Muslims worship a God that is different from the one worshipped by Christians and Jews.

This might be due to the fact that Muslims often refer to God as "Allah". This concept is false, since "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for the One true "God" Who created the universe and all humanity. Let there be no doubt - Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus. However, it is certainly true that Jews, Christians and Muslims all have different concepts of Almighty God. For example, Muslims - like Jews - reject the Christian beliefs of the Trinity and the Divine Incarnation.

This, however, does not mean that each of these three religions worships a different God - because, as we have already said, there is only One True God. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim to be “Abrahamic Faiths”, and all of them are also classified as “monotheistic.” However, Islam teaches that other religions have, in one way or another, distorted and nullified a pure and proper belief in Almighty God by neglecting His true teachings and mixing them with man-made ideas. Islam calls upon people to return to the one true God and to worship and obey Him alone. Islam teaches that God should be approached without intermediaries. That is because the merciful all-knowing God is completely in control of everything that exists and that He can bestow His grace and mercy on His creatures as He pleases;

therefore no intercession, atonement or incarnation is necessary.

Arabic speaking people of all religions refer to God as "Allah". For example, if you pick up an Arabic translation of the Christian Bible you will see the word "Allah" where "God" is used in English. Therefore, Allah is not the god of only the Muslims, but the same God worshipped by all monotheistic faiths. This idea that "Allah" is different from "God" is illogical since it is tantamount to saying that the French worship a different "god" because they use the word "Dieu", that Spaniards worship a different "god" because they say "Dios" or that the Hebrews worshipped a different "god" because they called Him "Yahweh"!

The Quran, which is the divine scripture of Muslims, was revealed in the Arabic language, so Muslims use the word "Allah" for "God", even when they are speaking other languages. A more literal translation of "Allah" into English might be "the one- and-only God" or "the one true God".

It should be clearly understood that what Islam is primarily concerned with is correcting humankind's concept of Almighty God. What people are ultimately going to be held accountable for at the end of Day of Judgment is not whether they preferred the word "Allah" or the word "God", but what their concept of Him is. The true concept of God is clarified only within the message revealed by Him. The last message sent by God, or Allah, is the Quran.

Muhammad ibn (son of) Abdullah ibn (son of) Abdul Mutalib, was born on 12 Rabi 'Awwal in the year 570 C.E. (Christian Era) in Makkah, (today: Saudi Arabia) and he died in 633 C.E. in Yathrib (today: Madinah, Saudi Arabia)

In Arabic the word prophet (nabi) is derived from the word naba which means news. Thus we deduce that a prophet spreads the news of God and His message, they are in a sense God’s ambassadors on earth. Their mission is to convey the message to worship One God. This includes, calling the people to God, explaining the message, bringing glad tidings or warnings and directing the affairs of the nation. All the prophets were anxious to convey God’s message sincerely and completely and this included the last prophet, Muhammad. During his final sermon Prophet Muhammad asked the congregation three times whether he had delivered the message, and called on God to witness their answer, which was a resounding “yes!”.

As well as the essence of their call to One God, another accepted sign of the truth of the prophets is how they live their lives. The accounts of Prophet Muhammad’s life that we have inherited from our righteous predecessors illustrate that Muhammad’s Prophethood was guided by God from the very beginning. Long before, Prophethood Muhammad was being prepared to guide humankind to the straight path and his life experiences stood him in good stead for such a weighty mission. Then at the age of 40 when Prophethood was bestowed upon him, God continued to support and affirm his mission. Any account of Muhammad’s life is filled with examples of his exemplary character; he was merciful, compassionate, truthful, brave, and generous, while striving solely for the rewards of the Hereafter. The way Prophet Muhammad dealt with his companions, acquaintances, enemies, animals and even inanimate objects left no doubt that he was ever mindful of God.

Muhammad’s birth was accompanied by many so called miraculous events and the talk of the extraordinary events no doubt functioned as signs of Prophethood,

Special but not unique circumstances surrounded childhood of Prophet Muhammad and these undoubtedly had a bearing on his character. By the time he was eight years old he had suffered through the death of both his parents and his beloved grandfather Abdul Muttalib. He was left in the care of his uncle and great supporter Abu Talib. Thus even as a young boy he had already suffered great emotional and physical upheaval. Both the many chroniclers of Muhammad’s life and the Quran acknowledge his disrupted life.

