Islam and Christian Beliefs - Essay Example

TRS-201 A: The Phenomenon of Religion Prof. Noble-Martocci Marriage Rites: A Comparative Analysis between Islam and Christian Beliefs Introduction Religion plays a significant role in diverse cultures. Religious values, practices and beliefs have existed in each and every known society since time immemorial: from the simplest form to the most intricate. There are elements in various religion that encompass universality of doctrine but each religion manifest distinct rituals and practices that make them unique and exceptional. Marriage rites, for instance, are inimitable between Islam and Christian beliefs. In this regard, the objective of the essay is to present a comparative analysis of marriage rites between the abovementioned religions. The discourse would initially present some comparative highlights on key elements (history and statistics, religious authority, beliefs and doctrine, and rituals and practices) before discussing the comparative evaluation of the differences and similarities in marriage rites between Islam and Christian beliefs. General Description of Christian and Islam Faith The Christian faith, particularly the Catholic religion is believed to have evolved from Jesus Christ. After Christ’s death, one of his apostles, Peter, was the first to be designated as the head of the Catholic Church. According to Pope Benedict XVI, the mission of the Catholic Church can be summarized “as a threefold responsibility to proclaim the word of God, celebrate the sacraments, and exercise the ministry of charity” (Benedict XVI 2005). Catholics believe in God, as the Supreme Being and in triumvirate with Jesus Christ, as his Son and the Holy Spirit to form the Blessed Trinity (The Blessed Trinity, 1997). On the other hand, Islam believes in Allah, as the one and only God. The Islam faith was founded by the prophet Mohammed and ““unlike Christians, who believe that Jesus was the Son of God and an indivisible part of God, Muslims believe that the Holy Prophet Mohammad (570-632) was a man and that he followed Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus as the last of the great prophets to receive divine revelation. A Muslim believes in the revelation of God through the Quran that was given to Mohammad. For a Muslim, the Quran is God’s Word” (Funk, 2009). Discussion on the Key Elements between Christian and Islam Beliefs The tabular illustration below clearly presents a comparative presentation of key elements between Islam and Christian beliefs, quoted from the Religion Facts (2011), to wit: History & Stats Christianity Islam date founded c. 30 AD 622 CE place founded Palestine Arabian Peninsula founders & early leaders Jesus, Peter, Paul Muhammad original languages Aramaic and Greek Arabic major location today Europe, North and South America Middle East, Southeast Asia adherents worldwide today 2 billion 1.3 billion Religious Authority Christianity Islam sacred text Bible = Old Testament (Jewish Bible) + New Testament Quran (Koran) summaries of doctrine Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed Six Articles of Faith religious law canon law (Catholics) Sharia Beliefs & Doctrine Christianity Islam nature of God Trinity - one substance, three persons unity - one substance, one person other spiritual beings angels and demons angels, demons, jinn identity of Jesus Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted birth of Jesus virgin birth virgin birth death of Jesus death by crucifixion did not die, but ascended bodily into heaven (a disciple died in his place) resurrection of Jesus affirmed denied, since he did not die second coming of Jesus affirmed affirmed means of salvation correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (some Protestants emphasize faith alone) correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars Rituals & Practices Christianity Islam house of worship church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall mosque day of worship Sunday Friday religious leaders priest, bishop, archbishop, patriarch, pope, pastor, minister, preacher, deacon imams major sacred rituals baptism, communion (Eucharist) Five Pillars: prayer, pilgrimage, charity, fasting, confession of faith central religious holy days Lent, Holy Week, Easter Eid-al-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha, month of Ramadan other holidays Christmas, saints days Mawlid, Ashura major symbols cross, crucifix, dove, anchor, fish, alpha and omega, chi rho, halo crescent, name of Allah in Arabic Source: Religion Facts, 2011 As seen from the comparative review, diversity comes in terms of various key elements with similarities only on the following accounts: birth of Jesus and his second coming, salvation sourced from practicing correct beliefs and angels and demons as spiritual beings. All the rest are diversely matchless. The Catholic religion acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God. In Islam, Jesus was believed to be the second to the last prophet. Likewise, Catholic devotees believed Jesus died on the cross while Muslims contended that Jesus was ascended alive into heaven. In issues of confessing sins, the devotees of