Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? (Part Two)

Muslims Know Who Their God Is

In addition to the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the core practices of Islam, there are the Six Articles of Faith, sometimes referred to as the Six Pillars of Faith. The Six Articles of Faith are: Belief in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree.  The Six Pillars of Faith are put into practice in the Five Pillars of Islam.

The Muslims, unlike the Samaritans and the Athenians, find their doctrine of Allah explicitly codified in the Quran. The Muslim god, Allah, is not the same as Christianity’s God.

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Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? (Part One)

Some call this question the “same God controversy.”[1] Former President George W. Bush said this in an interview: “I believe in an almighty God, and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God. That’s what I believe.”[2] I agree with Jared Wilson’s response to Bush’s ecumenical statement:

I think we come at this answer too easily, too thoughtlessly, simply assuming that because these three religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—are all monotheistic and share some historical heritage, they must worship the same God. Because lots of people worshiping one God does not mean they are worshiping the same God.[3]

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The Five Pillars of Islam

The Qur’an prescribes that righteousness is earned by keeping the Five Pillars of Islam: "Righteousness does not consist in turning your face towards East or West. The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day, in the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to orphans, the needy, travelers and beggars, and to liberate those in bondage; those who keep up the prayer (salat) and pay the prescribed alms (zakat); who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in misfortune, adversity, and times of danger. These are the ones who are true, and it is they who are aware of God." (Qur'an 2:177)

The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundations or pillars on which Islamic belief and practice rest and are necessary to earn righteousness to enter Paradise.

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