Christianity and Islam

Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings,

death and resurrection of Jesus as described in the New Testament of

the Holy Bible. Although Christians are monotheistic, the one God is

thought to exist in three persons called the Trinity. Most Christians

believe that Jesus is the son of God, but according to other

traditions, Jesus is thought to be a human messiah that instructs his

followers to worship God alone.

Christianity encompasses numerous religious traditions which have

varied due to things such as culture and time over the past millennia.

Christianity has been grouped into three main branches: Roman

Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism. It is the world’s

largest single religion with over 2.2 billion followers. To be

Christians means �belonging to Christ’ or �of Christ’.

Islam is a monotheistic faith and the world’s second largest religion.

Followers of Islam, known as Muslims, believe that one God (Allah)

revealed his direct word for mankind to Muhammad and other prophets

including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. But it was considered that

all that was revealed to Muhammad was the final and ultimate

revelation.

The Muslims hold that the main written record of revelation to mankind

is the Koran (Qur’an) which is believed to be flawless since it is the

direct word from God to mankind. To be Islam means �one who surrenders

to God’ or a �vassal of God’.

Christianity and Islam are two very closely related religions because

they all revere Abraham and other patriarchs mentioned in the bible as

their spiritual ancestors. This is why both Christianity and Islam are

called Abrahamic religions. Many of their main points of belief and

worship hold similarity, this is no guarantee that their followers get

along. Most of the serious religious motivated conflicts, mass crimes

against humanity and genocides in the 20th century have been between

Muslims and Christians.

There are many points of belief and worship which are similar if not

exactly the same, but there are other which is very much opposite or

inconsistent, such as Christianity and Islam’s concept of deity.

Christians believe in the trinity which is three persons in one

Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit whereas Muslims believe God

(Allah) is one and indivisible, promoting very strict monotheism.

It is interesting to see that both Islam and Christianity acknowledge

Jesus as apart of both their religions but in very different ways.

Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God, worshipped as God and

apart of the trinity whereas for Muslims, Jesus is highly respected as

the second-last prophet. Yet both believe he was a virgin birth and

his current location is in heaven and there will also be a second

coming of Jesus in the near future. Yet both religions disagree on the

nature of Jesus’ death. Christians believe Jesus was crucified by the

Roman Army and then resurrected three days later, yet the Muslims

believe Jesus did in fact not die but rather ascended alive into

heaven.

Both religions have what we could call a �Golden Rule’. The Christian

Golden Rule is “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men

should do to you, do ye even so to them.” Matthew 7:12 The Muslims

вЂ?Golden Rule’ is “Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his

brother what he loves for himself.” Fourth Hadith of an-Nawawi 13.

Both religions view of life after death is basically the same (Heaven

and Hell) except Catholics believe in purgatory.

There are also similarities and alternatives to the practices

performed or participated in by both Christians and Muslims such as

the place of worship. Christians worship is a church or cathedral

whereas Muslims worship in a Mosque. They are both holy structures in

which they pray and achieve closeness to God but under different

names. Christians Sabbath day is Sunday, sometimes Saturday and

Muslims is on a Friday.

A very interesting difference between Christianity and Islam is the

use of statues of Holy figures. Statues are extremely common in all

Christian denominations whereas Muslims absolutely forbid the use of

statues as they consider is idolatry.

A seemingly irrelevant but nonetheless important difference is the