Did He not find you (O Muhammad) an orphan and gave you a refuge? (Quran 93:6)

Muhammad’s uncle Abu Talib was poor and struggled to keep his family fed, thus during his adolescence Muhammad worked as a shepherd. From this occupation he learned to embrace solitude and developed characteristics such as patience, cautiousness, care, leadership and an ability to sense danger. Shepherding was an occupation that all the prophets of God we know of had in common. ‘…The companions asked, “Were you a shepherd?” He replied, “There was no prophet who was not a shepherd.”’[1]

In his teens Muhammad sometimes travelled with Abu Talib, accompanying caravans to trade centres. On at least one occasion, he is said to have travelled as far north as Syria. Older merchants recognized his character and nicknamed him Al-Amin, the one you can trust. Even in his youth he was known as truthful and trustworthy. One story that is accepted by most Islamic scholars and historians is the account of one of Prophet Muhammad’s trips to Syria.

The story goes that the monk Bahira foretold the coming Prophethood and counselled Abu Talib to “guard his nephew carefully”. According to biographer Ibn Ishaq, as the caravan in which Prophet Muhammad was travelling approached the edge of town, Bahira could see a cloud that appeared to be shading and following a young man. When the caravan halted under the shadow of some trees, Bahira “looked at the cloud when it over-shadowed the tree, and its branches were bending and drooping over the apostle of God until he was in the shadow beneath it.” After Bahira witnessed this he observed Muhammad closely and asked him many questions concerning a number of Christian prophecies he had read and heard about.

The young Muhammad was distinguished among his people for his modesty, virtuous behaviour and graceful manners, thus it was no surprise for his companions to see him, even as a youth many years before Prophethood, shun superstitious practices and keep away from drinking alcohol, eating meat slaughtered on stone altars or attending idolatrous festivals. By the time he reached adulthood Muhammad was thought of as the most reliable and trustworthy member of the Meccan community. Even those who concerned themselves with petty tribal squabbles acknowledged Muhammad’s honesty and integrity.

Muhammad’s virtues and good moral character was established from a young age, and God continued to support and guide him. When he was 40 years old Muhammad was given the means to change the world, the means to benefit the whole of humanity

The Quran uses the word ‘We’ when quoting Allah. Does that mean that Muslims believe in more than one God?

Islam adheres to uncompromising monotheism. It teaches that God is One and indivisible. In the Quran, God often refers to Himself as "We". But it does not mean that there is more than one God. The reference of God to Himself as "We" in many Quranic verses is necessarily understood in the Arabic language to denote power and grandeur, as opposed to the more intimate singular form, "I", used in specific instances.

In some languages there are two types of plural form. One is related to quantity and used to refer to two or more persons, places or things. The other kind of plural is one of majesty, power and distinction. For example, in proper English, the Queen of England refers to herself as ‘we’. This is known as the ‘royal plural’. Rajeev Gandhi, the ex-Prime Minister of India used to say in Hindi, "Hum dekhna chahte hain". "We want to see." ‘Hum’ means ‘we’, which is again a royal plural in Hindi language. Similarly, when God refers to Himself in the Quran, He sometimes uses the Arabic word 'nahnu', meaning ‘We’. It does not indicate a plurality of number but the plurality of power and majesty.

The oneness of God is stressed throughout the Quran. A clear example is in this short chapter “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” (Quran 112:1-4)

The Quran says that Allah is merciful and that He gives severe punishment. So is He forgiving or is He vengeful?

The Quran mentions many times that God is the Most Merciful. In fact, all except one of the 114 chapters of the Quran begin with Bismillaahi Aahmaani Arraheem, which means, "I begin with the name of God, the Entirely Merciful and the Especially Merciful". These two descriptions of God are sometimes translated as "The Compassionate, the Merciful"; however in Arabic grammar, both names are an intensive form of the word "merciful". Rahmaan means merciful to all creation, and justice is part of this mercy. Raheem means merciful especially to the believers and forgiveness is part of this mercy. A complimentary and comprehensive meaning is intended by the use of both of them together. In addition, Allah speaks of His forgiveness throughout the Quran. In fact, God's mercy and forgiveness have been mentioned together more than 70 times in the Quran. Allah repeatedly reminds us saying “Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful; And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty.” (Quran 15:49-50)

Allah is just, and His justice necessitates that He reward those who obey and serve Him and punish those who disobey and rebel against Him. If Allah did not punish the sinful, wicked and evil people who deserve to be punished, it would not be justice.

When punishment for wrongdoing is certain, it serves to deter potential offenders. In contrast, if Allah forgave everyone and punished no one, there would be no reason for legislation, ethics or even morality. Life on earth would be chaotic and nothing short of anarchy. True justice, with its true rewards and just penalties can only be found with Allah, and that is what He has promised in the Quran “We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account.” (Quran 21:47)

Allah forgives all those who repent and correct themselves at any stage in their lives, and He has invited all people to His abundant forgiveness and mercy:

Say: ‘O My slaves who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful. And return (in repentance) to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped. And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, while you do not perceive. (Quran 39:53-5)

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. "Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped. "And follow the best of (the courses) revealed to you from your Lord, before the Penalty comes on you - of a sudden while ye perceive not!- "Lest the soul should (then) say: 'Ah! Woe is me!- In that I neglected (my duty) towards Allah, and was but among those who mocked!'- "Or (lest) it should say: 'If only Allah had guided me, I should certainly have been among the righteous!'

Many Christians are unaware that the true spirit of reverence which Muslims display towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of their faith as prescribed in the Holy Quran. Most do not know that a Muslim does not take the name

of Jesus , without saying Eesa alai-hiss-salaam i.e. (Jesus peace be upon him).

Jesus is commonly considered to have been born on the 25th of December. However, it is common knowledge among Christian scholars that he was not born on this day. It is well known that the first Christian churches held their festival in May, April, or January. Scholars of the first two centuries AD even differ in which year he was born. Some believing that he was born fully

twenty years before the current accepted date. So how was the 25th of December selected as the birthday of Jesus ?

Muslims do not worship Muhammad in any way. They believe that he was the last messenger sent by Allah and like all His other prophets and messengers, he was a human being. However, some people mistakenly assume that Muslims worship Muhammad and this is one of the reasons that Muslims were erroneously called "Mohammedans".

Muhammad, like Jesus, never claimed divine status. He called people to worship Almighty Allah alone, and he continually emphasized his humanity. In order to prevent his deification, Prophet Muhammad always said to refer to him as "Allah's slave and messenger". He said – “Do not adulate me as the Christians adulated Jesus son of Mary. I am Allah's slave and messenger.”

Muhammad was chosen to be Allah's final messenger and to communicate His message to us, not only in words, but also as a living example of its practical application. Muslims love and respect him because of his impeccable and upright moral character and because he conveyed the truth from Allah - which is the pure monotheism of Islam.

Muslims strive to follow the great example of Prophet Muhammad but do not worship him in any way. Islam teaches Muslims to respect all of Allah's prophets and messengers. However, respecting and loving them does not mean worshipping them. Muslims know that all worship and prayer must be directed to Allah alone.

In fact, the worship of Muhammad - or anyone else – along with, or instead of, Almighty Allah is considered an unpardonable sin in Islam. Even if a person claims to be Muslim but worships or prays to anything other than God, it invalidates one's claim to Islam. The Declaration of Faith makes it clear that Muslims must worship Allah alone.

Most Muslims find it rather odd that their religion, which strikes a remarkable balance between faith and deeds, are sometimes accused of being "fatalistic". Perhaps this misconception came about because Muslims are known to say "All praise is due to Allah" whenever anything good or bad happens. This is because Muslims know that everything comes from God, the Creator of the universe, and occurs by His will. Thus, a Muslim worries less about material matters and views earthly life in a proper perspective. A true Muslim relies completely on Allah and knows that whatever happens is always for the best, whether one recognizes it or not, so one graciously accepts whatever cannot be changed.

This does not mean that Muslims should simply await destiny and take no action in life. On the contrary, Islam demands action and effort to change every undesirable situation. To be more precise, action is a required part of one's faith. If human beings did not have the ability to act, it would be unjust for Allah to expect them to do and to avoid certain things. Far from being "fatalistic", Islam teaches that man's main obligation in life is to act and exert effort in obedience to God.

