Is Allah God?

Asked if Muslims worship the same Almighty as Jews and Christians, President Bush replied some months ago, "I believe we worship the same God." The Islamic deity, known as Allah, in other words, is the same Supreme Being to whom Jews and Christians pray.

The president's statement provoked widespread dismay among Evangelicals; one poll found 79% of their leadership disagreeing with this view. Pat Robertson pungently explained why, observing "the entire world is being convulsed by a religious struggle. … whether Hubal, the Moon God of Mecca, known as Allah, is supreme, or whether the Judeo-Christian Jehovah, God of the Bible, is Supreme."

Muslims at times agree that God and Allah are different. Irshad Manji has recounted how her teachers at a madrassah in Canada taught her this. And a Jewish scholar, Jon D. Levenson, finds the claim that Christians and Muslims worship the same God "if not false, then certainly simplistic and one-sided."

This debate plays out at many levels. In the American scouting movement, Muslims promise "I will do my best to do my duty to God"; their British counterparts instead do their "duty to Allah."

This might seem like a minor semantic quibble, but the definition of Allah has profound importance. Consider two alternate ways of translating the opening line of Islam's basic declaration of faith (Arabic: la ilaha illa-la). One reads "I testify that there is no God but Allah," and the other "I testify that there is no deity but God."

The first states that Islam has a distinct Lord, one known as Allah, and implies that Jews and Christians worship a false god. The second states that Allah is the Arabic word for the common monotheistic God and implies a commonality with Jews and Christians.

The first translation is 40 times more common in a Google search than the second. Yet, the latter is accurate. Mr. Bush was right. There are several reasons to use the translation that equates Allah with God:

Scriptural: The Koran itself in several places insists that its God is the same as the God of Judaism and Christianity. The most direct statement is one in which Muslims are admonished to tell Jews and Christians "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our God and your God is One, and to Him we do submit" (E.H. Palmer translation of Sura 29:46) Of course, the verse can also be rendered "our Allah and your Allah is One" (as it is in the notorious Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation)

Historical: Chronologically, Islam followed after Judaism and Christianity, but the Koran claims Islam actually preceded the other monotheisms. In Islamic doctrine (Sura 3:67), Abraham was the first Muslim. Moses and Jesus introduced mistakes into the Word of God; Muhammad brought it down perfectly. Islam views Judaism and Christianity as flawed versions of itself, correct on essentials but wrong in important details. This outlook implies that all three faiths share the God of Abraham.

Linguistic: Just as Dieu and Gott are the French and German words for God, so is Allah the Arabic equivalent. In part, this identity of meaning can be seen from cognates: In Hebrew, the word for God is Elohim, a cognate of Allah. In Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, God is Allaha. In the Maltese language, which is unique because it is Arabic-based but spoken by a predominantly Catholic people, God is Alla.

Further, most Jews and Christians who speak Arabic routinely use the word Allah to refer to God. (Copts, the Christians of Egypt, do not.) The Old and New Testaments in Arabic use this word. In the Arabic-language Bible, for instance, Jesus is referred to as the son of Allah. Even translations carried out by Christian missionaries, such as the famous one done in 1865 by Cornelius Van Dyke, refer to Allah, as do missionary discussions.

The God=Allah equation means that, however hostile political relations may be, a common "children of Abraham" bond does exist and its exploration can one day provide a basis for interfaith comity. Jewish-Christian dialogue has made great strides and Jewish-Christian-Muslim trialogue could as well.

Before that can happen, however, Muslims must first recognize the validity of alternate approaches to the one God. That means leaving behind the supremacism, extremism, and violence of the current Islamist phase.

I do not know the answer to these questions, truly, because of my insufficient grasp of the teaching and practice of the pre-Paul church. Not being Jewish by heritage in any case, I never considered the matter, because my primary concern was always "What does the Lord require of me?" and I myself am not a descendant of Jacob.

As for the abuse of Jews by institutionalized Christianity, that's shameful, and there will be a reckoning for it at Judgment...so instead of "persecuting" and "torturing," the guilty parties should have done almost anything else; brushed their teeth, read a book, started a workout program, anything. Which you knew when you asked the question.

