Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to address a question that has burdened my heart, especially as we focus on praying for Muslims during this Ramadan season. It's a question that many Christians wonder about but aren't sure how to answer: Is Allah God?
Let me begin by saying I do not claim to be an expert on Islam in any way. I've wrestled with this question, asked God for His wisdom, and talked to friends who work with Muslims for their thoughts. And the answer I've come up with is both no and yes. Let me explain.
[Comparing God and Allah - significant differences]
First, let me compare Jehovah God to Allah as defined by the Koran. The god of Islam, Allah, is seen as creator of the universe, all-powerful, and the one who determines the fate of all men—just as the Biblical God. But there are many ways in which they are not the same.
Dr. David Reagan explains it this way: "Allah is presented in the Koran as an autocratic ruler who is aloof and arbitrary. Allah is unknowable, whereas the God of the Bible is knowable. 2 Timothy 1:12 says But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day”
Allah is impersonal, unlike the personal God the Scriptures reveal. 1 Peter 5:6-7 reminds us to “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because He cares for you.
Allah is unitarian, whereas the God of the Bible is trinitarian. Paul points this out as he closes his letter in 2 Corinthians 13:14, with the words: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Listen to what the Koran says about the God of the Bible: "Believe in Allah and say not 'Trinity.' Cease! It is better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from his transcendent majesty that he should have a son."
Allah is capricious—unpredictable and arbitrary—whereas the true God is trustworthy and faithful. And Allah is never anywhere presented as a god of love, which is the very essence of the nature of the true God. 1 John 4:7-8 clearly states this - “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love”.
[What about Jesus?]
The differences become even more stark when we look at Jesus. The Koran denies point-blank that Jesus was the Son of God. It also denies His atoning sacrifice by claiming that He never died on the cross—that a substitute died for Him instead.
According to Islamic teaching, Jesus was translated to Heaven, like Enoch, where He will remain until He returns to kill all pigs, destroy all crosses, and convert the world to Islam. Then Jesus will marry, reign for 40 years, die, and be buried next to Muhammad in Medina.
Jesus is characterized in the Koran as nothing more than "an apostle of Allah"—just a prophet, not the Son of God, not the Savior.
[The conclusion - they are not the same]
So let me sum this up: Overall, the character and nature of Allah as declared by the Koran and his followers has some similarities but many fundamental differences from the character and nature of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
I do not believe that they are the same God at all. I do not believe that when Muslims pray to Allah and we pray to God our Father, we are praying to the same God.
However, I do not want to stop here—which is where I believe so many Christians stop, which is where I stopped until recently.
[The culture key - Allah as a bridge term]
As I spoke about in my recent podcast on redemptive analogy, for Christians to reach out to an entirely foreign people group, it is so important to find a culture key—something in that people group's culture that will help them relate to Jesus, that will open the door to the Gospel, that will show them that God has left a witness for Himself within their culture.
I believe, as do many other Christians, that one of the main culture keys for Muslims is the word "Allah."
Now before you react to that statement, let me share with you the words from my friend Malath, who is a pastor in Iraq. He has worked with Muslims his whole life and knows much about sharing Christ with them. Here's what he told me:
[Malath's perspective - an Iraqi pastor's wisdom]
"Allah is the name of God in Arabic. In our Arabic Bible, it is written Allah, so we are using the same term to express our faith in God. That is good because we consider that as a common ground between us.
However, the attributes of our God are totally different than Allah in Islam. Allah in Islam has 99 names and it is missing the one we have, which is 'God is Love.' So we use this name, 'God is Love,' to reach them and tell them that our God loves us and them as well. At our church in Iraq, we supply some food and children's gifts to show them the love of our God.
Also, Allah in Islam is very hard to reach or talk to, so we tell them it is not hard or impossible at all in Christianity. We as His people can be in fellowship with God—known to them as Allah. Also, as you know, there is no assurance of salvation in Islam, not like us, so you can use this also. All these things show to Muslims, in indirect ways, that our God is different than Allah in Islam."
