The short answer is that Islam does not use the name Yahweh. Muslims believe in one God, whom they call Allah, and they regard Allah as the same God the Bible speaks of — the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. But the Qur’an never uses the name Yahweh or YHWH. It uses Allah, an Arabic word for God that Arabic-speaking Christians also use for the God of the Bible. So when you ask what Yahweh means in Islam, the honest answer is that the name itself is absent from Islamic scripture, while the question of whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God is a separate and much larger one. This article looks at what the name Yahweh actually means, what Islam says about God, and how a Christian can talk about this with a Muslim neighbour without either watering down the gospel or picking a fight.
What does the name Yahweh actually mean?
Yahweh is the personal name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. In the Hebrew text it is written with four consonants, YHWH, and is often called the Tetragrammaton. The name is connected with the Hebrew verb “to be”, and God explains it to Moses this way:
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” — Exodus 3:14 (BSB)
Then God adds the name itself:
God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob — has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.” — Exodus 3:15 (BSB)
The word printed as the LORD in most English Bibles stands for YHWH. Because Jewish readers treated the name as too holy to speak aloud, they said Adonai, meaning Lord, instead, and the Greek Septuagint followed with Kyrios. English translators carried that custom over, which is why the King James Version sometimes prints JEHOVAH and the American Standard Version prints Jehovah where the Hebrew has YHWH. The older form Jehovah is a hybrid of the consonants YHWH with the vowels of Adonai; most scholars today read the name as Yahweh. Either way, the point is the same: this is God’s own revealed name, not a title, and it belongs to the God of Israel.
Does the Qur’an use the name Yahweh?
No. The Qur’an addresses God as Allah, and also uses the phrase al-Rahman (the Most Merciful) and the title Rabb (Lord). It does not contain the Tetragrammaton. Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians have used Allah for God for centuries, and Arabic translations of the Bible often print Allah where the Hebrew has Elohim or YHWH. So the absence of the word Yahweh in the Qur’an does not by itself prove that Muslims worship a different being; it reflects the language and the religious vocabulary of the Qur’an.
Where Islam and the Bible clearly diverge is in what they say about God’s identity and how He is known. Islam insists on strict unity — Allah has no son is a common Muslim summary — and denies the Trinity. The Bible presents one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and it presents Jesus not merely as a prophet but as the eternal Word who became flesh:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. — John 1:1 (BSB)
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14 (BSB)
So the question of whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Muslims intend to worship the God of Abraham, and they reject idols. But the God they describe has no Son, while the Christian God is eternally Father and Son in the unity of the Spirit. That is not a small difference in wording; it changes who God is and how we come to Him. Christians have historically said that the true God is the one revealed in Jesus Christ, and that knowing Him is eternal life (John 17:3).
What does the Bible say about God’s name and other gods?
Scripture is not shy about the uniqueness of Yahweh. Through Isaiah, God says:
I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me, — Isaiah 45:5 (BSB)
That claim does not mean every religion uses the same vocabulary. It means there is one true God, and He has made Himself known. The New Testament takes the divine name and applies it to Jesus. When Jesus says that before Abraham was born, He is, He is using the language of Exodus 3:14 of Himself (John 8:58). Paul writes that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11), echoing Isaiah’s words about Yahweh. And Peter, speaking of Jesus, says:
Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. — Acts 4:12 (BSB)
This is where a Christian can be both kind and clear. We do not need to tell a Muslim that he worships a false idol in every sense, nor do we need to pretend that the Trinity is a minor detail. We can say that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has revealed Himself fully in Jesus, and that the name above every name belongs to Him.
How should a Christian talk about this with a Muslim?
Start with what you share. Muslims revere Abraham, Moses, the prophets and Jesus, and they honour the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel as earlier revelations. You can read those Scriptures together and ask honest questions about what they say. A Muslim friend may be surprised to learn that the Hebrew name Yahweh appears thousands of times in the Old Testament, and that the LORD in English Bibles is a stand-in for it.
Be honest about the differences. The Trinity, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and His divine identity are not optional extras in the Christian faith. They are the heart of it. Do not soften them to keep the peace, and do not mock what a Muslim holds dear. Peter tells us to be ready to give an answer, but to do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
Let your life carry weight. Arguments rarely convince anyone on their own. Hospitality, patience, honesty in business, and care for the poor often open more doors than a clever reply. If the conversation turns to the name of God, you can explain that Yahweh means the self-existent One, the God who is there, and that Christians believe this same God has come near in Christ.
What about the claim that Allah is a moon god or a different deity?
Some popular Christian material claims that Allah was a pre-Islamic moon god and that Muslims therefore worship a different being. That claim is not well supported by the historical evidence. Allah was used for the high God in pre-Islamic Arabia, and Arabic-speaking Christians, Jews and Muslims have all used the word for the one God. The real disagreement is not the word but the doctrine: Islam denies that God has a Son, and Christianity confesses that He does. Keep the focus there, where the Bible actually speaks, rather than on speculative claims about pagan origins.
Where does this leave the reader?
If you are a Christian talking with a Muslim, you do not need to win an argument. You need to know the God whose name is Yahweh, the God who revealed Himself to Moses and then came to us in Jesus Christ. Read Exodus 3 and John 1 side by side. Pray for your Muslim neighbour by name, and ask God for opportunities to speak with gentleness. If you are a Muslim reading this, the claim of the New Testament is worth examining for yourself: that the God of Abraham has spoken definitively in Jesus, and that in Him we see the glory of the one true God. Take these questions to a local church where the Bible is taught, and talk with a pastor or a mature believer who can walk through the Scriptures with you. If you are struggling with fear, grief or pressure because of your faith, please reach out to a trusted believer in person, and to a doctor or licensed counsellor if the weight is affecting your health. In the United States and Canada you can call or text 988; in the United Kingdom and Ireland you can call Samaritans on 116 123; in Australia you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14; anywhere else you can visit findahelpline.com or call your local emergency number.
Questions readers ask
Does the Qur’an mention Yahweh?
No. The Qur’an uses Allah, al-Rahman and Rabb for God, but never the Hebrew name YHWH or Yahweh. Arabic translations of the Bible do use Allah for God, so the vocabulary differs from the Hebrew text without that alone settling whether the same God is meant.
Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God?
Muslims intend to worship the God of Abraham and reject idols, but Islam denies that God has a Son and rejects the Trinity. Christians confess one God who is eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit, revealed fully in Jesus Christ, so the two faiths describe God differently at the most important point.
Why do Bibles say the LORD instead of Yahweh?
Jewish readers treated the divine name as too holy to say aloud and read Adonai, meaning Lord, instead. The Greek Septuagint used Kyrios, and English translators followed that custom, printing the LORD in small capitals where the Hebrew has YHWH. The KJV sometimes prints JEHOVAH and the ASV prints Jehovah.
Is Allah a moon god?
That claim is not well supported historically. Allah was used in pre-Islamic Arabia for the high God, and Arabic-speaking Jews, Christians and Muslims have all used the word for the one God. The real disagreement between Islam and Christianity is about the Trinity and the identity of Jesus, not the word itself.
Lexicon answers from the Bible and public-domain reference works. It is a study aid and is not affiliated with any organisation.