The Shared Foundation: Oneness of God in Our Faith

Salam everyone! Just reflecting on how the core belief in one God connects us all. In the Torah, it says, "Hear, O Israel: YHWH, our God, YHWH is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4), and Jesus in the Gospel echoed this as the most important commandment (Mark 12:29). As Muslims, we recite similar affirmations in the Quran: "Say, 'He is Allah, One'" (112:1) and "Indeed, your God is surely One" (37:4). It's clear we worship the same God as the Jews and Christians. Take Jesus' words on the cross in Aramaic: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" meaning "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). The term "Elahī" (My God) shows the linguistic roots. In Hebrew texts, like Ezra 5:1, prophets spoke "B'Shem Elah" (in the name of God), which parallels our "Bismillah" in Arabic. Both mean "in the name of God." In Daniel 6:26, God is described as the living God, using "ḥay" (living) and "qayyām" (steadfast). The Quran mirrors this in Allah being "al-ḥayy" (the Ever-Living) and "al-qayyūm" (the Self-Subsisting) (3:2). Names like YHWH or Jehovah point to God's eternal existence, similar to Exodus 3:14 where God says "I am who I will be" and Quran 20:14 where Allah declares, "Indeed, I am Allah." We also see God's mercy highlighted: in Psalm 116:5, YHWH is called "raḥūm" (merciful), just as we begin our prayers with "Bismillah ar-Raḥmān ar-Raḥīm" (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) (1:1). As Quran 2:136 reminds us, we believe in what was revealed to all prophets without distinction, submitting to God alone. Alhamdulillah for this unity in faith!