Similarities And Differences Between Islam And Christianity Religion Essay

In this paper we will analyze some relevant similarities and differences between two widely known and practiced faiths: Islam and Christianity. Although, these two faiths have easy identifiable similarities and differences, they are both big participants in the spiritual universe today with an impressive figure of followings.

Besides, each of these faiths had been delivered with basic regulations of counsel, although the regulations in themselves were different. Islam had, from Mohammad, the Five Pillars, while Christians had been given the Ten Commandments, delivered by Moses. Another facet of each of these faiths that is really similar is that each is a “ Book ” faith. They each have their ain book written down by adherents of their several faith. The Islamic faith has the Koran, and the Christian faith has the Bible.

Because Islam diverged from Christianity ‘s beliefs, there are besides some noteworthy differences between the two. For illustration, the manner in which each faith is expected to pray. Muslims pray entirely and in fold. When congregational supplication is executed, there are many regulations and rigorous attachments to which they abide. They must pray this manner a certain figure of times each twenty-four hours and faces in a certain central way. For Christians, the supplication which is done entirely is informal and at one ‘s ain discretion, as it is for the Islamic faith. However, congregational supplication for Christians is much less strict and rigorous, and can be done in a figure of acceptable ways. Moslems are besides expected to take a journey, called a pilgrim’s journey, to their Holy Land whereas, this is non expected of Christians. Another noteworthy difference is the manner in which money is given to the church. In earlier yearss, and in some instances modern yearss, Muslims giving was in the signifier of a revenue enhancement which was mandated. Christians give in the signifier of a tithe and are asked to give 10 per centum of their income. A really big and widely disputed portion of these faiths is the reading of the Bible. Some events that are disputed include which son Abraham sacrificed, the Virgin Birth and nature of Jesus, and the reading of monotheism and the Trinity.

Islam and Christianity are faiths based on many similar and different beliefs based on the fact that one was borne of the other. For this ground, we can pick up on a figure of things that pealing true in each faith and a figure of things that are wholly different between the two of them. Aside from the similarities and differences, each of these faiths is still recognized in today ‘s society despite the fact that they are both centuries old.

Islam vs. Christianity

Despite the fact that there are many similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity, both faiths are important in today ‘s society, which is evident in the expansive figure of followings each has amassed. Islam and Christianity are in themselves, complete faiths with many followings. Islam was born of Christianity in that a big portion of Islam ‘s basic belief construction is based on that of Christianity and some parts of the Bible. Because of this fact, there are a figure of similarities and a comparative figure of differences between the two faiths.

The beginnings of Islam are really profoundly rooted in Christianity, based on the strong belief by the prophesier of Islam, Mohammed that Christians had departed from belief in God ‘s message as revealed in their Bibles ( Pike, 67 ) . Approximately 610, the first of many disclosures came to him and these visions were believed to hold been delivered from God by the angel Gabriel ( Pike, 17 ) . Here we begin to see the similarities between the two faiths as Gabriel is besides the angel that brings intelligence of Jesus ‘ birth ( Jesus being the laminitis of Christianity ) in Luke 1:26-32, of the Bible. The message that Mohammed received was that there was merely one God, non many Supreme beings as the so present twenty-four hours Arabs believed. This God was the Godhead of the universe ( Lewis, 8 ) . For Christians the message of a individual God was given during the origin of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3 of the Bible, “ You shall hold no other God before me. ” The creative activity of the universe by this remarkable God is documented in Genesis 1:1. “ In the beginning God created the celestial spheres and the Earth. ” In the Islamic religion it is believed that this God would judge world, which besides rings true in Christianity in Hebrews 10:30, “ The Lord will judge his people. ” For Muslims, followings of the Islamic religion, their individual God ( known as Allah ) was considered merely because he would judge every individual harmonizing to his workss ( Catherwood, 99 ) . In both faiths, the consequence of this judgement twenty-four hours was either heaven or snake pit. Another similarity between both Islam and Christianity was the thought of forgiveness. Islam teaches that God is ever ready to excuse the person and reconstruct him to the sinless province in which he started life. In Christianity, this same basic construct of forgiveness is accepted ( Wiles, 561 ) .

