. He forgiveth whom He will and punishes whom He will.“

• —the Qur’an, Al-’Imran (Sura 3), ayiah (verse) 129

• Hadith Qudsi 12: Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari said that Muhammad said: "A man from among those who were before you was called to account. Nothing in the way of good was found for him except that …being well-to-do, he would … let off the man in straitened circumstances [from repaying his debt]." … Allah said: "‘We are worthier than you …. Let him off.’" 

• Hadith Qudsi 34 (cont.) O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.’" 

• Allah is said to be al Rahman, al Rahim, al ghaffar the kind, compassionate & forgiving. However these qualities are not Love and if they were there is a problem.

• Allah chooses to show his compassion on whom he chooses. It is a characteristic of Allah to be compassionate and to be sovereign in dispensing compassion.– For Allah’s compassion to be expressed since

He has no complexity in His unity, requires Him to create an object for his compassion. Islam denies that Allah benefits from creation but unlike the God of the Bible Allah does draw essential benefit from His creation.

So, Is Allah of Islam the God of the Bible?

• There is only one God, He is the Author of the Bible who came in the person of Jesus Christ. Some few aspects of Him are seen in the Allah of Islam.

• But the God of the Bible – Has relationship within the godhead and therefore

Love and Compassion (eternal qualities of God are not dependent on creation)

– While He is an eternal spirit, He also interacts directly with His creation.

– He clearly presents his just requirements and provides redemption for His creation.

• These things are not true of the Allah of Islam