But the real heart of the matter is what you think of Jesus. Was he Messiah, or merely a prophet? If he was a prophet, we should all convert to Judaism at once. If he is the Messiah, then whether we keep the Law or not, we all must ask ourselves "What has changed? What does it mean, if the Messiah's come?"

Indeed, if Jesus the son of Mary and Joseph was the Messiah, what would that mean to you? Or to me? You haven't said as much, but I suspect that you discount the notion of Messiah-as-atoning-sacrifice. If there is no atonement, then what value was the Messiah to Israel, or to Jews today? Without Messiah-as-paschal-lamb, Jesus had a short life and a shorter ministry, and died humiliated. Less than a century later, Vespasian and Titus would put an end to Jewish nationalist apsirations for nearly two millenia.

If you look at him that way, he wasn't much of a Messiah.

"If he was a prophet, we should all convert to Judaism at once"

becoming a Noachide is probably all that would be required. Conversion if one so desired.

Sponsored by Aharon's Books and Judaica Denver, Colorado 303-322-7345 [about us] Bnai Noach The righteous of all nations and peoples have a share in the World To Come. According to Judaism, the Noahide laws apply to all humanity through their descent from Noah after The Flood. In Judaism, B'nai Noach (Hebrew, "Descendants of Noah", "The Children of Noah"), and Noahide, are non-Jews who live in accord with the seven Noahide Laws (below). A non-Jewish person of any ethnic/religion is referred to as a bat (daughter) / ben (son) of Noah. Any organization of B'nai Noach is composed of gentiles who follow these rules. All denominations of Judaism hold that gentiles (non-Jews) are not obligated to follow halakha (Jewish law and custom); only Jews are obligated to do so. Judaism has no tradition of active conversion, and modern-day Judaism discourages proselytization. Rather, for non-Jews, the Noahide Laws are considered the way to have a meaningful relationship with God. Maimonides states in his work Mishneh Torah (The laws of kings and their ruler ship 8:11) that a non-Jew who is precise in the observance of these Seven Noahide commandments is considered to be a Righteous Gentile and has earned the afterlife. This follows a similar statement in the Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin 105b). However, according to Maimonides, a share in the World to Come is only earned if a person follows the Noahide laws specifically because they consider them to be of divine origin (through the Torah) and not if they simply consider them a good way to live (in which case they would simply be a wise person). Other authorities do not make this distinction. The seven laws The seven laws are first mentioned in Tosefta Sanhedrin 9:4 and Talmud Sanhedrin 56a/b: Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not worship false gods. Do not be sexually immoral (forbidden sexual acts are traditionally interpreted to include incest, sodomy, male homosexual sex acts and adultery) Do not eat anything of the body of an unslaughtered animal (This is a humanitarian command; in many regions the practice was to cut meat from animals still alive, despite the suffering caused. See Kosher). Do not blaspheme. Set up righteous and honest courts and apply fair justice in judging offenders. The Talmud says: "Righteous people of all nations have a share in the world to come" (Sanhedrin 105a). Any person who lives according to these laws is known as "the righteous among the gentiles". Maimonides states that this refers to those who have acquired knowledge of God and act in accordance with the Noahide laws. Various rabbinic sources have different positions on the way the seven laws are to be subdivided in categories. Maimonides (Melakhim 10:6) lists one additional Noahide