I have a Muslim troll th blog’s Facebook page with an argument from Ezra 5:1 for Islam’s god of Allah. He shared this photo of the verse in Hebrew:
This isn’t the first time I heard of a similar argument. I first heard them from reputable Islamic apologists; I believe I heard it from Shabir Ally.
Is this a good argument? I don’t think so, here’s why:
- It is problematic to argue just because a word in one language sounds like another word for another language that therefore they both are referring to the same thing. There is something in linguistic and the study of languages called Idiomatic false friends.
- We can see point 1 being the case from ordinary languages where they make the same or similar sound but two different meaning.
- In English the word gift means something you give someone, usually with the connotation of something nice. But in German the word gift means poison (Source)!
- Fart in Swedish means speed (Source).
- Bra means good in Swedish (Source).
- Poo Poo means bunny in Finnish (Source).
- In Farsi, Hindi, and Urdu barf means snow (Source).
- In addition there’s also something called false cognates which are words in different languages that seem related, but aren’t.
- As examples of point 3 consider the following example in ordinary languages.
- Consider how many languages have the same word for name yet their etemological roots are different: “Lots of languages have a similar word for name. In Farsi it’s “nâm“, and in Sanskrit it’s nā́man, both of which are distantly related to the English “name”, as they all come from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₁nómn̥. The Sanskrit word was also borrowed into some no-Indo-European languages, giving us the Malay/Indonesian word “nama“. In Japanese, however, the word is similar by total coincidence” (Source).
- Both Italian Ciao and Vietnamese Chào have identical meanings, as they can both mean “hello” or “goodbye” (Source).
- Knowing about Idiomatic false friends and false cognates (points 1-4) we see the fallacy of our troll trying to argue that the shortened form of the Hebrew word for God in Ezra 5:1 pronounced as “Elah” somehow is supposed to be an argument for the god Allah of the Islamic faith since it somewhat sounds familiar.
- Furthermore there is actually a difference of pronunciation with lexical form of the Hebrew word for God, “Elohim” and the Arabic word for God, “Allah.” So the Muslim troll’s argument doesn’t hold water.
- Ezra 1:8 itself has the Hebrew word for God in construct; so its not so much telling us that the name of God is “Allah” or “Elohim” but rather the name is that of God. The rest of the Old Testament reveals what that name of God is, which isn’t mentioned in the verse since it was understood. That name, the Tetragrammaton doesn’t sound like anything like Allah.
- Moreover one can also see how this type of fallacious argumentation can be turned against the Islamic worldview as well. I don’t think what I’m giving below are actual arguments I believe but I state what follows below to reduce this kind of argumentaton to absurdity (reductio ad absurdum) of the Troll’s argument. (Nor am I intending to mock nor mean to be disrespectful but I’m showing how absurd such an argument can get).
- The Arabic word سفر means “traveling.” It sounds like the English word “suffer” (Source). If there’s passages in the Quran or Islamic Hadiths that mentioned about prophets and men of God traveling using this Arabic term, does that mean they were suffering or should suffer?
- The Arabic word سورة refers to the chapter in the Quran. Its often spelled in English as Surah. But it sounds like sewer (Source). But we don’t want to go down that path of where this kind of argumentation head towards, better to reject this kind of faulty reasoning and argumentation.
- Seekingdivineperspective makes a good point: “Even if the names were identical, that doesn’t mean Muslims and Christians worship the same God. One only has to read about Allah and Jehovah to know they aren’t the same at all. One judges, saves, and condemns based on a person’s performance, and the other freely gave His only begotten Son to purchase salvation for anyone who puts his/her faith in Him. The Q’ran says anyone who believes Allah has a son is eternally condemned, but the Bible says believing in the Son of God (Jesus) is the only way to eternal life.” Just like how some cults say they follow Jehovah of the Bible doesn’t mean they say the name it is the God of the Bible! Likewise also Islamic apologetics here has the same problem even if “Allah” was how they call God.
The troll’s argument goes against what Ezra 1:8 means, is also superficial and also self-refuting. Its a bad argument all around.
I have had quite a few atheists over the years tell me Muslims and Christians worship the same God but I have never actually had a conversation about faith with an actual Muslim. Good work on this post, very informative.
My younger days I witness to more Muslims in college campuses in Southern California but these days it’s here and there online with Islamic promoters and troll-like individuals. I don’t usually go looking for them and they seem to pop up the most on social media with my Bible contradictions posts that’s being shared, like in this case yesterday. Often in my mind I write those posts refuting Bible contradictions for the atheist in mind but it seems Muslim apologetics also use the list of contradictions straight from the skeptic annotated Bible as well. Thanks for reading this and your comment. How is your Saturday going?
