Yahweh and Allah: The Same God?

Lately I have heard many people say that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. They make this claim because they do not think about the issue any further than Allah means god in Arabic. Since Allah simply means god this obviously leads one to conclude they are the same. Some will go a little further by saying that Ishmael was a descendant of Abraham and Yahweh is the God of Abraham so Allah, the god of the Arab people who descended from Ishmael, must be the same.

This thinking disregards the actual nature of Yahweh and Allah. Just because both names refer to a god, does that mean they are both the same God? Absolutely not! I am not going to go into the beliefs of Islam because I am not Muslim but there is one aspect of Islam that is undeniably a belief of their faith. That is, Jesus was a prophet but not Himself God. Jesus was just a man and they deny that He was crucified, died, and resurrected three days later. What does the Bible say about this?

The Bible is absolutely clear on the Deity of Jesus, His place in the Holy Trinity where He is Himself God who came down and became a man to live a perfect life amongst us, die for our sins, and raise three days later from the dead.

The clearest scripture stating that Jesus is God is found in John 1:1-3, 14.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

It is very clear here that the Word being spoken about is Jesus Christ. He was there with the Father in the beginning and He Himself was God with the Father. He made all things and then He became flesh and dwelt with His creation.

This is not the only verse that clearly states that Jesus is Himself God.

Romans 9:5 states:

Rom 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

1 Timothy 3:16 states:

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world,
received up into glory.

Hebrews 1 states:

Heb 1:1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Heb 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
Heb 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
Heb 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Heb 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
Heb 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
Heb 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
Heb 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

The Deity of Christ is also expressed in many places in the Old Testament. One very clear expression of His Deity is found in Zechariah 12:10-14.

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Zec 12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
Zec 12:12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
Zec 12:13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
Zec 12:14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

What does all of this mean? It means that Christianity clearly teaches that Jesus is our God. He and the Father are one. They are two parts of the Holy Trinity that also includes the Holy Spirit, the Helper that Jesus sent humanity after He left Earth to sit on His throne at the right hand of the Father. The Spirit that calls men to repentance and leads them to the saving grace of our Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

The Bible states that Jesus is the only way through which men can be saved in Acts 4:10-12.

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

1 John 2:22-24 states:

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

To say that Jesus is the Christ means that He is the promised Messiah. The scriptures clearly teach that this Messiah is Himself God as seen by the previous scriptures. If you deny this, John is saying that you are also denying the Father and not just the Son. If you deny the Son, you do not have the Father. Muslims deny that Jesus is the Messiah. They deny that He is God, part of the Trinity.

Galatians 1:6-12 states:

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

According to Muhammad, the angel Gabriel gave him the Koran and the "new gospel" of Islam. Paul is saying here that if any man or angel from Heaven comes down with a different gospel other than the one given by the Apostles, they are accursed. Islam teaches an entire different message than that of Christianity. They deny that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They deny that He is the only name by which men must be saved. They deny that He is God and the He was resurrected from the dead.

Romans 10:9 says:

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Unless Muslims are ready and willing to proclaim that Jesus is Lord (Meaning that He is also God) and believe that God has raised Him from the dead (resurrection three days after crucifixion) then they are not believing in the God of Christianity.

Yahweh and Allah are not the same. While both may be gods, only one is the True and Living God, the Creator of all things and the one who has the authority to save and allow to enter into Heaven.

Which one is real is entirely up to you. I know which one I believe is real.