One God, Two Faiths: How Judaism and Islam Share a Common Vision of the Divine

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Judaism and Islam, the two great Semitic faiths that claim Abraham as a spiritual forefather, present strikingly similar portraits of God. Their shared insistence on God’s absolute oneness, His moral authority, and His transcendence stands in contrast to the Christian understanding of the divine. While there are nuanced differences between Jewish and Muslim theology, the overlap is far more extensive than many realize.

Semitic Origins and the Name of God

The very names of God in Judaism and Islam point to their shared Semitic roots. In Hebrew, the Tetragrammaton—YHWH—is derived from the verb hayah (“to be”), suggesting “The One Who Is,” or “The Eternal.” This conveys God’s self-existence and timelessness.

The Arabic word Allah likewise springs from the ancient Semitic linguistic family. Most scholars trace it to the Proto-Semitic root ʾilāh (“deity, god”) and the definite article al, forming al-ʾilāh—“The God.” Over time, in the Arabic of pre-Islamic Arabia, al-ʾilāh naturally contracted into Allah, a term already used by Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians to mean the one true God. Islam did not invent the name; it inherited and purified it, anchoring it firmly in the absolute monotheism proclaimed by the Prophet Muhammad.

Shared Attributes of the Divine

Both traditions describe God through a rich tapestry of attributes that reflect His moral and cosmic sovereignty.

  • Multiplicity of Attributes, Singular Essence

    • Judaism often speaks of God’s “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” and a wider set of approximately 72 names or qualities.

    • Islam treasures the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, many of which find clear counterparts in Jewish tradition.

Key parallels include:
Mercy – YHWH is called Rachum (Merciful); Allah is ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful).
Compassion – YHWH is Chanun (Compassionate); Allah is ar-Raheem (The Most Compassionate).
Justice and Sovereignty – Both faiths affirm God as ultimate Judge and universal King.

In each case, these attributes never compromise divine unity. God’s qualities describe Him without dividing Him.

Transcendence and Incomparability

Judaism and Islam resolutely reject anthropomorphism. God is not physical and cannot be contained in form.

  • Neither the Hebrew Bible nor the Qur’an describes God as “a Spirit” in the way the New Testament does.

  • Both affirm that while the human soul or spirit comes from God, He is beyond being a “spiritual being” in the creaturely sense.

God is invisible to physical eyes, beyond human comprehension, yet personally involved in creation. He speaks to prophets, answers prayer, and governs history.

Law, Ethics, and Relationship

God in both faiths is not merely a cosmic force but the moral legislator and judge.

  • He commands obedience to His law—Torah in Judaism, Shariah in Islam.

  • Ethical living is inseparable from faith. Mercy, justice, and righteousness are demanded of the believer.

Even social practices reflect parallel principles. For example, Islam prohibits changing a child’s lineage in adoption, preserving the biological family name—similar to the biblical account where Esther remains “daughter of Abihail” despite Mordecai’s guardianship.

Differences in Emphasis

Despite these deep affinities, Judaism and Islam are not identical.

  • Covenantal Focus vs. Universal Call

    • Judaism often highlights God’s special covenant with Israel, even while acknowledging His universal sovereignty.

    • Islam presents Allah as the God of all humanity, calling every nation to submit (islam literally means “submission”).

  • Revelatory History

    • The Torah and the Qur’an differ in narrative and law, shaping distinct religious calendars and practices.

These distinctions, however, do not weaken the shared core of strict monotheism.

Contrast with Christian Trinitarianism

Christianity affirms one God but within a triune mystery: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three co-equal persons in one essence. Judaism and Islam alike reject this as incompatible with the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

  • Neither Hebrew Scripture nor the Qur’an teaches that God is three persons.

  • The New Testament’s portrayal of God as Spirit (John 4:24) differs from the Hebrew Bible, which never uses that formulation.

  • The Christian concept of believers being “adopted” as children of God through Christ is foreign to Jewish and Islamic theology, where adoption does not confer divine sonship.

For Jews and Muslims, God’s unity is absolute and indivisible: “Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4); “Say: He is Allah, One” (Qur’an 112:1).

A Shared Heritage of Divine Oneness

Judaism and Islam stand side by side as guardians of uncompromising monotheism. Their languages, sacred texts, and the very names YHWH and Allah testify to a common Semitic heritage and to a God who is transcendent, merciful, just, and wholly one.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims all revere the God of Abraham, but the Jewish and Islamic understanding of that God—utterly singular, without partners or persons—remains closer to each other than to the Trinitarian vision developed in Christian theology.

In the end, both Judaism and Islam call humanity to recognize the same eternal truth: the Creator of the universe is unique, incomparable, and worthy of undivided worship and obedience.




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