The Love of God in Islam

 

I found the above video in which Matt Slick and his three guests discuss the nature of the Love of God in Islam. They basically argue that the God of Islam is not a God of love. At around 10:38 minutes into the video Matt Slick says the following:

“… and we know that in the Quran there is the 99 names of Allah. So, Dr. David Cashin, could you talk about that a little bit, because it doesn’t say that God is love in those 99 names.”

To that David Cashin basically agrees. At around 13:17 minutes into the video he says the following:

“… you put that very well. In the 99 names of God … there is none that relates to love per se. … because God is relationship; that is why there can be love. And so the 99 names of God can never say love, because love implies relationship …”

So I searched the Internet to see what the 99 “names” (attributes) of God are, and what they actually say. I found several websites that list the 99 “names,” both in Arabic as well as translated into English. I found several of the “names” that directly mention, or indirectly relate to the love of God. I have listed them below, arranged in the order of relevance:

#	Name	Transliteration	Meaning
47	ٱلْوَدُودُ	AL-WADOOD	The Most Loving
83	ٱلْرَّؤُفُ	AR-RA’OOF	The Most Kind
82	ٱلْعَفُوُّ	AL-‘AFUWW	The Pardoner
1	ٱلْرَّحْمَـانُ	AR-RAHMAAN	The Most or Entirely Merciful
2	ٱلْرَّحِيْمُ	AR-RAHEEM	The Bestower of Mercy
14	ٱلْغَفَّارُ	AL-GHAFFAR	The All- and Oft-Forgiving
32	ٱلْحَلِيمُ	AL-HALEEM	The Most Forbearing
39	ٱلْمُقِيتُ	AL-MUQEET	The Sustainer
92	ٱلْنَّافِعُ	AN-NAFI’	The Propitious, the Benefactor
42	ٱلْكَرِيمُ	AL-KAREEM	The Most Generous
43	ٱلْرَّقِيبُ	AR-RAQEEB	The Watchful
44	ٱلْمُجِيبُ	AL-MUJEEB	The Responsive One
99	ٱلْصَّبُورُ	AS-SABOOR	The Forbearing, The Patient
16	ٱلْوَهَّابُ	AL-WAHHAAB	The Giver of Gifts
17	ٱلْرَّزَّاقُ	AR-RAZZAAQ	The Provider
23	ٱلْرَّافِعُ	AR-RAAFI’	The Exalter, The Elevator
24	ٱلْمُعِزُّ	AL-MU’IZZ	The Honourer, The Bestower
30	ٱلْلَّطِيفُ	AL-LATEEF	The Subtle One, The Most Gentle
56	ٱلْحَمِيدُ	AL-HAMEED	The Praiseworthy

The numbers in the first column indicate the order in which the “names” appear in the original list. I have rearranged them to put the most relevant ones first. So it looks like the God of Islam is very much a God of mercy, compassion, benevolence, forgiveness, and love (as well as of justice, judgement, fairness, etc.). So what they hope to achieve by spreading falsehood about Islam I have no idea. I have never met a Muslim who has deliberately tried to misrepresent Christianity or Judaism. They may have misunderstood certain aspects of their theology, but they don’t try to deliberately misrepresent them with malicious intent, as these guys are doing.

Their aim is to make Islam look as bad as possible, by any means possible—right or wrong, honest or dishonest. But the Muslims don’t do that. They show respect to both Christianity and Judaism. They refer to Jews and Christians as the “people of the book,” meaning that they consider them to be believers in a true religion, and respect their beliefs. They consider their own religion to be superior; but at the same time they show respect to both Christianity and Judaism, and consider them true Abrahamic religions, worshipping the one true God. They don’t try to spread falsehoods about Christianity or Judaism, as these guys are trying to do to them. Maybe that is why Islam is expanding and progressing, and gaining followers; while mainstream Christianity is shrinking and declining. The Muslims have the advantage over the Christians. They occupy the higher moral ground. They are not dishonest, deceitful, and hateful towards the Christians, as they are towards them.