One God, Three Prophets: What Do the Scriptures Actually Say?

What happens when we stop relying on what people tell us about religion and start reading the scriptures for ourselves?

When we put the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran side by side, we find something worth examining: Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them) are all connected to a discussion about the oneness of God.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are usually treated as three separate religions. But have you ever taken the time to compare what their scriptures actually say about God?

That's what we're going to do here. We're going straight to the text, looking at the words in context, and using logic and reason to examine the connections for ourselves. Don't just take my word for it. Read the references and see what you make of them.

Moses: God Is One

Let's start with the Torah.

In Deuteronomy 6:4, we find a declaration known as the Shema Yisrael:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

Read that again. The declaration is straightforward: God is one.

This is a foundational statement in Judaism. It isn't buried in some obscure passage; it's a central declaration of faith.

Read it for yourself: Deuteronomy 6:4.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. What happens when we move from the Torah to the Gospel and see what Jesus says about this same commandment?

Jesus Repeats the Same Declaration

In Mark 12:28–31, a scribe asks Jesus a direct question: Which commandment is the most important?

Jesus answers by repeating the very declaration we just read in Deuteronomy:

“Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.”

He then explains that a person should love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love their neighbor as themselves.

Pay attention to what's happening here. Jesus is answering a question about the greatest commandment, and he reaches back to the Torah—the scripture already known to his audience. He doesn't introduce the declaration as something new. He quotes it as the foundation of his answer.

So we have Moses' scripture declaring that God is one, and Jesus repeating that declaration when asked about the greatest commandment.

That's a connection you can read for yourself.

Read it for yourself: Mark 12:28–31.

Muhammad and the Quran: Allah Is One

Now let's look at the Quran.

Surah Al-Ikhlas, Chapter 112, opens with these words:

“Say, He is Allah, the One.”

But the chapter doesn't stop there. It describes Allah as the Eternal Refuge, states that He neither begets nor is born, and declares that nothing is comparable to Him.

In other words, the Quran doesn't merely say that God is one. It goes on to explain God's uniqueness and independence.

Now put the three passages side by side:

- Deuteronomy 6:4: The Lord is one.

- Mark 12:28–31: Jesus repeats this declaration and connects it to the greatest commandment.

- Quran 112:1–4: Allah is One, eternal, and unlike anything in creation.

These are the actual passages. You don't have to rely on somebody else's summary to see what they say.

Read it for yourself: Surah Al-Ikhlas, 112:1–4.

Three Scriptures. One Question.

Now that we've looked at the references, ask yourself: What do these passages tell us about the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

We're looking at the Torah, where Moses' scripture declares God's oneness. We're looking at the Gospel, where Jesus repeats that declaration. And we're looking at the Quran, which emphasizes God's oneness and uniqueness.

That doesn't mean all three religions teach exactly the same thing. There are real differences in their beliefs about Jesus, revelation, and other theological questions. But those differences shouldn't stop us from examining the connections that are right there in the texts.

And this is where logic and reason come into play. Instead of accepting a claim simply because we've heard it repeated our entire lives, we can go back to the source, read the surrounding verses, ask questions, and compare what is actually written.

Religious labels can separate people into different groups. But the scriptures themselves give us something concrete to investigate: what did these passages say about God, and how did each prophet's teachings relate to that message?

The point isn't to tell you to stop thinking and accept someone else's conclusion. It's the opposite.

Read the scriptures. Examine the context. Question what you've been taught. Use logic and reason. Then decide what the evidence reveals.

Because the search for truth shouldn't begin and end with what somebody tells you to believe. It should begin with the willingness to investigate the truth for yourself.