Notes on Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner’s
Unveiling Islam
Chapter 6: Allah (Names of Terror, Names of Glory)
Allah (Islam’s “god”) and Jehovah (the God of Judaism and Christianity) are not the same. While they share some similarities, their differences are marked.
The Qur’an makes clear that Allah is the one and the only–but that he is NOT triune. Christianity, on the other hand, affirms one God, who is triune–three persons, one God.
According to Islam, Allah is absolutely sovereign and is the source of both good and evil. The Christian God is absolutely sovereign–but is not the source of evil.
Allah is a distant god, with no desire for a personal relationship with humanity. The God of the Bible is a personal God who pursues intimacy with humans–even to the point that He took on humanity in order to have a relationship with humans.
Allah is certainly a judge of the world–and so is the God of the Bible. But the God of the Bible is not only the judge, but the atoner of the world. Allah makes no atonement.
Allah is a god of hatred, desiring to conquer and destroy all infidels. The God of the Bible is the God of love, desiring that no one should perish but that all should come to knowledge of the truth.
While some might say that Allah is the Judeo-Christian God, they couldn’t be more mistaken. Allah is a distant, hateful, unholy god. The God of the Bible is a personal, loving, holy God. And ultimately, the difference between the Muslim God and the God of the Bible can be summed up in two words: Jesus Christ.
The Bible affirms that Jesus Christ is the God Himself, the Son of God, the Promised Messiah, the Atoner of the World, and the only way to God. Islam denies all these things. Islam does not expect a Messiah. Islam does not allow for atonement. Islam denies Christ as God and as the only way to God.
The Caners make it clear that there is no such thing as a “Messianic Muslim”. Christ is the fulfillment of Judaism–which Messianic Jews affirm–but He is NOT the fulfillment of Islam. Islam is and always has been a religion that rejects and explicitly denies Jesus as Christ. One cannot be a Christian and remain a Muslim. The two worship different gods–and the God of Christianity makes it plain that He will not share His glory.
Addendum (May 10, 2010): Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.