Islam and Christianity share a surprising
number of traditions and beliefs and have common bonds that go back to their origins, over two
thousand years ago. Nevertheless, there are some precepts of each religion which are not shared,
and some teachings which are diametrically opposed.
Following is a comparison
of some of the basic tenets of Christianity and Islam. It should be noted that there are some
denominations of Christianity and some Islamic sects whose beliefs and teachings vary, sometimes
considerably, from these basic tenets.
Origins of
Christianity and Islam
Islam and Christianity share
the same Abrahamic origins, in that both religions trace their origins to the Israelite prophet
Abraham, and believe that their religion and religious traditions flow from Abraham and his
descendants. Among Abraham's descendants are the major prophets and religious figures of the
Islamic and Christian religions.
Both religions teach that God
(Allah, in Arabic) appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia, and commanded him to
move his family to another region on the eastern Mediterranean coast between Mesopotamia and
Egypt. This region is called the "Holy Land," and includes all or part of present-day
Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.
God made a covenant
(agreement) with Abraham in which Abraham promised on behalf of his people to have faith in only
Him, the one true God, and worship only Him. For His part, God would protect and multiply the
children of Abraham, as long Abraham's descendants continued to believe in Him, and maintained
the teachings of His faith.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ (c. 4 B.C. -
30 A.D.) founded Christianity.
Muslims (followers of Islam) believe that
Muhammed (570-632 A.D.) was not so much a founder of Islam, but rather a prophet who was sent by
Allah to restore and preserve the true monotheistic faith and the monotheistic teachings
preached before him by Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets.
Scripture
The
scripture (sacred writings) of Christianity are contained in the Bible,
which encompasses the books of the Old Testament (the ancient Hebrew Bible of Judaism), and the
New Testament, the books which describe the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as the
history of the early Christian Church.
Christians refer to the Bible as
"the Word of God" (2 Timothy 3:16), composed of 66 books compiled from the writings of
many authors over a period of 1,500 years, from approximately 1400 B.C. (the Old Testament) to
90 A.D.
The scripture of Islam is the Quran
("recitation," also written as Qur'an or
Koran). Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed by Allah solely to
Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years.
The Quran
consists of 114 chapters called surahs, and over 6000 verses called
ayat. The Quran is a continuation of earlier revelations from Allah, and
contains and reaffirms spiritual messages contained in the Christian Bible.
The Concept of God
Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions, and their
followers believe that there is only one God, and that God is the Creator of all
things.
Christians believe in a triune (three-part) God, known as the
"Holy Trinity" - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost (Matthew
28:19).
Muslims don't believe in a triune God, but believe that God is wholly
self-contained and strictly monotheistic (Quran 112:1).
Islam and
Christianity teach that over the course of human history, God has appeared and spoken to
individuals called "prophets," and He has given teachings to them called
"revelations."
Christians believe in an all-loving God, who loves
believers and non-believers alike. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Muslims believe that Allah loves only those who follow His teachings, but doesn't love
non-Muslim non-believers (infidels).
Muslims also believe that what
Christians call the Holy Spirit is the same as Angel Gabriel, who appeared to Muhammed and
brought the Quran to him from Allah.
Jesus Christ,
Prophet or Son of God
Christians believe that Jesus
is the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, "true God from true God"
(Nicene Creed), who was born of the Virgin Mary.
Muslims believe that Isa
(Jesus) was a prophet, sent by Allah and born of the Virgin Mary, but Muslims do not believe
that Isa is God, or the Son of God (Quran 5:17).
Christians believe that
Jesus was sent to earth by God to atone for all of the sins of mankind by his death, that
"...For our sake he was crucified...he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he
rose again...and he ascended into heaven..." (Nicene Creed).
Muslims
teach that Isa was sent by Allah to proclaim the Injil (gospel), which had
been corrupted by mankind over time through additions and alterations.
Muslims don't believe that Isa was crucified (Quran 4:157), but they do believe that he
was raised to Heaven by Allah (Quran 4:158).
Sin,
Original or Simple Human Weakness
Christians
believe that human beings have an inherently sinful nature, known generally as
original sin, which they inherited from Adam. They believe that Jesus
Christ atoned for original sin by his crucifixion and death (Romans 5:12-17).
In Islam, there is no concept of "original sin." All humans are born without
sin, but commit sins because of their inherent human weakness.
Soul
Islam and
Christianity share a belief in a person's soul as that person's essential, immortal, spiritual
self, although various denominations of Christians and different Islamic sects disagree as to
what the concept of a soul means, where the soul resides, and what happens to the soul when a
person dies.
Salvation by the Grace of God or Good
Works
Christianity teaches, generally, that
salvation is realized by atonement for sin, by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 2:8-9), although the Orthodox church, Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism differ in
the way that salvation can be achieved.
In Islam, salvation is achieved
through an individual's good works, which must outweigh that person's sins (Quran
23:101-103).
Hell, Temporary or
Forever
For Christians, hell is a place of eternal
punishment for those who have failed to atone in life for their mortal (most grievous) sins
(Matthew 25:46). Once a person's soul is sent to hell, there is no further hope for redemption
or any possibility of ever attaining heaven. Some Christian denominations maintained a belief in
Purgatory, as a place where souls could atone for venial, or less serious sins, until they can
be accepted into Heaven.
In Islam, hell (known as
Jahannamis) a place of fire and terrible torment (Quran 25:65,
104:6-7).
In contrast to Christianity, however, hell has several levels, and
it's possible for a soul to move up through those levels to attain heaven.
Reincarnation
Christianity and Islam reject the concept of reincarnation of human beings, and Islamic
scriptures also reject any idea of reincarnation of Allah, as is taught by Christianity
regarding Jesus being incarnated as the Son of God.
Christianity and Islam
also teach a linear concept of life. Human beings have only one life. When a person dies,
they're judged by God and either rewarded in heaven, or punished in hell.
The Final Days
For
Muslims, there will be bodily resurrection and a final judgment. All Muslims will eventually go
to heaven, although some must first be purged of their sins in hell. All non-Muslim
non-believers are destined to go to hell for eternity.
For Christians, there
will also be a bodily resurrection, a final judgement, and the determination of a person's final
destination. If a person has atoned for their sins in their life, they'll go to heaven, body and
soul. If they haven't atoned for their sins, they'll go to hell, for
eternity.
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