Is ‘allah’ Of Islam Another Name For The God Of Abraham, Isaac, And Jacob?

The word ‘Islam’ means ‘submission’ or ‘surrender,’ as its followers are to surrender to Allah's will continuously. It is because the name ‘Allah’ translates as ‘god,' that many Christians who live in the Middle East incorrectly use the word “Allah” when referencing the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, it is important to note that the terms “God” or “Allah” actually mean different things when spoken by various people. The God of the Bible and the god of Islam have absolutely nothing in common, and Jews and Christians do not worship the god of Islam.

Muhammad bin Abdullah

In AD 570, a man named Muhammad bin Abdullah was born. He worked for a rich widow named Khadija and married her. In AD 610, he came to her and said, "The angel Gabriel has appeared unto me," and then he described it "with a silken scroll." He then told her, "The angel Gabriel came and holding the scroll said,' Read in the name of the Lord God who made man from a drop, read.'" At that moment, the religion of Islam was born in Mecca, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia

Mohammad began telling his family and fellow polytheistic tribesmen who lived in Mecca about his experience and that he was called to become Allah's chosen messenger and proclaim the message of submission. Whoever obeyed the message became a Muslim (one who submits). After 12 years of preaching that message, he had only about 100 converts, who were mostly relatives. The Mecca tribesmen let him preach his message until AD 622 when they forced him to leave. He settled in Medina, and from there, he began to launch warring raids everywhere to proclaim his message.

Shiites and Sunnis

When Muhammad died, a schism began over who should replace him, which led to Islam breaking into two major sects known as the Sunnis and the Shiites. Shiite Muslims believe that only the caliph Ali and his descendants are Muhammad's real successors. They deny the legitimacy of the first three caliphs. Today, Shiite Muslims have a considerable presence in Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

Sunnis make up nearly 90 percent of Muslims worldwide. They accept that the first four caliphs were the true successors of Muhammad.

Within the two major divisions of Islam are numerous sects such as Wahhabi, Alawite, Nation of Islam, Sufism, and Kharijites.

The Holy Book of Islam

The Qur’an is considered the most important holy book among Muslims. It is written in the first person by Allah, speaking through Gabriel to Muhammad. The book contains 6,236 verses in 114 chapters, which are called Surahs. The Hadith, a collection of Muhammad's sayings and traditions, is the second most important book. Muslims also revere some material in the Judeo-Christian Bible. Muslims worship Allah by praying and reciting the Qur’an. They believe there will be a day of judgment and life after death.

The Qur’an contains some basic excerpts from the Hebrew Bible as well as revelations given to Muhammad. It is considered Allah’s final word and supersedes any previous writings, including the Bible. Most Muslims believe that Muhammad’s scribes wrote down his words, which became the Qur'an (Muhammad himself was never taught to read or write). Scholars believe the Qur’an was compiled shortly after Muhammad’s death under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr.

In the Qur'an, Allah demands war against unbelievers, especially against Jews and Christians (Surah 2:216; 5:34; 9:5, 29, 73, 47:4; 123-124, 191). Many passages in the Qur'an exhort Muslims to hate, kill or terrorize infidels (non-Muslims) wherever they find them (See Sura 2:190-193, 2:216, 2:244, 3:56, 3:142, 3:151, 4:56, 4:74 (beheading), 4:76, 4:84, 4:89, 4:91, 4:95, 4:104, 5:51, 5:32-38, 7:96-99, 8:12-15 (beheading), 8:39, 8:57-60, 8:65-67, 9:5, 9:14, 9:20-30, 9:38-41, 9:73, 9:88, 9:111, 9:123, 17:16, 18:65-81, 21:44, 22:18-22, 25:52, 33:60-62, 47:3-4 (beheading), 47:35, 48:16-17, 48:29, 61:4, and 66:8-12.

Five Pillars of Islam

Muslims follow five basic pillars that are essential to their faith. These include:

1. Shahada: to declare one’s faith in Allah and belief in Muhammad.

2. Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening)

3. Zakat: to give to those in need

4. Sawm: to fast during Ramadan

5. Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during a person’s lifetime if the person is able

Sharia Law

Islam’s legal system is known as Sharia Law, which directs Muslims on how they should live in nearly every aspect of their lives. It requires men and women to dress modestly and outlines marriage guidelines and other moral principles for Muslims.

If crimes are committed, Sharia Law is known for its harsh punishments, such as cutting off the hand of someone who steals or stoning to death someone caught in adultery.

Evangelism

According to the Hadith (a type of report), lying is allowed to win converts: