Answer
Short Answer: Muslims, Christians and Jews believe there is only one God, the Creator of the universe. The God of the Quran is the same as the God of the Torah and the Gospel. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never claimed that he was teaching a new religion. He said that his mission was to restore the original and true religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all other prophets.
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Salam (Peace) Dear Emanual,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
Jews believe that the whole universe is the creation of One God called Jehovah.
Christians – unless they are misguided – also believe that there is only One God, Who is the Creator of the universe.
As for Muslims, they too believe that there is only one God.
Different Understandings of God
From this, we may conclude that all these three religions should be believing in the same One God, Who is the Creator of existence.
Yet, of course, religious communities do differ in their understanding of God. But for that reason we cannot say that there exists as many gods as there are religions.
The Jewish idea of the One Creator-God is greatly undermined by the Christian teaching of three persons in one God – Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This is despite the fact that Jesus did not teach this.
In fact, basically Christians ought to accept the Shema of the Children of Israel:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6: 4)
This is reiterated by Jesus Christ:
“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12: 29)
One important point to understand about Islam is that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never claimed that he was teaching a new religion.
He said that his mission was to restore the original and true religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all other prophets (peace be upon them all).
What The Quran Says
The Holy Quran, which is the guidance of God revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphatically says, God is One and One Only.
And what is more, it emphasizes that the Muslim is a person who believes in all the Books of God and in all His prophets.
This is clearly stated in Surah 2, verse 136:
{Say: “We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in [the Books] given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to God do we bow our will [in Islam].”} (2:136)
From the foregoing, the following points become clear:
The God of the Quran is the same as the God of the Torah and the Gospel.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught the same religion taught by all the prophets of God, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all).
It is important to realize that Islam does not mean “Mohammedanism” as some Orientalists want us to believe. It is – to put in simple terms: Submission to the will of the Almighty.
We remember what Jesus is reported to have said, when he was about to be arrested by the Roman soldiers:
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26: 39)
What Jesus does here is declaring his submission to God’s will, which exactly is Islam. Also, it is clearly said that when he prayed, he fell on his face.
This means he did sujood (prostration), as the Muslims do in prayer. This is the humblest form of physical submission, praying with the forehead placed on the ground.
Thus we may say that Jesus was a Muslim, that is one who submitted to Jehovah, to God Almighty or as the present day Muslims know Him, as Allah – May He be Glorified and Exalted!
And Allah knows best.
Thank you again for your question and please, do keep in touch.
Salam
(From Ask About Islam archives)
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
http://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/did-jesus-claim-that-he-is-god/
http://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/meaning-yahweh/
http://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/muhammad-in-the-torah/