Christianity is a religious belief which begun as a Jewish belief and is seen as Abrahamic religion. Its followers are referred to as Christians. They believe in Jesus Christ the messiah as the prophet send by God to save mankind and the holy bible as the guide of their faith. They also believe that the messiah who came in the form of mankind suffered, died and resurrected to remiss them of their sins. It is also believed that he would return to reward those who have lived according to the doctrines taught by the holy bible. Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission and therefore Islam religion is believed to be an Abrahamic religion which believes in submission to the almighty God Allah and Muhammad as the prophet. Quran is the holy book believed to be the guideline of the Muslims who are the of the Islamic religion. It is believed that Allah repeatedly revealed it to Muhammad verbally through angel Jibril and the original Arabic version is the final revelation from God which is verbal.(“Christianity and islam,” n.d.)
Their teachings and histories may be similar but, they are contrasted by various differences which have been discussed in this paper.
1.2. WHY CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS CALL EACH OTHER UNBELIEVERS.
1.21 Abrahamic religions
Christianity and islam have a common origin which is through Abraham and that’s why they are referred to as Abrahamic religions. Christians believe Isaac is the father of Hebrews and beloved son of Abraham while Muslims consider Ishmael to be the older son of Abraham and the father of Arabs.
1.22 Scriptures
Christians use the Bible as their holy book while the Muslims use the Quran. This bible consists of old testament and new testament whereby the events documented in the old testament were written before the time Christ came on earth and the new testament dates from the time Christ was born and throughout his entire life, his death and centuries thereafter.
In the Quran, the events documented were from the early 7th century and decades thereafter. The Quran assumes awareness with the events narrated in the Christian scriptures. Muslims believe that Jesus was given the (Injil) Gospel from the Abrahamic God and that what is now referred to as the Hebrew bible does not contain all the original teachings, as parts of the original teachings were distorted or misplaced. Hence, the Christians perceive the Quran a non-divine and untrue as it was documented way later after most happenings had taken place.
1.23 Jesus
This refers to Jesus in Christianity and Jesus in Islam
Muslims believe that Issa(Jesus) was a created human being and a slave of Allah(God) and Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God. Jesus is given great honour in the Qu-ran, as hes denoted to as a prophet and as a miracle-worker, but he’s not God. In contrast the Bible is obstinate that far from being just a created being, that Jesus is God himself.
‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ (John 1:1 and 14)
Christianity and Islam differ in their fundamental views in regard to the God they worship, the nature of their religion, their beliefs about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Christianity teaches that Jesus was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin and the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, crucified and resurrected, as per the Gospel accounts. Christians believe Jesus was divine and sinless.
Islam teaches that Jesus was one of the most important prophets of Allah. Muslims do not believe that he was the Son of God, nor that he is divine. In Islam, Jesus was a human prophet who, like all the other prophets, tried to bring the children of Israel to the worship of One God. Muslims believe the creation of Jesus was similar to the creation of Adam (Adem). Muslims believe that Jesus was condemned to crucifixion and then miraculously saved from execution. “(“Christianity and islam,” n.d.)
Muslims oppose that Jesus teachings was against detachment of Gods oneness while Christians follow Gods command to have no other gods from the old testament and that trinity does not indicate any division.
1.24 Muhammad
Muhammad and Muhammad § Historical Christian views
Muslims believe that the Qur’an was orally revealed by God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril), They consider the Qur’an to be the only discovered book that has been protected by God from misrepresentation or exploitation.
Muslims revere Muhammad as the embodiment of the perfect believer and take his actions and sayings as a model of ideal conduct. Unlike Jesus, who Christians believe was God’s son, Muhammad was a mortal, albeit with extraordinary qualities. Today many Muslims believe that it is wrong to represent Muhammad, but this was not always the case. At various times and places pious Muslims represented Muhammad although they never worshiped these images.[15]
The first recorded comment of a Christian reaction to Muhammad can be dated to only a few years after Muhammad’s death. As stories of the Arab prophet spread to Christian Syria, an old man who was asked about the “prophet who has appeared with the Saracens” responded: “He is false, for the prophets do not come armed with a sword.”[16]
1.25 The Trinity
Trinity and Islamic Trinity
Christians believe in the doctrine of trinity which states that God is a single being composed of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that He exists at the same time and forever, while muslims believe in monotheism, the belief in one God and that rereferring God in trinity is a way of rejecting the one true God and also an abomination which they consider to be a major ‘al-Kaba’ir’ sin.
1.26 The Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit and Holy Spirit (Islam)
Christians and Muslims also have contrary views on the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is God, as manifested on the day of Pentecost in the gospel of John, while muslims perceive the Holy Spirit as the angel of God which is Angel Gabriel as referenced in the prophesy of the coming of Muhammad.
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7)
1.27 Salvation
Christian doctrine mostly highlights the requirement of faith in Jesus as a saviour in order for salvation. Muslims may receive salvation in doctrines relating to Worldwide understanding, but will not according to most Protestant theologies based on justification through faith:
“The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 3:24-25). He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23-25). This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us … Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls (Mark 13:31).”(“Christianity and islam,” n.d.)
— Martin Luther.
The Qur’an clearly promises salvation for all those righteous Christians who were there before the arrival of Muhammad:
Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans – whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right – surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
— Qur’an, Sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayat 62 (“Christianity and islam,” n.d.)
The Qur’an also makes it clear that the Christians will be nearest in love to those who follow the Qur’an and praises Christians for being humble and wise:
“And thou wilt find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe (to be) those who say: Lo! We are Christians. That is because there are among them priests and monks, and because they are not proud. When they listen to that which hath been revealed unto the messengers, thou seest their eyes overflow with tears because of their recognition of the Truth. They say: Our Lord, we believe. Inscribe us as among the witnesses.
How should we not believe in Allah and that which hath come unto us of the Truth. And (how should we not) hope that our Lord will bring us in along with righteous folk?
Allah hath rewarded them for that their saying – Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the reward of the good.”
— Qur’an, Sura 5 (Al-Ma’ida), ayat 82–85 (“Christianity and islam,” n.d.)