Comparative Theology · Common Ground
The Shema: Hear, O Israel, the LORD is one
In short
- 1.Deuteronomy 6:4 states plainly that the LORD is one.
- 2.Islam does not correct this verse - it restates it.
- 3.Start here, because it is agreement, not argument.
The claim being examined
Christians and Muslims both inherit the declaration that God is one. The Shema is the central confession of the Hebrew Bible and is quoted approvingly by Jesus.
The Islamic position
Islam affirms the Shema exactly as it stands: one God, without partner, without division into persons. La ilaha illa Allah is the same testimony in Arabic.
Analysis
The Hebrew reads Shema Yisrael, YHWH Eloheinu, YHWH echad. Jewish tradition has always read it as strict monotheism. Trinitarian readings arrive centuries later through Greek theological categories, not from the Hebrew text itself.
From the Qur'an
Qur'an 112:1
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say: He is Allah, the One.
From the Bible
Deuteronomy 6:4
Shema Yisrael, YHWH Eloheinu, YHWH echad
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Read it in their BibleSources
The Holy Qur'an · The Bible (NIV / KJV) · Common Ground collection
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