Jesus Christ and Muhammad: Why Christians and Muslims Do Not Worship the Same God

Jesus and Muhammad: A contrast between truth and error. God the Son vs a man who claimed to be a prophet.

Many people casually say, “Jesus was a Jew who started a religion; Muhammad was an Arab who started a religion. Big deal.” But this is far too superficial. The difference between these two men, and the two systems of belief they represent, touches the very nature of God, the way of salvation, and ultimate reality.

If you call yourself Christian, read attentively and learn, so that you will be ready to explain what you believe about Jesus and why you believe it. If you are Muslim or exploring Islam, I invite you to simply read fairly. This is not a rant — it is an appeal to truth. Let us examine who Jesus is, who Muhammad is, and why the differences matter immensely...eternally.

First, let us consider Identity: Two very different claims about God’s nature

Jesus Christ

In Christian belief, the person of Jesus is divine. He is not merely a moral teacher or prophet — he is God incarnate. Among many claims:

• Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)

• He accepted worship (Matthew 14:33; 28:9,17).

• The New Testament begins: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

• Later: “And the Word (who was God) was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14).

Christian theology holds that only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7), and Jesus claimed to do exactly that. Unless you believe he was God, his claims make no sense.

Muhammad

In Islamic belief, Muhammad is the final prophet of Allah, not divine. Islam is strictly monotheistic: Allah is absolutely one, transcendent, and does not become man. The Qur’an presents Muhammad as a messenger, not a saviour, and denies that God became flesh. Islam teaches that Jesus was just a messenger or a prophet.

Because of these differing claims, one cannot simply assume they worship the “same God” if one God is claimed to incarnate in the person of Christ so that He could die as THE sacrifice for sin, and the other god remains altogether separate. The difference is foundational.

Next, Consider Salvation: How we are made right with God

Christian view

The heart of the Christian message is faith in Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection. For example:

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

• “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Christ died for sinners (1 Corinthians 15:3) and Christ rose again (1 Corinthians 15:4). Salvation is not by human effort but by trusting what Christ accomplished.

Islamic view

In Islam, salvation involves submission (Islam means “submission”) to Allah’s will, belief in the prophet, observance of the Five Pillars, righteous deeds, and hope for God’s mercy. The Qur’an emphasises obedience and the record of one’s works (though of course with divine mercy). For example, in Surah 4:157 (SURAH AN-NISA AYAT 157 ) the Qur’an says of Jesus:

“And because of their saying: We have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so …” (1)

This reflects a different understanding of Jesus’ work altogether.

Since the center of salvation is so different, the religions cannot simply be “two paths to the same God.”

This next Distinction is Powerful!. Revelation and Scripture: Where do we get knowledge of God?

Christian perspective

God revealed Himself progressively in the Old Testament and supremely in Jesus Christ. The New Testament presents the Gospels as eyewitness testimony. The Christian claim is inherently historical: “He was buried, he was raised, and there were eyewitnesses.” (1 Corinthians 15:4)

Apologist Lee Strobel writes:

“The point is, if you do something against me, I have the right to forgive you. However, if you do something against me and somebody else comes along and says, ‘I forgive you,’ what kind of cheek is that (what astonishing audacity)? The only person who can say that sort of thing meaningfully is God himself…” (2) 

This underscores the Christian claim that Jesus’ authority and identity are rooted in who He is.

Islamic perspective

The Qur’an is claimed to be the final, uncorrupted word of Allah delivered through Muhammad. It holds that earlier scriptures were altered or corrupted. For example, Surah 4:157 denies the crucifixion of Jesus, showing a different interpretative vantage. 

Thus, the two religions do not simply disagree on a detail; they disagree on the nature of revelation, the person of Christ, and the way God interacts with humanity.

A Significant Difference - The resurrection: The hinge of history

Christianity uniquely claims the resurrection of Jesus—not as a myth, but as a real event with witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). The resurrection validates Jesus’ claims, confirms his deity, and secures hope for believers.

Islam denies that Jesus was crucified and raised in the Christian sense (see Surah 4:157). 

If Jesus did rise from the dead, the Christian claim is validated. If He did not, Christianity collapses. The resurrection is not an add-on—it’s central.

