There is no question that Muslims sincerely believe they pray to the same God as Christians and Jews.
Whether they are correct or not seems to be something we can safely leave to the Almighty to determine. It seems remarkably presumptuous for mortals to proclaim they know exactly where prayers to the One True God are “really” aimed, or which prayers He accepts and which He rejects.
Does the God described in the Koran differ significantly from the God described in the Bible? Sure, but then the God of the Old Testament differs considerably from the one defined in the New Testament. You can consider these varying descriptions to be portraying different aspects of a Person we cannot really define at all, or as being different Gods, as you choose.
Actually the Old Testament speaks volumes which is not only consistent but is Prophesied and brought to fruition in the New Testament. Same God, and remember our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus IS JEWISH, so any appeal to normalize Judaism without the Son or without the WORD of God or the MEMRA is absurd.
I agree that as there may be over 350 names for Christ in Scripture, that a person from an Islamic culture, might indeed pray to God, the Father, by a mechanism which He provides, the Son, in a number of symbols, and therefore might indeed be saved. But make no doubt about it, Islam came over 600 years after Christ resurrected and was ascended to heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father.
There is NO other name under heaven by which man may come to the Father.
If that hurts the cultural feelings of some people, tough. It hurts the feelings of God Himself moreso, when people deny Him, grieve Him and Quench His Spirit.
The next time somebody appeals to comparative religion, think about how God must think when He became man in the flesh and sacrificed Himself, simply so we might have a perfect example of how to think about Him and have a relationship with Him by what He has provided at absolutely no cost to ourselves.
In a worldly sense, I’d think we owe Him something. Through faith in Him, I realize what we owe Him, He has already paid and He simply seeks for us to remain in fellowship with Him in all things.
Damn,... that not only seems reasonable, it’s an deal of a lifetime, for all eternity. No need for any of us to get mealy mouthed about it. HE LIVES!