commandment forbidding the coupling of different kinds of animals and the mixing of trees. Radbaz expressed surprise that he left out castration and sorcery which were listed in Baraita (Sanhedrin 56B). The tenth century R. Saadia Gaon added tithes and levirate marriage. The eleventh century R. Nissim Gaon included listening to God's Voice, knowing God and serving God besides going on to say that all religious acts which can be understood through human reasoning are obligatory upon Jew and Gentile alike. The fourteenth century R. Nissim ben Reuben Gerondi added the commandment of charity. The sixteenth century Asarah Maamarot of R. Menahem Azariah of Fano enumerates thirty commandments, listing the latter twenty-three as extensions of the original seven. Another commentator (Kol Hiddnshei Maharitz Chayess I, end Ch. 10) suggests these are not related to the first seven, nor based on Scripture, but were passed down by tradition. The number thirty derives from the statement of Ulla in Hullin 92A though this third century C.E. Talmudic sage lists only three other rules in addition to the original seven, consisting of the prohibitions against homosexuality and cannibalism, as well as the imperative to honor the Torah. Rashi then remarks that he does not know the other Commandments referred to. Though the authorities seem to take it for granted that Ulla's thirty Commandments included the original seven, an additional thirty laws is also possible from the reading. The tenth century R. Samuel ben Hophni Gaon's list of thirty Noahide Commandments is based on Ulla's Talmudic statement though the text is problematic. He includes the prohibitions against suicide and false oaths, as well as the imperatives related to prayer, sacrifices and honoring one's parents. The commandments, according to Rav Shmuel ben Hophni Gaon (early Middle Ages), cover: Idolatry No idolatry To pray To offer ritual sacrifices only to God Blasphemy To believe in the singularity of God No blasphemy No witchcraft No soothsayers No conjurers No sorcerers No mediums No demonology No wizardry No necromancy To respect father & mother Murder No murder No suicide No Molech worship (infant sacrifice) Property No stealing Sexual Immorality No adultery Formal marriages via bride price & marriage gifts No incest with a sister No homosexuality No bestiality Not to crossbreed animals No castration Food Laws Not to eat a limb of a living creature Not to eat or drink blood Not to eat carrion (for those recognized by a Beth Din) Justice To establish courts and a system of justice No false oaths The contemporary Rabbi Dr. Aaron Lichtenstein counts 66 instructions but Rabbi Harvey Falk has suggested that much work remains to be done in order to properly identify all of the Noahide Commandments, their divisions and subdivisions. Theft, robbery, and stealing covers the appropriate understanding of other persons, their property, and their rights. The establishment of courts of justice promotes the value of the responsibility of a corporate society of people to enforce these laws, and define these terms. The refusal to engage in unnecessary lust or cruelty demonstrates respect for the Creation itself, as renewed after the Flood. To not do murder would include human sacrifice as being forbidden. Jewish tradition states that there is always a potential Messiah in waiting in each generation. Perhaps Jesus was the designated at that time, but since he didn't establish a Messianic state our tradition would state that either he wasn't it or it was not the right time. There are also those who talk of more than one Messiah, and if so then he would not necessarily be a failure.However. since all is based on ones faith no one knows who is correct. someone put it best by saying when the Messiah comes (or returns) we can ask him.

