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Christian worship compared with Muslims

Most Muslims and some Christians say that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. However, this will present some difficulties for Christians. Necessary is an overview of what is meant by the object of worship of the Supreme Being. The most important decision you can make is to decide to do God's will.

Allah as object of worship

Muslims refer to a verse in the Qur’an that they worship the same God as in the Bible: “Were ye witnesses when death appeared before Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons: "What will ye worship after me?" They said: "We shall worship Thy god and the god of thy fathers, of Abraham, Isma´il and Isaac,- the one (True) Allah: To Him we bow (in Islam)."” (Qur’an 2:133) But there were no Muslims before Muhammad. Muhammad, proclaimed hard-line monotheism and disqualified all other worship, in word and deed the partners the pagan Arabs associated with God, the Creator (Al-Khaliq) and the Preserver (Al-Hafiz). To be consistent, he also had to deny the divinity of Jesus Christ: “Say, [O Muhammad], "If the Most Merciful had a son, then I would be the first of [his] worshippers."” (Qur’an 43:81) In the Qur’an, the 99 attributes of Allah telling us what Allah is not, but never tell us about the Supreme Being. It can lead to passivity for Muslims: “Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord, - even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of” (Qur’an 17:57).”

Jesus Christ as object of worship

To worship is the capability for glorification, exaltation and magnification to declare the greatness of someone or something. The need to glorify and exalt God is because he is the One who gives pleasure, creates desire and rewards with enjoyment. He alone is that which is pleasant, desirable and full of enjoyment [1]. Jesus Christ is the image of the Living God (Colossians 1:15). That paves the way to worship him. Jesus did never use forced control to people to worship him. Every human being is free to deny or accept him. Jesus is asking everyone deep inside: “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). When people are aware of Jesus as greatest miracle worker who brings assurance of peace in the eternal future, the desire raises to worship him. Therefore Christians, as followers of Jesus, worship God by following the best example God has given to mankind.

Notes

1. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics II.1, The Doctrine of God, T. & T. Clark, 1980, 651.