Somehow or other I just used to attract atheists. From a presupp perspective, all non-Christians are about the same in that they all suppress the truth. Anyway, your contradiction posts are great, keep it up.
My Saturday was great but busy. Sunny and warm where I live so I got a good bit of Spring cleaning done in the yard. Hope to had a great Saturday.
I’d never come across Idiomatic false friends. I LIKE that!
And I used to do fartlek training (alternating fast bursts with slow recovery phases) back in my more competitive running days.
Wow fartlek is a thing In the US??? This shows probably how little I know about competitive running! I imagine this kind of training is Scandavian in origin?
I came across the term in the early ’80s in Runner’s World. Yep, you’re right; it’s Scandinavian. I don’t recall which runner it was that mentioned the term.
Wow. I don’t even know what to say other than wow. Peoples deception knows no bounds.
Sometimes do you wonder what goes through people’s mind who make up these kinds of arguments? Like are they ok? Then I wonder what goes through the mind also of those who think this is good and have to share it to convince someone that they are wrong. Like did they think through this first before sharing? Any news with the ministry front? And how is Nathan’s thumb?
All the questions you ask are ones I ask myself, glad I’m not alone! Nathan’s thumb is doing better, last week he dislocated his shoulder, but they were able to reset it. He’s still sore but better. Thank you for asking!!! Praying youth time went well today. Praying for sermon prep!!!!
Excellent brother! I had never heard of this.
Shalom.
Brilliant!
Thanks Linda! How is your daughter’s deployment?
Thank you for asking, Jim. Her deployment ended much earlier than anticipated, when the command at the base where she was deployed decided to end their involvement in resettling the evacuees. At that point, due to the physical and mental stress of it all, my daughter took her doctor’s advice and resigned from her civilian job with the Air Force. She is now working as a corrections officer in a jail — which she says is much less stressful than working with the thousands of evacuees!
[…] Is this a Good Argument for Islamic Allah in the Bible? […]
Even if the names were identical, that doesn’t mean Muslims and Christians worship the same God. One only has to read about Allah and Jehovah to know they aren’t the same at all. One judges, saves, and condemns based on a person’s performance, and the other freely gave His only begotten Son to purchase salvation for anyone who puts his/her faith in Him. The Q’ran says anyone who believes Allah has a son is eternally condemned, but the Bible says believing in the Son of God (Jesus) is the only way to eternal life. SO … a choice has to be made.
Wow that’s a good point! I forgot to add that in my comment just because the name is identical in sound, doesn’t mean its the same God with the same attributes! Can I add your comment to this post, where I will edit it and give you credit sister?
Feel free. No need to give me credit. I’m sure I’m not the only one who had thought that. 😉
Thanks for the information, Pastor Jim. In any case it would be a looooooong stretch to find Allah in the Bible.
Exactly! Islamic Allah isn’t in the Bible with what the Bible has to say about what God is like (Trinitarian, His attributes of love and grace, etc). How is your Weekend going so far Chris?
It’s going well. Thank you Pastor Jim. We have a beautiful spring-like day here in Arkansas today. The family is well. I am thankful.
How about you, Pastor Jim? Are you having a good weekend?
Appreciate the time you put in on this refutation. In answer to your question: No, it is not a good argument.
Good point about “Idiomatic false friends”. Also these words seem to refer more to titles than the actual name of God.
Reblogged this on clydeherrin.
Excellent rebuttal to the Muslim’s false claim. I appreciate the research you put into this.
Thanks Tom! How did your shift went yesterday I forgot to ask
RE: shift
Thanks! I finished all the weekend orders around noon yesterday and it’s been nothing but auditing since then. That really makes the day go slow, but the break is welcome. Glad I have some audit work to fall back on when the schedule dips.
How’s your Sunday going?
Excellent.
Funny how words sounds like other words in another language
I enjoyed reading this. Wow ! Great work here pastor Jim. Love it.
[…] 4.) Is this a Good Argument for Islamic Allah in the Bible? […]
Reblogged this on RG's 2 Cents Studios and commented:
Thanks Jim, for the linguistic evidence that Allah is NOT the same as The God in The Bible!
The Hebrew word אהל means tent in English but is pronounced “ohel”. This doesn’t mean it justifies the usage of “oh hell” in English, lol. It is good to point out faulty logic.
Ah that is a good one very good! Thanks for sharing that
Shabbat shalom, btw
Muslim apologists can be so backwards