Comparison of Christianity and Muslim - Article Example

Compare/Contrast Christianity and Muslim of religion can often learn a lot of respect and understanding of people of other religions if they simply look into the basic ideas that found both their own belief system as well as those of the other religion. By making this comparison, it is often found that while the outward forms and rituals of a religion may be quite different, the underlying founding principles remain the same. One of the predominant religious systems in the United States is Christianity. Even among those who are not strong worshippers, the beliefs and rituals that accompany this religion remains deeply ingrained in the societal structure while the hostilities that have occurred throughout history have predisposed Christians to view Muslims as their avowed enemies and, therefore, opposites. However, Muslims are far from the devil-worshipping, child-sacrificing godless heathens imagined. A simple comparison of these two religions demonstrates they are not so very different after all as can be traced through their primary books of worship. This discussion will examine first many of the similarities the Qur’an (Koran) and Bible share then the point out some differences between the books of Muslims and Christians respectively. It will also delve into the cultural and historical differences and similarities of the two religions. The Bible and Quar’an have many similarities including writings and beliefs regarding creation, and 10 Commandments. Both share similarities and differences regarding their basic concepts, moral codes and practices. The Lord’s prayer in the Bible and the Opening Chapter of the Qur’an (Sura al-Fateha), go to the root of all religions ever professed by man. They are truly universal prayers each containing three main points of similarity. Both the Lords Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and the Fateha (The Qur’an 1:1-7) speak of adoration, submission and supplication. 1) Adoration: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name’ of the Bible compares to ‘Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, the Compassionate, the Merciful. King of the Day of Reckoning.’ 2) Submission: (The Qur’an) ‘Thee only do we worship and of Thee only do we ask aid of.’ (Bible) ‘Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ 3) Supplication: (Bible) ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.’ Other translations say: ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, The Power and the Glory. For ever and ever. Amen.’ (The Qur’an) ‘Guide us unto the right path - the path of those to whom Thou hast  been gracious, not the path of those who are the objects  of Thy wrath,  nor of those who have gone astray. Amen. The two religions are very similar in terms of their primary prayers, creation stories, the laws of God, moral codes, religious practices and concepts of God. Both the Lords Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and the Fateha (The Qur’an 1:1-7) speak of adoration, submission and supplication in that order. There are several points of similarity regarding creation such as: Quran 35:13 - He merges Night into Day, and he merges Day into Night, and he has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law): each one runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah your Lord: to Him belongs all Dominion. This compares to: Genesis 1:14 - Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. The Qur’an and 10 Commandments of the Bible match-up well almost line by line. Quran 17:33 Nor take life which Allah has made sacred. Exodus 20:13 You shall not kill Quran 17:32 Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).  Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit Adultery. Concepts such as God as the ultimate creator, omnipotent, omniscient and immanent are carried through in both religions while moral codes also tend to match, such as punishment for the worshipping of false idols. Finally, even the expression of each religion seems to be a duplicate as prayer becomes the chief method of communicating with God, charity wins high praise and specific and similar religious holidays are celebrated. Both list whom a person cannot marry, such as family members, again, almost line by line. There are several points of similarity regarding creation such as: Quran 35:13 - He merges Night into Day, and he merges Day into Night, and he has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law): each one runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah your Lord: to Him belongs all Dominion. And those whom ye invoke besides Him have not the least power compares to: Genesis 1:14 - Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. Genesis 2:7 - Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being compares to The Quran 15:28,29 - Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man from sounding clay from mud molded  into shape; when I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit fall ye down in obeisance unto him.  Many concepts are similar to both including: 1) (Allah) is recognized as the Creator, is omnipotent, omniscient, immanent within His creation yet transcendent. 2) God has a unique relationship with humans (master and servant). 3) God makes agreements or Covenants with humans. 4) Have similar eschatology, that this world will come to an end someday and no-one knows when. 5) A figure referred to as Satan or Antichrist (dajjal) (a figure of evil) will be defeated at the end of the world. 6) After the world has ended, God will judge humans, based on their actions in compliance with a moral code, specified in the Covenant which God makes with us. 7) Human beings have a spirit (ruh) which is eternal, continuing its existence after our physical death. Similar Moral Codes: 1) God severely punishes the worship of any deity other than God Himself as well as disrespect toward Him. 2) Humans have rights (hence the prohibitions on murder, theft, lying, violence). 3) Fornication and lewd behaviour are forbidden. 4) Societys laws must be obeyed. 5) Intoxication and suicide are forbidden. 6) Homosexuality is forbidden. Similarities in practices: 1) Prayer is a means of communicating with God; God hears prayers and sometimes grants requests. 2) Charity and relieving the suffering of others carries spiritual rewards. 3) Certain standard prayers exist. 4) Fasting and similar ascetic practises for religious purposes carries spiritual rewards. 