If You Are Muslim
4 things we can agree on right now
A Muslim who understands Islamic and Christian theology would agree that:
1. The belief in WHO God is & how He has revealed Himself makes up the basis of every religion.
2. The fundamental disagreement between Muslims & Christians is a different belief in the dhāt (Islamic equivalent of ousia/essence) of God.
3. Most Muslims believe that Allah's dhāt (ousia/essence) is unknown/incomprehensible. Allah has ṣifāt, or attributes (like forgiving) - but this is not his essence. (1) (2)
4. Christians believe that God IS love, truth, mercy, & justice. Not that God is capable of them, but that He IS them. To believe in the God of Christianity is to place your faith IN love, because God IS love. (3) (4)
In your unique search for the truth, how can you be sure you haven't been deceived?
Quranic Verses to Think About
Surah Al-Hajj 22:3-4 — "Yet still there are some people who, with no knowledge, argue about God, who follow every devilish rebel fated to lead astray those who take his side, and guide them to the suffering of the blazing flame."
Surah Al-Isra 17:36 — "Do not follow blindly what you do not know to be true: ears, eyes, and heart, you will be questioned about all these."
Surah Ibrahim 14:22 — "When all has been decided, Satan will say, 'God gave you a true promise. I too made promises but they were false ones: I had no power over you except to call you, and you responded to my call, so do not blame me, blame yourselves.'"
I hope you don't take my word for it, but you explore the truth for yourself, because the truth will set you free.
Mē phobeisthe
Al-Ghazali submits the belief that the divine essence (dhāt) cannot be grasped by human intellect. What we know of God are His attributes (ṣifāt), not His essence.
Ibn Taymiyyah says that Allah's essence is unlike anything in creation. His ṣifāt are real and known, but His dhāt remains beyond human comprehension.
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
"He loved us not because we were lovable, but because he is Love."