Part - 1

For the last one year I am working among Muslims and I heard them say, "we believe in the same Yahweh God whom Abraham served who was the God of Moses." In other words, Allah is the same God of the Bible. It is surprising to hear this but most of the Muslims think that Allah is the same God of the Bible but is it reality? Let us see a few qualities of God of the Bible and of Allah.

God of the Bible is triune God

Let us start from Genesis. God of the Bible showed the quality of triune God in the whole Bible. Many think that Trinity came only after 365 A.D. But it is not truth. If we want to see the history of trinity we should turn to the first chapter of the Bible where we read in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Genesis 1:2, "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

Genesis 1:3, "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light."

In the very first verse we see God of the Bible and in second verse we see the Spirit of God and in the third verse we see that God spoke or Word of God i.e. Jesus. And what is trinity?

1. God,

2. Word of God (Jesus)

3. Spirit of God (Holy Spirit).

But when we read in Quran we see that Allah is not a triune god.

Again go back to Genesis. God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of Eden. Everything was nice and beautiful but when we read the 3^rd chapter of Genesis we see the fall of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve sinned and lost everything. Their soul died instantaneously, they were separated from God, they were excluded from the garden of Eden. They received the curse of God but does the story end there? No, story goes on and we see that God provided tunics of skin to cover their shame. This passage does not specifically say that God sacrificed animal for the atonement of their sins and provided skin tunic for them. But later we see in the 4^th chapter of Genesis that Cain and Abel brought sacrifice to God. And further we read that God gave Laws to Moses for atonement of our sins. And the Bible says in Hebrew 9:22, "And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." And further we read in New Testament that Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins. He took all our sins on the cross to give us eternal life.

So we read a specific pattern in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation that we humans are sinners and that God wanted us to save us from our sins. When He saw that animal sacrifice was not sufficient or not a permanent solution for our soul, He came down and gave Himself for us. He shed His precious blood on the cross taking all our sins on the cross. But He rose from the dead and lives forever. And He wants to give us eternal life.

But when we look in Quran we can see that Quran denies this. Quran abrogated the message of atonement through sacrifice. Quran abrogated the message of Salvation through blood sacrifice. Quran abrogated the message of the precious death of Jesus on the cross and replaced it with our own good work while we can not earn our salvation by our good works. If we do good then also what is the remedy for our past sins, which we have already committed?

If Allah and God of the Bible are the same God then how it is possible that we see a total contradiction in the message of the Bible and the message of the Quran? More than that, Allah did not promise eternal life, forgiveness of sins or salvation of his followers as we read in

Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

Sura 3:185, "Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception."

This Suras from Quran very clearly says that every soul shall have a taste of death, that is, if a person has to pass through hell fire, then how and why is it possible that he/she can come out of hell fire and go to paradise… no way.. this verse does not say anything about etrnal life. This verse very clearly says that every believer in Allah will be tasting death which means that they did not get the life which Jesus promised – that is eternal life and haven as we read in John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

According to Quran every soul is going to hell fire till the day of judgment which means that they are not reaching heaven. There is no chance to go to heaven once you go to hell fire.. but yes, Jesus cam save you when you are still in this world as He said in John 3:15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

How a person can save himself/herself from hell fire when he/she is already in hell fire? And this verse says that they will be there till the time of Day of Judgment. Do you think a person who is already in hell fire will get a seat in heaven after judgment? Judgment is a day when people get their final sentence or verdict.

But contrary to it Jesus promised heaven for those who believe on Him as we read in John 5:24, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

Psalms 86:15, "But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth."

James 5:11, "Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord; that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."

From Genesis to Revelation we see the God of the Bible as a compassionate God. He is full of compassion. He is a God who hears our cry and sees our tears and wants to wipe away all our tears. He is a God who has compassion for women and Children. Let us go back to Genesis and see one instance from there.

We read in Genesis Chapter 16 that Abraham’s wife Sarai was a barren woman. Years and years passed by but she had no children. And it really bothered her. Finally she got an idea and told her husband in Genesis16:2-3, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan."

Well, Hagar gave birth to Ishmael and all the problems started. Ishmael and Hagar were sent away by Abraham. Genesis 21:14, "So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba."

This is the compassion of a human. Abraham did not even care to provide a shelter for her but just sent her away from her home. I always think how he could do that being a great man of God? Yes, this is the love and compassion of man. It will end one day but there is a God whose compassions fail not. (Lamentations 3:22). Though Hagar’s husband rejected her God did not reject her. God did not say to her, "I have given authority and permission to man that what he wants he can do, if he threw you out, I can not do anything in between." When Hagar saw that the water was used up and when she thought that she has reached to the end of her and her son’s life, she lifted her voice and wept as we read in Genesis 21:15-16, "And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me not see the death of the boy." So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept."

Dear friend, you may be in this situation today that you might have reached to the end of your life. Your finances might have dried up. Your hopes might have faded away and you may be at the end of your rope. You may be thinking, "I have reached to the end where there is no hope. Your husband or your wife might have rejected you and thrown you out of your home. But there is a God who hears our cry. His name is Jesus, His name is Elohim, His name is Yahweh the almighty God.

When Hagar cried out in great pain and in great sorrow God heard her cry from heaven and answered her cry. And the Bible tells us in Genesis 21:17-19, "And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. "Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink."

Yes, the same God still hears our cry and answers prayer. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. No matter how much impossible may be the situations you maybe facing, He can help you out from all your problems. He is able to make a way out. No matter how much dried may be the situation you are facing, He can breath life in that. Yes, He is a God of compassion who moves with compassion. When Jesus was in this world and when He saw the sick and suffering He was moved with compassion for those and He met their needs.

But on the other side if we look at the quality of Allah, we can see that Allah is not compassionate. Quran says to a husband that he can beat his wife in Sura 4:34, "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all)."

Not only that Quran also says that men may marry up to four women (some texts say nine; other, an unlimited number) and have sex with an unlimited number of slave girls (Q 4:3).

And after all these what is the reward for a woman? Read this:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

The Prophet said: "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful." It was asked, "Do they disbelieve in Allah?" (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, "They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good (benevolent) to one of them and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, 'I have never received any good from you."

A woman whose husband can beat her, give her rights to other women by marring more than one woman is going to hell just because she is ungrateful to her husband. But at the same time a man is going to heaven no matter how many girls and wives he has, no matter how cruel he is towards his wife. In many message boards I read the tearful stories of Muslim women who faced hardship from their husband. Most of them wrote that their husbands justified themselves saying that they have the right and permission from Allah to beat and discipline their wives and marry more than one wife.

Again this proves that Allah is not the God of the Bible and his qualities are not at all matching with the God of the Bible who is compassionate and who cares for every human being whether they are women or men. There is no difference in His eyes for anybody. God is impartial as we read in Acts 10:34-35, "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him."

So obviously Allah and Elohim are different Gods and their messages and qualities are totally different and contrary to each other.

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Allah or Elohim - Are they same God? Part -1 to 11

3 God or 1 God?