5) Celebrate the advent and birth of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) on the 12th  Rabi Awwal (Islamic calendar date)/ Celebrate the advent and birth of Jesus Christ, Dec. 25. This is known as Christmas. Despite these many similarities, there are some differences between Christianity and Islam. The Quar’an believes in a single God while Christians believe in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h. through the angel Gabriel who was carrying out Gods precise instructions and contains no possibility for error. Christians believe that divine inspiration inspired the writers of the scripture and take no offense to new interpretations of the old words. Therefore, they also have no compunctions against creating new versions of the Bible that are translated into the many languages of the earth, abbreviated or ‘modernized’ for the contemporary audience to better understand according to a variety of interpretations. This type of alteration is considered sacrilege by the Muslims, contributing to their belief that Christianity is an impure religion. Also, because of their different foundational beliefs, the specific holidays celebrated are not always the same – Muslims, for example, do not celebrate Jesus’ birthday while Christians do not celebrate Mohammed’s. The Quar’an does not believe in the Trinity while Christians believe in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). As a member of the Trinity, Jesus is viewed as God Himself and believe that Jesus was crucified on a cross and raised from the dead. The Quranic teachings in this regard may be summed up as follows: (1) Christ was neither  crucified nor killed by the Jews, notwithstanding certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion in the minds of some of the enemies; and (2) Jesus was taken up to God (i.e.. God raised him up (rafa) to Himself.) [Quran 4:157, 158 & 3:55 & 4:157] Both believe that Hell is eternal but according to Biblical interpretations by Christians, only Christians can get to heaven. The Quran 4:124 declares: ‘If any do deeds of righteousness - be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them.’ In other words no religion has a monopoly on salvation. The Holy Quran was revealed (revelation [wahi] is the highest form of inspiration with no possibility of error in the message or the conveyance of the message) to the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h. through the angel Gabriel who was carrying out Gods precise instructions. This occurred over a period of 23 years. The holy Quran is Gods Word -- not the word of the Prophet Muhammad. Christians believe that divine inspiration (the Latin word is afflatus which  means divine wind) inspired the writers of the scripture. Hence they believe that the Gospel of St. Mark (obviously written by St. Mark) or the letters of Paul the Apostle are the "Word of God." The Quran exists today exactly the same as it was revealed to Muhammad, There have been absolutely no changes whatsoever made to the wording. A council was called, in the early days of Christianity, where the church fathers and elders debated. This was presided over by the Roman (and Christian) Emperor Constantine (circa 324 A.D.). This council codified (systematized) standard Christian belief and gave the New Testament its present form, depriving some books of the status of Scripture. The Muslims took their cue on learning from their religious teachings with a significant assist from exposure to other cultures. The existing belief systems of the Islamic world at the time of its emergence were varied, being an amalgamation of various cultures that met, meshed and clashed along the great caravan routes reaching in all directions. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was one of the more worldly individuals of his day, being in charge of several caravans himself at the meeting point of these ancient routes and was himself a product of the various beliefs and knowledge basis of Egypt and the Orient, those same sources that had influenced the Greeks. Muhammad’s teachings were considered to be building upon the words of others rather than replacing them, leaving an important avenue for outside knowledge to be preserved within Muslim libraries. “The religion of the pre-Islamic Arabs was a mixture of Bedouin polytheism, Judaism, and a little bit of Christianity” (Hooker, 1996), giving Muhammad access to all of this information in addition to the words he heard from God. The exposure to a variety of cultures and belief systems and an openness in the community to explore these new ideas led to developments in science and technology in the ancient world that would not be repeated for another 800 years. While it was important that the culture have fluid borders to allow information to pass, it was perhaps more important to have a dominant religious structure that welcomed different interpretations and viewed the study of science as a means of growing closer to the will of God, regardless of whether it was believed there was one creator or many. This dual necessity for the growth of scientific knowledge is proven by the occurrences of the period between approximately 800-1300, now known as the Dark Ages. With the Christian church’s insistence that all knowledge necessary was contained in the Bible, the western world lost its ability to study and investigate new ideas while the Muslims were encouraged to read and experiment further. “The first Koranic word revealed to the Prophet Muhammad is: ‘Read.’ It refers to reading the ‘signs of God’ or the systematic study of nature. It is a basic tenet of Muslim belief that the material world is full of signs of God; and these signs can be deciphered only through rational and objective inquiry” (Ziauddin, 2004). With Europe plunging its way ever deeper into the Dark Ages, it was the religion of Islam that encouraged Muslims to collect the writings of the ancients and study them, making their own advancements based upon this previous knowledge. “Islam produced advances in science, mathematics, literature, medicine, architecture, religion as well as many other fields of discipline.  Islamic cities such as Baghdad were the premier centers of learning and folks flocked there from all over the world to study.  It was Islam’s preservation of the great Greco/Roman texts of antiquity, as well as their own advances that allowed Europe to crawl out from the depression it was in” (Guisepi, 2002, p. 1). It was through the Muslims that Aristotle was reintroduced to the Western world during the early Renaissance period. While there are some differences between Muslim and Christian, careful study of these differences reveals that they are only ‘skin deep’ so to speak. The foundational beliefs upon which many Christians and many Muslims base their lives upon remain surprisingly similar. From ritual prayers and holy places to concepts of God and his laws for mankind, these two religions are nearly indistinguishable. It is only when the practices of man enter the picture, the rituals, the interpretations and the specific dates celebrated, that the two religions come into any kind of clash of ideals. A broader understanding of this would allow Christians and Muslims to come together on a secure foundation before beginning to explore, peacefully, their differences. Works Cited Guisepi, Robert. Islam from the Beginning to 1300. World History International, 2002. Hooker, Richard. “Muhammad: Messenger of God.” World Civilizations. (1996). August 2, 2007 < http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ISLAM/PRE.HTM> Ziauddin, Sardar ‘Introducing Islam’ Icon Books Ltd; New Ed edition (2 Sep 2004) Biblical references: New King James Version. (1984). Thomas Nelson Publishers Qur’an references: The Koran: Parallel Text Edition Viking Adult; 5th Rev. Ed., Parallel Ed edition (March 1, 1991) Read More