Christianity and Islam - Research Paper Example

 Christianity and Islam Abstract Islam and Christianity are considered to be the branches of the same religious tree along with Judaism. From the time of Islam, there have been numerous attempts at comparing these two religions. There are numerous similarities between the two religions and it is surprising to note that even the dissimilarities present in the two religions have an element of similarity between them. All these points shall be well presented in the second part of the study. The study presented here is a short yet relevant comparison between Christianity and Islam with proper accounts. The primary section gives a brief comparison of both the faiths followed by a point by point comparison of the religions. A reference section is presented at the end for verification and authenticity. Introduction Christianity and Islam basically come from the same ideas and ideologies. The three Abrahamic religions (including Judaism that is) are monotheistic or ‘religions of one God’ and the three are believed to be a sequence of evolution of faiths. In the present day there are a lot of misunderstandings between these faiths. As the study presented here develops and as anyone going through it might also establish, the two faiths are quite similar and the followers of both religions accept a lot of similar tenets, albeit there are some differences. It would be excellent if they take up the initiative to know each other and respect each other. That would reduce terrorism and increase trust between the two religious groups and make for a better and more peaceful world. The method of study here is through secondary literary analysis and a few websites have also been referred to get the comparative analysis data presented as tables. History “Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world and they have many points of contact. Both inherited from Judaism a belief in a single God who created the world and cares about the behavior and beliefs of human beings. The Prophet Muhammad knew Christians in his lifetime and respected them along with Jews as "People of the Book." Because of their monotheism and roots in the revealed Jewish Bible, the Prophet and his successors extended conquered Christians (and Jews) more freedom than conquered pagans. In the approximately 1,300 years of history since the life of the Prophet, the relationship between Christianity and Islam has rarely been harmonious. As it spread, the Muslim Empire quickly conquered much of the Judeo-Christian Holy Land and the Christian Byzantine Empire. The Christian Crusades of the 11th through 13th centuries, waged in large part against Muslims, served only to widen the divide between the two faiths. Constantinople, the "New Rome" and the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, fell to the Turks in 1453 and has lived under Islamic rule ever since.” (As cited in http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_islam.htm) As Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam share the same history. Judaism evolved to Christianity and Christianity emerged to Islam with the passage of time. Though the previous statement is a dubious one, the history supports it with full power. Moses and his holy book ‘Torah’ and Jesus and his holy book ‘Injil’ (Arabic name for Bible) are believed by the Muslims and no Muslim shall be called so without believing in these two prophets (Moses and Jesus are seen as the prophets of God in Islam). Therefore, comparing Christianity and Islam are more or less the same and they share so much in common. The differences seen are to be analyzed from the view of Christianity and Islam separately to gain their meaning and perspective. The study presented shall lose its brevity if such aspects are discussed. Therefore, the following sections deal with the compact discussion of similarities and differences of the two religions. Similarities and difference between Christianity and Islam As discussed earlier, Christianity and Islam have so many things in common and a few differences. A brief comparison between the two religions with regards to their similarities and differences is given below: The Ten Commandments of Christianity are present in the Islamic texts as well. Take for example the prohibition of worshipping any other God, or to take up idolatry. In the Christian Bible, the Commandments comes as “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” (Exodus 20:4). In the Muslim Qur’an, the same idea is represented as “They call on such deities, besides Allah, as can neither hurt nor profit them: That is straying far indeed (from the Way)!” (Qur’an 22: 12). It is very easy to see the similarity of the ideologies here. It is interesting to note that both the religions have the same story as to the beginning of life through one couple: Adam and Eve. In the Bible the story of Adam and Eve can be found in the Book of Genesis, whereas in the Qur’an, their story is found in the chapters 2 and 7: Al-Baqarah and Al-A’raf respectively. A reading of these texts show just how similar the two stories are. What is even more interesting is that not only do these two religions ask their followers to believe in Satan, the angels, the hour of judgment and heaven and hell as well, but they both agree that Jesus was born to a virgin. This birth is so recorded in the Qur’an in its 19th Chapter, entitled Maryam, whereas in the Bible this account is found in the 1st Chapter of the Book of Matthew. These religions also believe in charity, kindness and prayer to God, along with other certain moral beliefs. However, there are certain doctrinal differences present in these two religions, which start with the character of the God that is worshipped in these religions. Christianity believes in a Holy Trinity, whereby God is one but three: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, take for example Matthew 28: 19. But Islam believes in the unity of God, rejecting and denouncing trinity in all its aspects: “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His apostles. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah. Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” (Qur’an 4: 171) As is apparent from the above verse, Jesus is considered to be a Prophet of God in Islam, and not a part of a Holy Trinity as Christianity believes him to be. There is also a difference found in the concept of “Original Sin”. Christians believe in Original Sin whereby everyone is responsible for the sin of Adam (Romans 5: 12 and also Corinthian 15:22), whereas in the 7th Chapter of the Qur’an, Al-A’raf, when the story of Adam and Eve is told, it is also said that they were forgiven for their sins though they were banished to the earth. Therefore, in Islam the belief is that everyone is responsible for his/her own sins and not for someone else’s. What is one of the most interesting differences between the two religions is the fact that Islam considers Jesus to be a Prophet of God, whereas in Christianity the Prophet of Islam Muhammad is not considered to be a Prophet of God. Not only that, according to Christianity, Muhammad was nothing but a charlatan who tried to take the people away from the truth. Though these differences do exist, it is interesting to note that there are certain similarities between them as well. And it would serve us well if the followers of these faiths stopped fighting in the name of religion, and tried to understand each other, as the Qur’an also states when addressing the People of the Book, in which Christians are also included; “Say: ‘O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah. that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.’” (Qur’an 3: 64) Reference: “Comparison Chart: Christianity and Islam.” Religionfacts.com. Religion Facts, n.d. Web. 12 December 2009. < http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_islam.htm> Gaudet, J. A. R., Mills, R. & Ali, S. M. “Islam and Christianity – Similarities and Differences.” Muslim-Canada.org. The Canadian Society of Muslims, n.d. Web. 12 December 2009. Robinson, B. A. “Comparing Christianity and Islam: the world's two largest religions.” Religious Tolerance.org. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 22 October 2009. Web. 12 December 2009. The New Jerusalem Bible. Ed. Susan Jones. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print. “The Religion of Islam – A Comparison of Islam and Christianity.” Ccel.org. Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d. Web. 12 December 2009. The Qur'an: Translation. Trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Elmhurst: Tahrike, 2000. Print. Read More