--- title: "Is Allah the Same God Christians Worship? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, used by Arab Christians too. Muslims worship the God of Abraham, but understand His nature differently from Christians." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/compare/is-allah-the-same-god/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Compare Faiths](https://islamismercy.com/en/compare/) 3. Is Allah the Same God Christians Worship? # Is Allah the Same God Christians Worship? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 3 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Allah is simply the Arabic word for God — the same word Arabic-speaking Christians use in their prayers and their Bibles. Muslims believe they worship the one God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, the Creator whom Christians and Jews also worship, while understanding His nature differently — Islam teaches strict oneness (tawhid), while most Christians believe in the Trinity. ## On this page 1. “Allah” is the Arabic word for God 2. The God of Abraham 3. Where the understanding differs 4. Same God, different descriptions? 5. Why the conversation matters Some people imagine that Muslims worship a different, foreign deity called “Allah”. But walk into a church in Cairo, Beirut or Amman on a Sunday morning, and you will hear Christians praying to Allah too. The question behind the question is a deeper one: when Muslims and Christians speak of God, are they speaking of the same Being? ## “Allah” is the Arabic word for God *Allah* is simply how you say “God” in Arabic. It is the word Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews used before Islam, and still use today. The most widely used Arabic Bible, the Van Dyck translation, opens with the words *Fi al-bad’i khalaqa Allahu as-samawati wal-ard* — “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, KJV). The word is related to the Aramaic *Alaha*, the language Jesus (peace be upon him) spoke, and to the Hebrew *Eloah* and *Elohim*. So when Muslims say *Allah*, they are not naming a tribal or local god; they mean the one God, the Creator of everything. You can read more in [Who Is Allah?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-is-allah/) ## The God of Abraham Muslims believe they worship the same God who spoke to Abraham, gave the Torah to Moses and sent Jesus with the Gospel. The [Qur’an](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/quran/) tells Muslims to say exactly this to Jews and Christians: > ۞ وَلَا تُجَٰدِلُوٓا۟ أَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَٰهُنَا وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ وَٰحِدٌۭ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾ > And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims \[in submission\] to Him." [Qur'an, Al-Ankaboot 29:46](https://quran.com/29?startingVerse=46&translations=20)Saheeh International This verse is remarkable. It does not tell Muslims that Christians worship something else; it tells them to say *our God and your God is one*. In the Muslim view, Jews, Christians and Muslims are all turning to the same Creator — the God of Abraham. ## Where the understanding differs The difference between Islam and Christianity is not the name of God but how His nature is understood. Most Christians believe in the Trinity: that the one God exists eternally as three persons — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — equal and undivided. Christians are clear that they are monotheists and do not worship three gods. Islam teaches *[tawhid](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/tawhid/)*: God is one in every sense, without partners, without offspring, and without any division within Him. The Qur’an’s shortest summary of this belief is a chapter Muslims recite every day: > قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ﴿٤﴾ > 1Say, "He is Allah, \[who is\] One, 2Allah, the Eternal Refuge. 3He neither begets nor is born, 4Nor is there to Him any equivalent." [Qur'an, Al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4](https://quran.com/112?startingVerse=1&translations=20)Saheeh International The Qur’an also speaks to Christians directly on this point, with honour for Jesus and a clear call to pure oneness: > يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَا تَغْلُوا۟ فِى دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُۥٓ أَلْقَىٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌۭ مِّنْهُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۖ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ ثَلَٰثَةٌ ۚ ٱنتَهُوا۟ خَيْرًۭا لَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱللَّهُ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥٓ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ ۘ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًۭا ﴿١٧١﴾ > O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul \[created at a command\] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, "Three"; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs. [Qur'an, An-Nisaa 4:171](https://quran.com/4?startingVerse=171&translations=20)Saheeh International Notice that even here, Jesus is called the Messiah, a messenger of God, *His word* and *a soul from Him*. The verse does not belittle Jesus; it asks that he not be raised to the level of God. ## Same God, different descriptions? Think of two people describing the same person. They may disagree on some details, yet both are clearly talking about the same individual — even if one of them is mistaken on a point. Muslims see the relationship to Christianity in a similar way: both faiths turn to the one Creator of the heavens and the earth, the God of Abraham, but Muslims believe that the Trinity is not a correct description of Him. Christians themselves answer this question in different ways. Some say Muslims and Christians worship the same God with different understandings; others say the differences are too great to call Him the same. Both views are held sincerely, and the question is worth discussing calmly. Muslims often point out that Jesus himself began the greatest commandment with the creed of Israel: *“Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord”* (Mark 12:29, KJV). For Muslims, that sentence sums up their entire faith. ## Why the conversation matters The Qur’an invites Christians and Muslims to come together on *a common word*: to worship God alone and associate nothing with Him (Qur’an 3:64). That invitation assumes we are talking about the same God, and that the conversation is worth having. If you would like to continue it, read [Islam and Christianity: What We Share and Where We Differ](https://islamismercy.com/en/compare/islam-and-christianity/) or learn more about [why Muslims believe God is one](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/god-is-one/). ![Is Allah the Same God Christians Worship?](https://islamismercy.com/_astro/is-allah-the-same-god-info.BvN7tXD__Z1wQuqv.jpg) ## Key takeaways - "Allah" is the Arabic word for God, used by Arab Christians and in Arabic Bibles. - Muslims believe they worship the God of Abraham, the same Creator Jews and Christians worship. - The real difference is not the name but the understanding of God's nature — Trinity or strict oneness. - The Qur'an tells Muslims to say to Christians and Jews that our God and their God is one. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=Is%20Allah%20the%20Same%20God%20Christians%20Worship%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fcompare%2Fis-allah-the-same-god%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fcompare%2Fis-allah-the-same-god%2F&text=Is%20Allah%20the%20Same%20God%20Christians%20Worship%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Is%20Allah%20the%20Same%20God%20Christians%20Worship%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fcompare%2Fis-allah-the-same-god%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fcompare%2Fis-allah-the-same-god%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, Al-Ankaboot 29:46](https://quran.com/29?startingVerse=46&translations=20) - [Qur'an, Al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4](https://quran.com/112?startingVerse=1&translations=20) - [Qur'an, An-Nisaa 4:171](https://quran.com/4?startingVerse=171&translations=20) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Start Here ### Who Is Allah? Allah is the Arabic word for the one God, Creator of everything. Learn how the Qur'an describes Him, His beautiful names, and why Arab Christians say Allah too. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-is-allah/)[What Muslims Agree On ### God Is One: No Partner, No Son, No Equal The oneness of God (tawhid) is the foundation of Islam. Here is what Muslims mean by it, in plain words, with the Qur'an's own description of God. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/god-is-one/)[Compare Faiths ### Islam and Christianity: What We Share and Where We Differ Muslims and Christians share faith in one Creator, love for Jesus and Mary, and a common moral vision. Here is that common ground — and the honest differences. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/compare/islam-and-christianity/)[Glossary ### Allah — Meaning and Use Allah is the Arabic word for God — the one Creator worshipped by Muslims, and the word Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also use. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/allah/)