Islam teaches that human beings should take positive action in this life and supplement it with prayer. Some people are lazy and careless and then blame the negative result on destiny or fate. Some even say that, if Allah had willed, they would not have sinned or committed crimes. All of these arguments are completely erroneous, because Allah has taught us how to live and has ordered us to always do what is right. Allah has not ordered us to do anything that we are unable to do or prohibited anything that we cannot avoid, because His justice is complete and perfect. Each individual is held responsible within the limits of their ability and not beyond it.

The Quran teaches that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of our existence. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and recreated, and the dead will be resurrected to stand in judgment before Allah “One day the earth will be changed to a different earth, and so will be the heavens, and (men) will be marshalled forth, before Allah, the One, the Irresistible;” (Quran 14:48)

The Day of Resurrection will be the beginning of another life, one that will be eternal. It is then that every person will be fully compensated by Allah for his or her good and evil deeds.

The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after death is exactly what the moral consciousness of man demands. If there were no life after death, the very belief in Allah would become meaningless, or even if one believed in Him, it would then be an unjust and indifferent deity, having once created man and no longer being concerned with his fate. Surely, Allah is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are beyond count - having killed hundreds of innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their own whims, and so on. Because one has a short life span in this world and since numerous individuals are affected by one's actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not possible in this life. The Quran very emphatically states that the Day of Judgment will come and that Allah will decide the fate of each soul.

Each and every human being longs for justice. Even if one does not uphold it for others they want justice for themselves. For example, tyrants and oppressors who are intoxicated by power and influence and inflict pain and suffering on others will object vehemently if any injustice is done to them. The reason such people become insensitive to the suffering of others is that they feel that power and influence prevents others from doing injustice to them.

Any person who has suffered injustice, irrespective of financial or social status, almost certainly wants its perpetrator to be punished. Though a large number of criminals are punished, many of them get off lightly or even scot-free. They may continue to lead pleasant, even luxurious lives and enjoy a peaceful existence. Allah may not punish a criminal in this world but He will surely hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment and punish him.

The wrongdoer may receive part of the justice that is due to him in this world, but it will remain incomplete.
The same is true of someone who deserves great reward and repayment - who has done much good, helped or taught many people, saved lives, suffered to uphold truth or patiently endured much hardship or injustice. No earthly compensation is adequate for such relentless courage and effort. These types of deeds can only be repaid in full in an eternal life where every individual affected by one's actions will testify for or against that person, and where one's innermost thoughts and intentions, known only to Allah, will be exposed and judged precisely and perfectly.
Belief in the Hereafter is completely logical. Allah has made certain things pleasing and desirable to us in this worldly life, such as justice, although it is usually unattainable.

Though a person may obtain a good portion of earthly pleasures and many of his objectives, one remains convinced that the world is unjust. Now, why would the Creator implant in us the love for something we may not experience? The answer is that this life is only one portion of our existence and the Hereafter is the necessary conclusion which balances everything out. Whatever is missing here will be found there; and similarly, whatever is gained unlawfully here will result in deprivation there. That is the perfect and absolute justice Allah has promised.

Finally, Allah is able to create and re-create as He wills. He creates whatever He wills, however He wills, whenever He wills. Allah, the Exalted, says “even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfil it.” (Quran 21:104)

In addressing this misconception, it is interesting to note that no other religious scripture claims to be totally the direct word of God as clearly and as often as the Quran “Do they not consider the Quran (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.” (Quran 4:82)

At the time the Quran was revealed, the Arabs recognized that the language of the Quran was unique and distinctly different from the language spoken by Prophet Muhammad and his people. This, in spite of the fact that the Arabs of that time were known for their skill in poetry and mastery of the Arabic language. Moreover, Muhammad was known to be an unlettered man. The Quran mentions that Muhammad did not read and write, so if this was false, certainly his contemporaries would have protested and exposed him. However, there are no reports of this. Without doubt there were people who rejected Muhammad's message, just like the message of other prophets were rejected, but none denied it for this reason.

It is also interesting to note that even though the Quran is not poetry, the Arabs were much less inclined to poetry after it was revealed. It can be said that the Quran is the piece of Arabic literature par excellence - and Muhammad's enemies, realized that as much as they tried, they could not outdo or even equal it.

