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How knowable is God in Islam? In the Judeo-Christian faith?
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30 Replies
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Muslims, like Jews and orthodox Christians, believe in an eternal, omnipotent, personal God and consider Him to be the Creator and Maintainer of all that exists.
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In Islam, God is so great that humans can not presume Him, so he is not knowable to them. In the Judeo-Christian faith, God is not only personal, but knowable even though the Bible acknowledges that finite can’t fully comprehend Him.
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From what I learned, Islam does not believe that God can be known and understood in any way. This would give people of this faith an escape clause to make up their own ideas about God, or excuse themselves from being accountable to God for their thoughts and conscience. It seems that in Judeo Christianity, people are able to know a basic knowledge of God through our conscience and by seeing creation as a way that god shows His attributes. As well, we believe God has spoken to us through time and inspired people to write down what He has said about Himself, and in these very scriptures, God has invited us to seek to know Him and to grow in the knowledge and grace of Him.
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In Islam, God is not a personal God in relationship with His followers like in the Judeo-Christian faith. I am thankful that I have a God who cares about me and communicates with me and gives me value and purpose in following Him.
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The Islamic view of God reminds me of that of the Jewish/Old Testament God. Muslims claim that because God is so great, it is beyond human capacity to even consider the possibility of knowing him. The Judeo-Christian faith views God as a triune being who desires to have a personal relationship with all of those who put their faith and trust in Him as their personal savior. Jesus Christ made it possible for all believers to build a lifelong personal relationship with Him through prayer, the reading of the Word, worship, fellowship, and service.