After the decease of Mohammed, certain indispensable rules were singled out from his instructions to function as grounding points for the Islamic community. These have come to be called the “ five pillars of Islam ” ( Pike, 99-100 ) . Comparably for Christians, the Ten Commandments are considered daily, godly Torahs. Besides, each of these faiths is one that has a “ book ” by which trusters follow. For Christians this is the Bible, which was recorded by Prophetss and adherents to Jesus including Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and many others. The Bible is for the most portion, ordered chronologically and Jesus Teachs in fables ( Bowie, 66 ) . Likewise for Muslims their book is the Koran, which was a aggregation of the expressions and workss of Mohammad, who was believed to be inspired to learn these things by Allah ( Lewis, 44-45 ) . However, because the Koran was assembled from recollections of those who had learned it by bosom, the chronological order is non used. The transitions or suras were arranged from longest to shortest. In the beginning, for both faiths, these instructions were passed along orally, but were subsequently captured via the written word. These books serve as an extra usher for trusters and emphasize the one thought of one God ( Pike, 62 ) .

Despite these many similarities between Islam and Christianity many differences exist every bit good. One of these differences is prayer. Islam recognizes two signifiers of supplication, one being the personal and more informal signifier of supplication. The other is a ritual supplication which is frequently congregational with specific words and positions, to be offered five times a twenty-four hours: dawn, noon, midafternoon, sundown, and before bed. Before Muslims pray ablutions are performed by rinsing the custodies, pess, and face. A individual called the muazzin calls for supplication and chants from a raised platform or minaret tower at the mosque. This supplication is started with the imaum, the supplication leader, standing at the forepart of the mosque confronting Mecca, the holy metropolis of Islam. ( This is the holy metropolis because it was the decease topographic point of Mohammad ) . Each supplication consists of several units, during which the person is standing, kneeling, or prostrate. At every alteration in position, “ God is great ” is recited. The main twenty-four hours of communal worship is Friday and trusters gather at the mosque to pray, listen to parts of the Koran, and hear a discourse based on the text. The discourse may hold moral, societal, or political content. Islam has no ordained clergy, but there are work forces trained specifically in faith, tradition, and jurisprudence ( Peters, 126-129 ) . For Christians supplication is done entirely every bit good as in a fold like Islam, but the asperities are far less conscientious. Prayer entirely is done at one ‘s ain discretion, but traditionally is done at dark or in the forenoon. Congregational supplication is normally headed by the sermonizer, priest, or another outstanding member of the church. The fold is normally seated in church benchs, but this can be done standing every bit good. Christians have a clergy that have been trained in divinity and affairs of faith and posses a grade from a seminary. The main yearss of assemblage is on Sundays, and trusters pray, sing, listen to discourses, and read from the Bible during their communal assemblage ( Morris, 218 ) . As you can see, this is rather different from the Islamic faith.