It is not difficult to prove that Muhammad did not possess the knowledge that is expounded and detailed in the Quran, such as the accurate knowledge of historical events, previous prophets and natural phenomena. The Quran mentions in several places that Muhammad and his people did not know these things “Such are some of the stories of the unseen, which We have revealed unto thee: before this, neither thou nor thy people knew them. So persevere patiently: for the End is for those who are righteous.” (Quran 11:49)

Suffice it to say that not only is the Quran the most memorized and well preserved scripture on earth, it is also unequaled in its eloquence, spiritual impact, clarity of message and purity of its truth.

Furthermore, the Quran recounts several instances where Prophet Muhammad was criticized and corrected by Allah for his unintentional human errors. Had he been the author of the Quran he would not have included these rebukes in the Quran. For example, the Prophet was once deeply and earnestly engaged in attempting to invite one of the pagan leaders to Islam when he was interrupted by a blind man who had come to him for information and to learn the Quran. The Prophet naturally disliked the interruption because he was hopeful of affecting the influential leader's heart toward Islam. He frowned and turned away, a gesture that went unnoticed by the blind man. No sooner had the Prophet finished talking to the leader than he received the following revelation which he conveyed to his people without the least bit of hesitation:

“(The Prophet) frowned and turned away, Because there came to him the blind man (interrupting). But what could tell thee but that perchance he might grow (in spiritual understanding)?- Or that he might receive admonition, and the teaching might profit him?” (Quran 80:1-4)

This incident reflects the highest degree of sincerity on the part of the Prophet regarding the revelation that was revealed to him. These verses provide substantial proof that the Prophet was not the author of the Quran, nor was he the founder of Islam.

Some Christian critics often claim that Muhammad was not himself the author of the Quran but that he learned, copied or adapted it from Jewish and Christian scriptures. In reality, however, Prophet Muhammad's contacts with the Jewish and Christian scholars were extremely limited. Historical records available show that he made only three trips outside Mecca before his prophethood: At the age of nine he accompanied his mother to Madinah. Before the age of twelve, he accompanied his uncle on a business trip to Syria. And before his marriage, at the age of 25, he led Khadijah’s caravan to Syria. The most prominent Christian known to him was an old blind man named Waraqah bin Nawfal, who was a relative of his wife Khadijah. He was a convert to Christianity and well-versed in the Gospels. The Prophet only met him twice; the first time was briefly before his prophetic mission and the second occasion was when the Prophet went to meet Waraqah after receiving the first revelation from God. Waraqah died three years later. The revelation of the Quran, however, continued for 23 years.

Some of Muhammad’s pagan opponents accused him of learning the Quran from a Roman blacksmith, a Christian who was staying on the outskirts of Mecca. A revelation of the Quran was sufficient to refute this charge “We know indeed that they say, "It is a man that teaches him." The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.” (Quran 16:103)

Muhammad’s enemies kept a close watch on him, with the hope of uncovering a shred of evidence to support their claim that he was a liar. But they could not point to a single instance when the Prophet might have had secret meetings with any particular Jews or Christians.

The allegation that these Jews and Christians were its source is groundless, especially since the role of Prophet Muhammad was merely that of a teacher; he openly invited them to embrace Islam, pointing out how they had deviated from God's true teaching of monotheism. Numerous Jews and Christians embraced Islam themselves upon hearing Muhammad’s message.

In addition, it was known that Muhammad was unlettered. In His divine wisdom, Allah chose His final Messenger to be an unlettered man so no one would have the slightest justification to doubt him or accuse him of writing or copying the Quran. Moreover, there was no Arabic version of the Bible in existence at the time of Prophet Muhammad. The earliest Arabic version of the Old Testament is that of R. Saadias Gaon of 900 CE - more than 250 years after the death of Muhammad .

We have mentioned that the Quran contains scientific miracles, and we presented a few facts stated within the book to evidence that it could not possibly have been known at that time by Muhammad or by any other person for that matter. More and more recent scientific discoveries are being found to coincide with what is stated in the Quran, and this is irrefutable evidence that its source was none but the all-knowing God - Allah, the Almighty.