Don Stewart :: Do Muslims Believe in the Same God as Christians? (Introduction)

Do Muslims Believe in the Same God as Christians?

Islam – Introduction

Islam is the second largest religion in the world. Only Christianity has more individuals claiming to be believers. However, to many people, Islam is a mystery. Few Christians really understand much about how the religion began, who Muhammad “the prophet” was, what claims are made about him, and what Muslims believe about their God, Allah.

Is Allah, the god of Islam, the same God as the One revealed in the Bible? Do believers in Allah actually believe in the God of Scripture? What exactly is Islam? What does it stand for?

This book gives a basic overview of the Islamic faith. We look at their history, major beliefs, and common practices. In doing so, we will concentrate on the beliefs of the majority of Muslims, the Sunnis. They comprise about 90% of the believers in Islam.

When talking to Muslims, it is essential that we have a correct understanding of what they believe. However, the Islamic faith is complex. In attempting to summarize the basic beliefs of Islam, it must be appreciated, that its founder, Muhammad, was a complex person. It is well-documented that his beliefs and attitudes changed during his lifetime in response to the events that occurred around him. As a result of this, we find certain contradictions in the Islamic belief system.

In addition, just as there are a number of different practices within Christianity, we find there are different practices among those who call themselves Muslims. Therefore, in summarizing Islam, we can only generalize. Certain Muslims may disagree with some of the points that are taught in this section.

There is one more important thing. This book will not only list the major beliefs and practices of Islam, we will also give the biblical response to the claims of Islam. In this way, we will consider the claims of Islam in light of Scripture. This is our purpose in putting together this book. It is not merely meant to supply information about who Muslims are, and what they believe. Rather it is meant to contrast two faiths: Islam and Christianity and see what each of them stands for. In doing so, we will cite Scripture extensively to illustrate the vast differences between these two faiths.