[The key insight - same word, different meaning]
Did you catch that? While Allah and God are not the same God, the term "Allah"—as referring to a creator and all-powerful God—can be used as a common bond, a culture key, a redemptive analogy in order to introduce the God of the Bible to Muslims.
This has been done by numerous Christians throughout the centuries. In fact, as Malath stated, the Arabic translation of the Bible uses Allah as the word for God. Arab Christians have been using this term for nearly 2,000 years!
Missions professor, Dr. Goodwin, himself a missionary for many years, confirmed this: "My understanding, from talking with Egyptian Christians, is that the word Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. The word was around a long time before Islam started."
[Indonesia - effectiveness of this approach]
And this approach has proven remarkably effective. Don Richardson writes in his book on redemptive analogy:
"Millions of Christians in Indonesia—which has the highest number of Muslims of any country but also has a sizable number of Christians—use Allah for God and Tuhan Allah for Lord God. Perhaps because of this, Indonesian Christians have been much more effective in winning Muslims to Christ than any other Christians."
Think about that! Indonesian Christians have been more effective at reaching Muslims than Christians anywhere else in the world—and one of their strategies is using the familiar term "Allah" while filling it with the true content of who God really is as revealed in Jesus Christ.
[Muslim opposition - they know it works]
In fact, Muslims in some Muslim nations, knowing the access the name Allah gives to the Muslim heart, are passing laws to forbid Christians from using it in reference to the Gospel of Christ. Malaysian Christians have been banned from using "Allah" in their Bibles and worship. There have even been attacks on churches over Christian references to Allah.
Why would Muslims be so threatened by Christians using this word? Because they know it works! It creates a bridge. It allows Christians to say, "We're talking about the same category—the creator, the all-powerful one—but let me tell you who He really is."
[How this works practically]
Here's how this plays out in practical evangelism. When witnessing to a Muslim, a Christian can say:
"You believe Allah is the creator—so do we! But let me tell you what we've discovered about Him that the Koran doesn't reveal. Allah is not distant and unknowable—He wants to be known! He's not impersonal—He's deeply personal and cares about every detail of your life! And most importantly, Allah is love—1 John 4:8 says 'God is love.' That's His very nature."
Or a Christian can say: "You're praying to Allah five times a day, trying to reach Him, hoping your good works will be enough. But what if I told you that Allah has reached down to you? What if He's not distant and hard to reach, but has come near to you in the person of Jesus Christ?"
This approach doesn't compromise the Gospel—it communicates it in a way Muslims can understand and relate to.
[Defending truth while finding bridges]
Now, we must be clear: We are not saying that the Islamic understanding of Allah is correct. We're not affirming everything Muslims believe about God. We must defend the tenets of our faith—the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the atoning sacrifice on the cross, salvation by grace through faith.
But we must also diligently seek ways to share Christ with those who have a hard time understanding that Jesus came to die for them. Using familiar terminology as a starting point—and then correcting and filling in the true content—is a time-tested missionary strategy.
[The balance - no and yes]
So is Allah God? In the sense of "Is the Islamic understanding of Allah the same as the Biblical revelation of God?"—no, they are not the same. The differences are significant and fundamental.
But in the sense of "Can we use the Arabic word 'Allah' as a bridge term to communicate the true God to Muslims?"—yes, absolutely. Arab Christians have been doing this for 2,000 years, and Indonesian Christians are doing it effectively today.
[Closing application and prayer]
So here's what I want you to take away: Don't be afraid to find common ground with Muslims. When they talk about Allah as creator, agree with them—and then show them more. When they talk about trying to reach Allah through good works, empathize with their seeking—and then show them that God has reached down to them in Jesus.
Use the term they're familiar with, but fill it with the true content of who God really is. This isn't compromise—it's communication. It's finding the redemptive analogy that opens hearts to the Gospel.
Let me pray:
Thank you for joining me today. I hope this helps you think more clearly about how to communicate with Muslims without compromising the truth.
Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and find the bridges that lead them to Jesus!
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