Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? Part V

by Umar F. Abd-Allah

Part 5 in a 5 part series

As a Muslim, I am led by my understanding of religious history, languages and Islamic theology to say unequivocally that Christians and Muslims worship the sameGod. But at the outset I wonder if it is appropriate to ignore the political setting fordiscussing such a topic and its possible bearing on human lives. The quotations from George Bush and Ted Haggard-the first timely, the second reckless-give theappearance of offering theological clarifications, while each is firmly grounded inpolitical bedrock. Can we undertake our query as an academic exercise and set aside its political context within the charged ambience of our times?

It is suggested that we not be encumbered in the discussion by what is politically correct. Political correctness is good etiquette and sensible advice for not getting punched in the nose. But this topic implicates much weightier concerns than mere political correctness-like fundamental considerations of moral responsibility and human rights.

As an educator, I have rarely encountered students who liked being told what they are to think; as a Muslim, I am naturally sensitive to attempts by others to define what Ior my community believes. Few Jews or Christians would delegate to others the definition of themselves or their private and collective devotion. While welcoming the Christian Century's commendable undertaking of this discussion, I remain asfundamentally interested in the current implications of the question "Do we worship thesame God?" as I am with answering it. Will the question be taken as inquisitive or Inquisitorial? Who carries the burden of proof? Do we make similar inquiries equally ofall groups? Would a negative answer-the preference of Ted Haggard and others on theReligious Right-imply negative consequences? If we were to insist that Christians did not worship the same thing as Buddhists or Hindus-not to mention agnostics andatheists-would that jeopardize basic rights, constructive dialogue and positive social engagement?

I take pride in Islam's centuries-long eminence as a global civilization, upholdingreligious tolerance at a time when it was little known and less practiced elsewhere andfashioning arabesques of unity in diversity out of the races and major denominations of Eurasia and Africa. I am also soberly conscious of the challenges of our time and thedamaging, culturally predatory effect of religious fundamentalisms among us all. Humanbeings cast shadows, and so too the religious traditions in which they have a part.

Unity in diversity is a lofty goal and requires candor about what separates as well as what joins us; an arabesque begins with the integrity of its smallest parts. In 21st-century America, the quest for God's wisdom in our plurality is a religious aspiration worthy-and, I would add, natural-for us all. But as we continue along this path, we dowell to keep the Islamic adage in mind, "When the scholar slips, thousands fall." Not all questions are dispassionate; some affect people's lives and well-being and should not be battered about in the political winds of the time.

We must first be clear about what we mean when we ask if Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Is it a question of indication and identity or ofattributions, character and actions? Are we talking about subjects or predicates? Ultimately, we must talk about both. By focusing on the subject-the ontological identityof the object we worship and the names we use to set it apart-we enter into an area ofcommon understanding and broad consensus.

Etymologically, Jews, Christians and Muslims originally called God by virtuallyidentical names. The Arabic All_h comes from the same root as the biblical "God"(El_him, h_El_him and h_-Eloh) invoked by the Hebrew prophets or the Aramaic/Syriac Al_h_ presumably used by John the Baptist and Jesus. Historically, we have identified our "object of worship"-probably the literal proto-Semitic sense of All_h, El_him and Alh_--as the God of Abraham. And, in general, homo religiosus--within and without the Abrahamic traditions makes re markably similar allusions to God, creator of the heavens and earth.

If, however, we insist on the predicates, then we enter into the difficult terrain of theological dispute and creedal dissonance. But predicates should not be forever avoided; they are detrimental only when emphasized to the exclusion or concealment of the subject.

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This article is part 5 in a 5 part series exploring the question: "Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?" Copyright 2004 CHRISTIAN CENTURY. Reproduced by permission from the May/June 2004 issue of the CHRISTIAN CENTURY. Subscriptions: $49/year from P.O. Box 378, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. 1-800-208-4097

Read Part One (Jon D. Levenson)

Read Part Two (Lamin Sanneh)

Read Part Three (J. Dudley Woodberry)

Read Part Four (S. Wesley Ariarajah)

Read Part Five (Umar F. Abd-Allah)