the Catholic religion confess their sins through the priest and are believed to be the intermediary to God or Jesus. For Muslims, they confess their sins only to Allah. Regarding the use of statues, in Catholics, this is common as they are only representations of the true images they believe in. For Muslims, statues are absolutely forbidden. These are considered a very serious form of idolatry. Focus on the Comparative Analysis between Islam and Christian Marriage Rites The review of various literatures comparing marriage rites between Christian and Islam faith gives credence to the following crucial points of disparity: 1. “It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man. It is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a Christian/Jewish woman strictly under these two conditions:  a. She is a true Christian/Jew – not by name and/or ancestral background. b. She did not renegade from Islam and become a Christian/Jew” (Arlandson, pars. 4 & 5) 2. “Islam does allow a Jewish or Christian woman to marry a Muslim man with the provision that the children are raised Muslim, which is facilitated by two factors in the eyes of the Law: (1) The head of the household is Muslim and (2) Her Abrahamic background qualifies her to grow into the fullness and maturity of the final Divine dispensation” (Haddad, 2005). 3. “A Muslim marriage is not a sacrament, but a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. As a result, divorce is not common, although it is not forbidden as a last resort. According to Islam, no Muslim girl can be forced to marry against her will: her parents will simply suggest young men they think may be suitable” (Understanding Islam and Muslims, par. 65). 4. The Islam belief allows Muslim men to take more than one wife as long as equity and fair treatment is scrupulously practiced (ibid, par. 64). In contrast, Catholics are monogamous, only one partner is allowed. 5. In a Catholic religion, “wedding rite takes place with the Sacrament of Matrimony, one of the seven sacraments Catholics believe are channels of Gods grace. The ceremony consists, at least, of three biblical readings, the exchange of vows, the exchange of rings, the Prayer of the Faithful, the nuptial blessing, prayers and appropriate music” (Wedding Details,par. 1). In contrast, the Islam wedding, Peel (2009) averred that “the ceremony, the nikah, is a simple affair that is usually conducted in a mosque on a Sunday. The nuptials are often officiated over by the Imam, a Muslim religious figure, who leads the prayers in the mosque, but any respected Muslim man can perform the ceremony” (Peel, 1). There are similarities in terms of forging a marriage contract between the bride and the groom; wearing a traditional wedding dress for the bride (usually in white gown for Catholic brides and “a shalwar-qameez outfit in scarlet and gold thread, and pattern their feet and hands with henna” (Peel, 1) for Asian Muslim brides; giving of gifts; and a celebration or wedding reception after the ceremony. In Muslim weddings, however, there is this practice of “giving of the mahr gift … (as) a traditional symbol signifying the young husbands economic commitment and responsibility toward his wife” (Peel, 2); and the wedding banquet, the Walima, which is conducted as a form of an announcement in the view of the public. Conclusion Muslim and Christian religion are seen to be rich in traditions, values, beliefs and practices that were traced from key elements traced from their sacred texts and doctrines. Despite their differences, there are some similarities that have been found especially in terms of marriage rites and in their ultimate goal of eternal salvation. Further, the moral of the ethics of reciprocity or more commonly known as the Golden rule applies to both Catholics and Muslims. The sayings: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" from Matthew 7:12 sourced from the Bible of the Catholics and "Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" sourced from Fourth Hadith of an-Nawawi 13 for Muslims, attest that their teachings, despite disparities, value relationships with others to ensure a safe, equitable and fair journey among brethren in this temporal life and beyond. Works Cited Arlandson, James M. The truth about Muslim-Christian marriages. N.d. Web. 15 February 2011. Funk, M.M. Islam: What Catholics Should Know. 2009. Web. 21 February 2011. Peel, Janette. Traditional Islamic Wedding Ceremonies. 15 February 2009. Web. 21 February 2011. < http://www.helium.com/items/1341167-islamic-wedding-ceremonies> Religion Facts. 2011. Web. 15 February 2011. < http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_islam.htm> The Blessed Trinity: An Explanation. 5 February 1997. Web. 22 February 2011. < http://home.earthlink.net/~mysticalrose/trinity.html> Understanding Islam and the Muslims. The Islamic Affairs Department, The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington DC., Consultants The Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge, UK, 1989. Print. Wedding Details. Roman Catholic Traditions. 2010. Web. 21 February 2011. < http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/catholic.cfm> Read More