The Oneness of God

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Understanding Islam and How to Pray for the Muslim World

Introduction

It can be said that the Trinity is a stumbling block to most Muslims, but why is this? A reason could be one of the most important doctrines in Islam—the tawhid, which means the oneness of God. To a Muslim, Followers of Christ are polytheistic—believe in or worship more than one god—because they see them believing and worshipping three Gods, the Father, Son, and incorrectly, Mary, the mother of Jesus. As Christ Followers, it is necessary for us to reach out and show Muslims the love of the Father as a part of the Trinity. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the nature of God can be explained through the Trinity, which helps develop the relationship that Muslims long for, which Allah cannot and does not provide.

The Trinity

Another challenge Muslims have with Christianity is the issue of Fatherhood as the Quran clearly states that God does not have a son. In Islam, to say that Allah has a son commits the ultimate sin—shirk. Allah is one and has no son. Therefore, the whole concept of the Sonship of Christ and God the Father is foreign and forbidden to a Muslim; however, this is the essence of the Trinity. The Trinity breeds relationship. In the story of Abraham in the Old Testament, God came to Hagar and Ishmael when they were banished by Abraham and Sarah. As most know, Arabs are descendants of Ishmael. Even though Ishmael was not the promised son, the God of the Bible showed love, compassion, and relationship to him. Yet, on the other hand, the god of Islam is cold and distant, not having relationship with his followers.

The Quran’s view of Allah’s relationship with Muslims is as Abd to Rabb—slave to Master. Allah hears all things, but is never there (Surah 34:50). Allah is near, but cannot be seen (Surah 56:85). As a result, the Muslim god is beyond all the struggles of humanity and is an unreachable god. However, the God of the Bible not only hears our prayers, but listens and acts. Since He relates to humanity, God is not foreign to pain and suffering as Jesus was heavily bruised and scarred before dying on the cross.

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““Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise shared the same humanity—so that through death He might break the power of death (that is, the devil) and free those who by fear of death were in bondage all their lives.” ”

— Hebrews 2:14-15

On the other hand, Allah does not and cannot relate to humanity by nature of his character. Muslims do not see God as their father or equivalently themselves as his children. As a result, Muslims are only servants of a just master and cannot obtain any greater degree of intimacy with their creator. Yet, Jesus can and does relate.

In Allah’s 99 names, not one is relational or intimate. Allah is a god of scales—a cruel judge who hates the sinner. And Allah changes his affections, plays tricks, lies, and is temperamental. Therefore, the Islamic view of god denies emotion with Allah and four important factors—revelation of god, intimacy with god, the suffering of god, and the love of god. As a result, many Muslims tend to not have internal peace and fulfillment in their religion and god. They are lacking a relationship with him, which results in an emptiness that needs to be filled. Simply put, there is no assurance of going to paradise (heaven) in Islam. Jesus Christ is the only One who can fill that emptiness.

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““We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” ”

— 1 John 1:3

To help us as Followers of Christ engage with our Muslim friends, some questions we can ask include What is God like?, How does he relate?, Is he a god of purpose?, and Is he a god of forgiveness? The revelation of God through Christ Followers by the Holy Spirit, in words and actions, can be powerful tools to set Muslims on a path to Jesus, their loving Lord and Savior. The God of the Bible is waiting to have a relationship with them.

How to pray

Ask God to give you insight into how to be a ‘question asker’ with Muslims who He brings into your life. Seek to listen, not to teach ‘Christianity.’ Muslims need revelation-understanding from God to overcome these hurdles in their thinking. So ask God to help you to ask the right questions that will stimulate them to seek the truth and encounter revelation of God through the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER STARTER

Heavenly Father, change the way I think and help me be a tool in Your hand with every Muslim (and not-yet believer) You put in my path. Help me to have confidence in You, that You can and will give me the right questions to ask that would stir and direct them to You. Father, help me come out of timidity, apathy, fear, and other battles of my mind that would keep me from interacting with Muslims that are in my neighborhood and workplace. Today, work in my heart so I may see You have placed me exactly where I am to be and desire that I too would be a disciple maker. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Learn more about how GCM is making disciples in restricted-access nations by visiting our Disciple-Making Movements page.

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We believe the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are inspired by God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Peter 1:21)

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent who has revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Luke 3:22)

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for us, in His present rule as Head of the Church, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31)

We believe in the creation of mankind in God’s image, and the fall of man, resulting in universal guilt and total depravity; and the necessity, therefore, of redemption and restoration; that all men and women are lost spiritually and face the judgment of God, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, and that repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for regeneration by the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:17)

We believe salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47, John 3:3)

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life in the presence of our Lord, and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43-48)

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the Church, which has the duty to preach the Gospel to every person. (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:22)

We believe that we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of teaching, preaching, the prophetic, the apostolic, and evangelism. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

We believe in upholding the ordinances of the church of water baptism and holy communion.

The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded by the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 10:47,48, Romans 6:4)

The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26), and is enjoined on all believers “till He comes!”