A Powerful Comparison Chart: Jesus Christ and Muhammad

Category	Jesus Christ	Muhammad
Claimed identity	Divine Son of God; God incarnate	Final prophet of Allah; human only
Nature of revelation	God revealing Himself (incarnation)	God revealing law through a prophet
Central act of salvation	Atoning death + resurrection	Submission to God’s law + works
View of scripture	Fulfillment and culmination in Christ	Final revelation in Qur’an; previous scriptures superseded
Role in spreading the message	Spiritual, sacrificial, voluntary	Political and social, also military leadership
View of God	Triune God, personal, relational	Strict monotheism, transcendent
Resurrection claim	Yes—Jesus rose from the dead	Denies or reinterprets Jesus’ death/crucifixion
Worship implications	Worship centers in Christ	Worship centers on Allah through Muhammad’s guidance

This comparison demonstrates the depth of the divide — it is not simply cultural or historical, but theological and existential.

Jesus Shares the Divine Qualities of Jehovah

To understand why Christians cannot worship the same God as Muslims, it is important to recognize that Jesus possesses the same attributes as Jehovah in the Old Testament. The New Testament shows that the God who created, judges, forgives, and sustains all things is fully revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God the Son. He is co-eternal, co-existent, and co-equal with the Father!

Attribute	Jehovah (OT)	Jesus (NT)	Scripture Reference
Eternal / Self-existent	“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God”	“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last”	Psalm 90:2; Revelation 22:13
Creator	“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth”	“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”	Psalm 33:6; John 1:3
Omnipotent / Almighty	“I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”	“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”	Jeremiah 32:27; Matthew 28:18
Forgiver of sins	“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake”	“Son, thy sins are forgiven thee”	Isaiah 43:25; Mark 2:5
Judge of all	“For the LORD shall judge his people”	“The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son”	Psalm 96:10; John 5:22

What are the Logical and Theological Implications

When two faiths make opposing claims about who God is and how mankind is reconciled to Him, logic demands that both cannot be true. One must be right, and the other must be wrong. There really is no middle ground.

Christianity claims God became man, in the person of Christ (Hebrews 1:3), and died for sin. Islam claims God does not become man, and Jesus did not die in the way Christians claim. These are logical incompatibilities—not merely differences of tradition or ritual.

In his classic apologetic, C. S. Lewis said:

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher… You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.” (3)

Lewis’s point: either Jesus is who He said He is, or He is not. He is either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord! This is a key moment in the discussion. Meditate on the thought!

How Christians should speak — and invite — thoughtfully

We must stand firm in truth, yet convey it with compassion and clarity:

• Be bold: The gospel is not optional; it is the great announcement of how we are made right with God.

• Be respectful: Many Muslims are sincere in devotion; engage theologically, not personally.

• Be prepared: Know what you believe and why. Read the Gospels (start with John) and Romans, and engage the evidence.

• Be invitational: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22). Offer Christ — the God who became man, loves sinners, and offers new life.

I Offer One Final Appeal in this Article

I will be blunt: Christianity and Islam do not worship the same God if we mean the same nature, person, and work of that God. Jesus Christ and Muhammad are vastly different! Christianity worships a God who reveals Himself in Jesus Christ—God with us (Matthew 1:21-23), who died and rose again for sinners. Islam worships Allah. Their god does not robe himself in a body of flesh and give his life as a ransom for sinners.

If you’re reading this and honestly wondering:

• Read the Gospel of John (KJV) — see the claims for yourself.

• Examine the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.

• Ask: If Christ rose from the dead, what does that imply about God, salvation, and how we should live?

Jesus said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

That is not a minor claim. It is exclusive. Jesus backed up the claim by the life that He lived and His resurrection from the dead. Because the truth of His claim is self-evident, your soul's eternal destination hinges on what you do with Jesus Christ!

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Footnotes

1. Qur’an, Surah 4:157 translation: “And for their saying: We have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so…” 

2. Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (1998), quote: “The point is, if you do something against me, I have the right to forgive you…”

3. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952), Book 2, Chapter 3: “A man who was merely a man…”