Another big difference in the two faiths is the pilgrim’s journey. For Muslims, the pilgrim’s journey, or hadj, is an one-year Muslim rite that every truster is expected to take portion in at least one time in his life-time. From the 7th to the 10th twenty-four hours in Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, 1000s of Muslims converge on the metropolis of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to see the holy shrine of the Kaaba in the Great Mosque, which tradition says was built by Abraham. The pilgrim’s journey was intended to reenact the Hegira, the flight of Mohammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 ( Catherwood, 100 ) . Christians do non hold such a pilgrim’s journey but many do see the birth topographic point of Jesus, the metropolis of Jerusalem, and see it an award to make so. Fasting and the giving of money are two more distinguishable differences between the two faiths. Because the Koran was foremost revealed to Mohammad in the month of Ramadan, the whole month was set aside as a period of fasting. During each twenty-four hours, from first visible radiation to darkness, all feeding, imbibing, and smoke are forbidden. Upon the terminal of the fasting period, the 2nd major festival of the Islamic twelvemonth ensues and lasts several yearss. In contrast, Christians have the Lenten period, where Jesus was sent to the desert for 40 yearss and 40 darks, and was tempted by the Satan. During this clip, Christians normally give up something of importance, and although some fasting does go on, it is by and large non every bit long as in the Islamic faith. The terminal of this 40 twenty-four hours period is known as Ash Wednesday, which begins the holiest point on the Christian calendar ( Good Friday and Easter ) ( Ware, 146-147 ) . Besides, the giving of money is slightly different. For Muslims, the zakat is an obligatory revenue enhancement, which is contributed to the province or community. In the modern period, the zakat has become a voluntary charitable part ( Pike, 100 ) . For Christians, this is known as tithe. Believers are expected to lend 10 per centum of at that place salary to the church for God ‘s intents ( Morris, 197 ) .

Besides, some of the differences between Islam and Christianity are clearly discerned in the holy books of the Bible and the Koran. One such illustration is the forfeit of Abraham. This event is interpreted really otherwise in both faiths. Both books make the recognition that Abraham was willing to do a “ enormous forfeit ” ( Shamoun, 57 ) . However, the difference between the readings lies in the name of Abraham ‘s boy. For illustration the bible says, “ By religion, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his lone boy ” ( Hebrews, 11:17 ) . With this the Bible affirms that it was so Isaac who was offered up as the forfeit. In Koran, nevertheless, Ishmael is the 1 who is supposedly offered up for forfeit as Abraham ‘s lone boy ( Sura 11: 69-73 ) .

Another incident that is disputed between the two faiths is the Virgin Birth and the Nature of Jesus. The Koran does back up the virgin birth of Christ, but does non back up the impression that Christ was resurrected. The Koran suggests alternatively that the Virgin Mary gave birth to a prophesier, who was free from unconditioned wickedness because he was virgin born ( Dew, 1 ) . The Bible so, supports the impression that the virgin birth existed, and the Virgin Mary gave birth to the boy of God, “ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His lone begotten Son into the universe, that we might populate through him ” ( Dew, 1 John 4:9, 1 ) . Islam states that Christ is non godly, it rejects this ideal and is seen in the Koran, “ The Messiah, Jesus the boy of Mary, was no more than Allah ‘s apostle and His Word which he cast to Mary ; a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His apostles and do non state: Three. Allah is but one God ” ( Dew, Koran 4: 171, 1 ) . Jesus in the Bible, nevertheless, is believed to be “ God manifest in the flesh ” ( 1 Timothy 3:16 ) . This leads into the Three of the Christian religion. Islam is monotheistic in nature, stating, “ For God hath said, ‘Take non to yourselves two Supreme beings, for He is one God. ” ( Dew, Sura 16:53,1 ) . Christianity is besides monotheistic, but that God is made up of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ; otherwise known as the “ Trinity ” . Christianity says, “ The Spirit the Lord Him ” ( Dew, Isaiah 11:2, 1 ) , which refers to the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and God. Islam does non back up this thought and the Koran argues that Christianity supports the impression of polytheism by saying that the Godhead represents three different Supreme beings, non one ( Dew, 1 ) .

In decision, Islam and Christianity are two elaborately woven faiths that have some basic model in common, but their beliefs diverge every bit good. For illustration, some of the similarities shared in the two are the angel Gabriel as a Jesus of of import intelligence, monotheism, God as the Godhead of the universe, and judgement by God after decease. Most of the differences seem to stem from Jesus ‘ function as a Jesus. For illustration, Muslims do non believe that Jesus was anything more than a prophesier and hence, the Three can non be. Besides, there are some divergences in similar narratives that are related by each faith, like that of Abraham and his sacrificial boy. Despite these difference and similarities, we can hold that Christianity and Islam are both important participants in the universe of faith and today ‘s society.