The Differences and Similarities between the Christian and Muslim Faiths - Research Paper Example

? The Differences and Similarities between the Christian and Muslim Faiths Introduction Inarguably,Islam and Christianity are the world’s two largest religions and while they have many points of contacts, they have points of differences as well (Rousseau, 1999). Both religions have continued to grow over the decades and they currently enjoy massive following around the world. The two religions have followers in virtually all parts of the world. The two religions inherited from Judaism a belief in one God who cares about the human beings’ beliefs and behaviour and the one who created the world (Al-Moghamis, 2002). In order to understand the two religions, this paper will discuss the differences and similarities between the Christian and Muslim faiths. The first main difference between Christian and Muslim faiths has to do with the recognition of Jesus. Even though both faiths recognize Jesus, their beliefs on him greatly differ. Both faiths believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and that he was infallible and sinless; however, while Christians see Jesus as God Himself, Muslims view Jesus a prophet of high regard (Renard, 2011). Christians are of the view that Jesus was a spiritual and not a political leader, and this is why most dominantly Christian nations practice separation of state and church. To Muslim, however, Muhammad was both a religious and political leaders, and this explains the integration of state and Islam religion in many Muslim countries. Related to this difference is believe in the Holy Trinity; Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, that is three persons in one divine nature, while Muslims believe that God is one person only. To Muslims, Jesus was not divine but was a human prophet who was sent by God just like prophets Moses and Muhammad (Riley-Smith, 2011). It is for this reason that Muslims are of the view that since these prophets were human beings, they should not be worshipped directly or indirectly. The other main difference between the two religions is in regard to their founders. To Christians, Jesus is the founder of Christianity and they ought to live according to His teachings. However, to Muslims, Muhammad is the founder of Islam; he was both the religious and political leader (Rousseau, 1999). It should be noted that both religions believe their founders are sinless and infallible. In addition, Christian and Muslim faiths differ on the idea of how salvation is obtained. On one hand, Christians believe that Adam and Eve committed sin and that all people, aside from Jesus, were born with this original sin (Al-Moghamis, 2002). They also believe that human beings are imperfect, and therefore man can only earn salvation through God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice. Besides, Christians believe that they can earn reparation and indulgences for their sins, through the saints’ good works (Riley-Smith, 2011). On the other hand, Muslims believe all humans are born sinless, and therefore they are responsible in maintaining this state throughout their life. Muslims also believe that all individuals are responsible for their individual salvation, and that no individual can receive an indulgence. The Quran cites two reasons why Muslims do not believe in the Original sin: God forgave Adam for his sin; and no one should bear the mistake or sin of someone else because it is unfair (Renard, 2011). In spite of the aforementioned differences between Christian and Muslim faiths, there are a number of identifiable similarities. The both have similar beliefs regarding what will happen at the end of time. They believe that all human beings will be judged and will go either to heaven or to hell (Rousseau, 1999). In addition, they both believe that heaven is eternal and all human beings should strive to go to heaven. Both Christianity and Islam have certain similar religious aspects: almsgiving, fasting, and prayer. They both have particular holy day where followers are obligated to prayer and engage in other religious rituals. Christians go to church on Sundays, and Muslims go to mosque on Fridays. Muslims fast each year during the month of Ramadan, usually the ninth month of lunar calendar. During fasting, Muslims do not eat anything between sunrise and sunset. Similarly, Christians undertake fasting; they fast on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday (Riley-Smith, 2011). Additionally, both Islam and Christianity believe in the existence of only one God who is not only a Creator, but also a Sustainer of the universe. They both further agree that God sent prophets such as Moses, John the Baptist, David, Noah, Joseph and Abraham among others (Rousseau, 1999). They are also of the same view that human beings should follow commandments outlined in their respective holy book; Quran and the Bible. Adherents should live by the moral teachings of their respective holy books and of the prophets. The other similarity of the two faiths is in respect to Satan; they believe that Satan is evil and that adherents should not follow Satan (Riley-Smith, 2011). They concur that the judgment day will happen where people will be judged based on their deeds while they were living. It is after judgment that individuals will go either to heaven or to go to hell. Even though they each have different version of scripture, that is, the Quran and Bible for Muslims and Christians respectively, they are both dependent on the teachings of their respective scriptures in their daily lives (Renard, 2011). They both believe that the two scriptures are absolute Word of God, which is perfect, infallible, unchanging, and complete. According to Muslim and Christian adherents, God inspired the scriptures, in their respective holy books, and therefore, they are the absolute Word of God (Al-Moghamis, 2002). Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be seen that both Christian and Muslim faiths are two world’s major religions with similarities and differences. As has been noted, the key areas of differences include founders of either faiths, the role of God in salvation, the aspect of original sin, the nature of God in regard to Trinity, and the identity of Jesus among several other issues. Their differences notwithstanding, they have several areas of similarities, which include one creator, the end of times, judgment, heaven and hell, house of worship, sacred rituals, religious leaders, and holy book. References Al-Moghamis, N. (2002). Christianity and Islam according to the Bible and the Qur'an. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam. Renard, J. (2011). Islam and Christianity: Theological themes in comparative perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press. Riley-Smith, J. S. C. (2011). The Crusades, Christianity, and Islam. New York: Columbia University Press. Rousseau, R. W. (1999). Christianity and Islam: The struggling dialogue. Scranton, Pa: Ridge Row Press. Read More