The Silence of Allah: A Scholarly Challenge to Islamic Claims of Divine Self-Disclosure

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

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Abstract

Muslim apologists frequently challenge Christians by demanding verbatim biblical statements from Jesus such as, “I am God; worship me.” Their argument hinges upon the absence of explicit self-claims of divinity in these exact words. However, when the same standard is applied to Islam, a glaring inconsistency emerges. Nowhere in the Qur’an does Allah ever declare directly to Muhammad, “I am Allah; worship me.” This article explores the theological implications of such silence, arguing that by Muslim reasoning itself, Allah cannot be regarded as God, and Muhammad’s prophetic claims are rendered invalid.

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Introduction

The question of divine self-disclosure lies at the heart of theological debate between Christianity and Islam. Muslims often ask Christians to produce explicit words from Jesus affirming His divinity. However, Islam itself suffers from the very deficiency it critiques. Nowhere in the Qur’an is Muhammad given a direct, personal declaration from Allah that confirms His identity as God and commands exclusive worship.

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1. The Islamic Argument Against Jesus

Islamic polemics rest on the absence of verbatim phrases in the New Testament. The typical challenge is: “Where did Jesus ever say, ‘I am God, worship me’?” (cf. Ahmad Deedat, Zakir Naik). The assumption is that without an explicit declaration, Jesus’ divinity is invalid.

Yet, this reasoning disregards numerous scriptural affirmations:

• Jesus accepted worship (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38).

• Jesus identified Himself with the divine name “I AM” (John 8:58).

• The apostles and early Church universally proclaimed Him as Lord and God (John 20:28; Philippians 2:6–11).

If this strict standard is binding, it must also be applied to Islam.

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2. The Qur’anic Silence of Allah

The Qur’an consistently refers to Allah in the third person: “Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him” (Qur’an 3:51). Yet, these statements are usually placed in the mouths of prophets, not Allah directly declaring to Muhammad:

• “Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance” (Qur’an 20:14).

Here, it must be noted: this statement is allegedly spoken to Moses at the burning bush, not to Muhammad. Crucially, Muhammad never receives such a direct self-revelation from Allah.

Thus, the Qur’an contains no moment where Allah addresses Muhammad personally with the words: “I am Allah; worship Me.”

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3. Implications for Muhammad’s Prophethood

If Muslims insist that Jesus is not divine because He did not utter specific words, then the same logic must be applied to Muhammad:

• Muhammad never heard Allah’s voice proclaiming His identity.

• No direct statement of self-revelation was ever given.

• Therefore, Muhammad had no divine guarantee of Allah’s existence or authority.

By Islamic reasoning itself, Allah cannot be proven to be God, and Muhammad’s claim to prophethood collapses. This creates a theological paradox: the very argument Muslims use against Christianity becomes the undoing of Islam.

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4. The Christian Perspective on Divine Revelation

Unlike Allah’s silence, the God of the Bible revealed Himself throughout salvation history with direct self-claims:

• To Moses: “I am the LORD your God… You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2–3).

• To the prophets: “I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5).

• Through Christ: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).

The biblical model is consistent: God does not leave His identity ambiguous. In contrast, Islam’s Qur’an fails to provide Muhammad with any such direct divine declaration.

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Conclusion

By applying the same standards Muslims demand of Christians, Islam collapses under its own weight. If explicit self-declaration is required for divinity, then Allah’s silence disqualifies Him from being God, and Muhammad’s message loses legitimacy. The Christian God reveals Himself clearly and personally, culminating in Jesus Christ, who is worshipped as Lord and God. Islam, therefore, stands as a system built upon a deity who never affirmed Himself to His prophet.

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Bibliography

• The Qur’an, translations by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Saheeh International, and Pickthall.

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV).

• Ahmad Deedat, Is Jesus God? (Islamic Propagation Centre International, 1981).

• Zakir Naik, The Concept of God in Major Religions (Islamic Research Foundation, 1997).

• F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Eerdmans, 2003).

• N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Fortress Press, 1996).

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