Since I do not personally know any Christian scholars, can you ask your minister if my theory is plausible within your teachings (concerning Jewish Christians). to me it seems more consistent with the original Jewish Church than the replacement theology of the Catholic Church.

If he was a prophet, we should all convert to Judaism at once"

becoming a Noachide is probably all that would be required. Conversion if one so desired.
from a bnai noah website:
Sponsored by Aharon's Books and Judaica Denver, Colorado 303-322-7345 [about us] Bnai Noach The righteous of all nations and peoples have a share in the World To Come. According to Judaism, the Noahide laws apply to all humanity through their descent from Noah after The Flood. In Judaism, B'nai Noach (Hebrew, "Descendants of Noah", "The Children of Noah"), and Noahide, are non-Jews who live in accord with the seven Noahide Laws (below). A non-Jewish person of any ethnic/religion is referred to as a bat (daughter) / ben (son) of Noah. Any organization of B'nai Noach is composed of gentiles who follow these rules. All denominations of Judaism hold that gentiles (non-Jews) are not obligated to follow halakha (Jewish law and custom); only Jews are obligated to do so. Judaism has no tradition of active conversion, and modern-day Judaism discourages proselytization. Rather, for non-Jews, the Noahide Laws are considered the way to have a meaningful relationship with God. Maimonides states in his work Mishneh Torah (The laws of kings and their ruler ship 8:11) that a non-Jew who is precise in the observance of these Seven Noahide commandments is considered to be a Righteous Gentile and has earned the afterlife. This follows a similar statement in the Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin 105b). However, according to Maimonides, a share in the World to Come is only earned if a person follows the Noahide laws specifically because they consider them to be of divine origin (through the Torah) and not if they simply consider them a good way to live (in which case they would simply be a wise person). Other authorities do not make this distinction. The seven laws The seven laws are first mentioned in Tosefta Sanhedrin 9:4 and Talmud Sanhedrin 56a/b: Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not worship false gods. Do not be sexually immoral (forbidden sexual acts are traditionally interpreted to include incest, sodomy, male homosexual sex acts and adultery) Do not eat anything of the body of an unslaughtered animal (This is a humanitarian command; in many regions the practice was to cut meat from animals still alive, despite the suffering caused. See Kosher). Do not blaspheme. Set up righteous and honest courts and apply fair justice in judging offenders. The Talmud says: "Righteous people of all nations have a share in the world to come" (Sanhedrin 105a). Any person who lives according to these laws is known as "the righteous among the gentiles". Maimonides states that this refers to those who have acquired knowledge of God and act in accordance with the Noahide laws. Various rabbinic sources have different positions on the way the seven laws are to be subdivided in categories. Maimonides (Melakhim 10:6) lists one additional Noahide commandment forbidding the coupling of different kinds of animals and the mixing of trees. Radbaz expressed surprise that he left out castration and sorcery which were listed in Baraita (Sanhedrin 56B). The tenth century R. Saadia Gaon added tithes and levirate marriage. The eleventh century R. Nissim Gaon included listening to God's Voice, knowing God and serving God besides going on to say that all religious acts which can be understood through human reasoning are obligatory upon Jew and Gentile alike. The fourteenth century R. Nissim ben Reuben Gerondi added the commandment of charity. The sixteenth century Asarah Maamarot of R. Menahem Azariah of Fano enumerates thirty commandments, listing the latter twenty-three as extensions of the original seven. Another commentator (Kol Hiddnshei Maharitz Chayess I, end Ch. 10) suggests these are not related to the first seven, nor based on Scripture, but were passed down by tradition. The number thirty derives from the statement of Ulla in Hullin 92A though this third century C.E. Talmudic sage lists only three other rules in addition to the original seven, consisting of the prohibitions against homosexuality and cannibalism, as well as the imperative to honor the Torah. Rashi then remarks that he does not know the other Commandments referred to. Though the authorities seem to take it for granted that Ulla's thirty Commandments included the original seven, an additional thirty laws is also possible from the reading. The tenth century R. Samuel ben Hophni Gaon's list of thirty Noahide Commandments is based on Ulla's Talmudic statement though the text is problematic. He includes the prohibitions against suicide and false oaths, as well as the imperatives related to prayer, sacrifices and honoring one's parents. The commandments, according to Rav Shmuel ben Hophni Gaon (early Middle Ages), cover: Idolatry No idolatry To pray To offer ritual sacrifices only to God Blasphemy To believe in the singularity of God No blasphemy No witchcraft No soothsayers No conjurers No sorcerers No mediums No demonology No wizardry No necromancy To respect father & mother Murder No murder No suicide No Molech worship (infant sacrifice) Property No stealing Sexual Immorality No adultery Formal marriages via bride price & marriage gifts No incest with a sister No homosexuality No bestiality Not to crossbreed animals No castration Food Laws Not to eat a limb of a living creature Not to eat or drink blood Not to eat carrion (for those recognized by a Beth Din) Justice To establish courts and a system of justice No false oaths The contemporary Rabbi Dr. Aaron Lichtenstein counts 66 instructions but Rabbi Harvey Falk has suggested that much work remains to be done in order to properly identify all of the Noahide Commandments, their divisions and subdivisions. Theft, robbery, and stealing covers the appropriate understanding of other persons, their property, and their rights. The establishment of courts of justice promotes the value of the responsibility of a corporate society of people to enforce these laws, and define these terms. The refusal to engage in unnecessary lust or cruelty demonstrates respect for the Creation itself, as renewed after the Flood. To not do murder would include human sacrifice as being forbidden.

back to me:

Jewish tradition states that there is always a potential Messiah in waiting in each generation. Perhaps Jesus was the designated at that time, but since he didn't establish a Messianic state our tradition would state that either he wasn't it or it was not the right time. There are also those who talk of more than one Messiah, and if so then he would not necessarily be a failure.However. since all is based on ones faith no one knows who is correct. someone put it best by saying when the Messiah comes (or returns) we can ask him.

Since I do not personally know any Christian scholars, can you ask your minister if my theory is plausible within your teachings (concerning Jewish Christians). to me it seems more consistent with the original Jewish Church than the replacement theology of the Catholic Church.

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