But Allah is no different than the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The Creator is the Creator regardless of what people call Him. In the English language He is most commonly referred to as God. Yet Jesus spoke a different language, referring to God as Eloi in Mark 1. New Testament. Are God and Eloi different godsMany Hispanics call God Dios and many French say Dieu. It would logically follow then that people who refer to God as Allah in the Arabic language are referring to the very same God. In fact, many Arab Jews and Arab Christians call God Allah. And the word Allah is written in Arabic script on the walls of many Arab churches and on the pages of Arabic Bibles. So while the understanding of God may differ between faith groups, the various names used to describe Him does not change the fact that the one Creator of the Universe is the God of all people. The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful and compassionate. Islam also teaches that He is all knowing and the perfect judge of affairs, and will punish or forgive accordingly. However, Allah once said to Muhammad, My mercy prevails over my wrath. So Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair. Muslims believe that God has revealed 9. His names, or attributes, in the Quran. It is through these names that one can come to know the Creator. A few of these names are the All Merciful, the All Knower, the Protector, the Provider, the Near, the First, the Last, the Hidden and the Source of All Peace. The Christian concept of vicarious atonement the idea that Jesus died for the sins of humanity is alien to the Islamic concept of personal responsibility. Islam teaches that on the Day of Judgment every person will be resurrected and will be accountable to God for their every word and deed. Consequently, a practicing Muslim is always striving to be righteous while hoping and praying for Gods acceptance and grace. Muslims believe in all of the true prophets that preceded Muhammad, from Adam to Jesus. Muslims believe they brought the same message of voluntarily surrendering to Gods will islam, in a generic sense to different peoples at different times. Muslims also believe they were muslims again, in a generic sense since they followed Gods true guidance and surrendered their will to Him. Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims worship the Unseen, Omniscient Creator, Allah. Muslims accept the original unaltered Torah as revealed to Moses and the original unaltered Bible as revealed to Jesus since they were revealed by God. But none of these scriptures exist today in their original form or in their entirety. Therefore, Muslims follow the subsequent, final and preserved revelation of God, the Quran. The Quran was not authored by Muhammad. Install Directory Should Be Removed Test Link Installation on this page. It was authored by God, revealed to Muhammad through angel Gabriel and written into physical form by his companions. The original Arabic text of the Quran contains no flaws or contradictions and has not been altered since its revelation. Actual 7th century Qurans, complete and intact, are on display in museums in Turkey and other places around the world. If all Qurans in the world today were destroyed, the original Arabic would still remain. This is because millions of Muslims, called hafiz or guardians have memorized the text letter for letter from beginning to end, every word and every syllable. Also, chapters from the Quran are precisely recited from memory in each of the five formal prayers performed daily by hundreds of millions of Muslims throughout the world. Sharia is the law that regulates the daily life of a Muslim and serves as a guide for living by Islamic principles. As Islam is not only a belief system but a complete way of life, the law covers all aspects of living including moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical, economical, political, etc. Sharia law is derived by scholars through interpretations of Islams canonical texts, the Quran and Hadith sayings and actions of Muhammad. As with any legal system the interpretations can range across the liberal conservative spectrum, and opinions on the meanings and applications will often differ. Therefore sharia law is essentially an effort to comprehend Gods instructions and apply them in daily life. Since the interpretations are made by humans, they are subject to error and even perversion. This occurs when unqualified, ignorant andor corrupted individuals make the interpretation. For instance the KKK perverts Christian texts to conjure up false rulings. The same can be said for certain Muslim groups and so called Islamic states regarding Islamic texts. While there is no Pope in Islam to serve as the authoritative interpreter, there are recognized institutions and scholars whom analyze, discuss, deliberate and arrive at reasonable rulings through a process known as fiqh Islamic jurisprudence. This nuanced and sophisticated science operates on the premise that the Islamic texts are fluid and dynamic that anything outside of the very basic tenets can, and should, be interpreted according to the particular time, place and culture. So if any version of sharia advocates brutality, injustice, extremism, terrorism, etc., the question must be asked are such rulings endorsed by mainstream Islamic scholars, or are they being posited by those devoid of a true understanding of the religion, or the wisdom to apply it Some attribute the early and rapid spread of Islam to forced conversions by the sword.