Muslims love Jesus (peace be upon him) as a mighty messenger of God, believe in his miraculous birth, and affirm that he healed the sick, gave life to the dead, and performed extraordinary miracles — all by God’s permission. The only real difference between Muslims and Christians on this matter is that Muslims maintain, based on clear scriptural evidence, that Jesus never claimed to be God and never asked anyone to worship him.
What the Bible Actually Says About God’s Name
The name “Allah” is not foreign to the Bible. When Jesus cried out from the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” the original word is Eli or Elah — which is the same root as Allah in Arabic. Even the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who claim God’s name is Jehovah, derived it from the Hebrew Tetragrammaton (YHWH), which when properly vocalized as Yahweh means “Oh He Who Is” — pointing to the same One God Muslims worship.
“In the very first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter one verse one, the commentary identifies God as Elohim, and alternatively spelled A-L-A-H — Allah. Jesus was crying out to Allah. This is the name of God, and this is the God that Jesus worshiped.”
Jesus Taught Pure Monotheism
- Jesus said “Our Father which art in heaven” — Our, not exclusively his, including even Judas in the group
- He used “your father” and “thy father” 13 times in the Gospel of Matthew before saying “my father” even once
- When asked about the greatest commandment, he answered: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord”
- At his most desperate moment, he cried out to God — proving he was calling upon a higher power, not himself
- If he were God himself, who was he crying to? How can God forsake Himself?
Building Bridges Through Understanding
“Come brothers, let us reason together. You don’t have to convert us and we won’t convert you — we can’t convert anyone, that is in the hands of God. But at least we can understand each other’s points of view so we become more tolerant.”
Islam does not ask Christians to abandon Jesus — it asks them to honor him in the way he deserves. He was a servant of God, a mighty prophet, and the Messiah sent to the children of Israel. By recognizing his true role and directing worship to the One God he himself prayed to, Christians and Muslims can find far more common ground than either side may realize.
