Contrast And Comparison Between Christianity And Islam Religion Essay

Since September 11th, major confrontation between the Christian and the Muslim universe has been rather tense these yearss, yet it is of import to understand that there are similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam, both of which are really important in today ‘s society. Within this paper we will look at some of these important similarities and differences between these two normally known and practiced faiths: that being Christianity and Islam.

Besides, both Christianity and Islam were given through the message of God basic regulations of counsel to follow within each faith, although these regulations in themselves were different and/or had different significances. The Christians had been given the Ten Commandments through Gods courier Moses, while Islam had been given the Five Pillars Muhammad himself. Another cardinal feature of both of these faiths which is really comparable is that each has its ain “ Book ” of and/or about the faith within itself. Each several faith has their ain book, which has been authored by followings, couriers, apostles and/or adherents of the faith. The Christian faith has the Holy Bible, a aggregation of sacred Bibles and the Islamic faith has the Koran or Qur’an, the Holy Scripture of Islam.

Subsequently, as Islam began to distinguish itself from the beliefs of Christianity, many important differences evolved between Christianity and Islam. For illustration, within each faith followings are expected to pray certain ways, different from each other. For case, within Islam Muslims pray entirely and in fold. Muslims follow and adhere excessively many rigorous regulations for which must be abided by during the executing of congregational supplication. For case, each twenty-four hours Muslims must pray this manner many times a twenty-four hours, while confronting in certain basically of import waies. On the other manus, Christians, which supplication is done entirely tends to be informal and at one ‘s ain discretion, as it is for the Islamic faith. Meanwhile congregational supplication for Christians is much less demanding and stringent, and may be performed in a figure of suited traditions. Within Islam Muslims are besides expected to take a pilgrim’s journey, to the spiritual Holy Land of Islam while, Christians have no such outlooks. A farther difference for which the two faiths differ is the manner money is donated to the church in the name of the faith. In Islamic ways, during old and modern yearss, contributions were given in the signifier of a mandated spiritual revenue enhancement. Meanwhile Christians are asked to give if one wishes any signifier of pecuniary contribution. Another major arguable difference between Christianity and Islam is how the Holy Bible is and/or has been interpreted. Amongst the many statements disputed events, one being which of Abraham boies was sacrificed and the other event of the Virgin Birth and the nature of Jesus. Equally good as the disputed reading of the belief in a individual God and the belief of God being in the three signifiers of the Trinity, the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. A A A A A A A A

As stated earlier Christianity and Islam are faiths based on many similar and different ideals and beliefs based on the fact that one was derived from the other. It is for this ground, one can see a figure of things that really similar and pealing true within each faith and a figure of things that are wholly different between each faith. In add-on to the similarities and differences, both of these faiths are good recognized within society today even though both faiths are centuries old.

Regardless of the fact that there are similarities and differences between the two faiths, Christianity and Islam, each plays an built-in function within society now a yearss, this is obvious in the figure of followings each faith has. These in themselves are complete faiths to many of their followings. Born of Christianity, a batch Islam ‘s basic belief construction is based on that of Christianity and pieces of the Holy Bible. Do to these facts there are many comparative similarities and differences between the two faiths.

The beginnings of Islam are really profoundly rooted in Christianity, for it was Muhammad ‘s contention that both Judaism and Christianity had strayed far from the jurisprudence of God, foremost revealed through Abraham ( Hunt, Crotty and Crotty, 85 ) . So when is it that Islam began?

One twenty-four hours around the twelvemonth 610, Muhammad began to undergo some distressing auditory and ocular experiences. Encouraged non to disregard the experiences, Muhammad came to understand them as Godhead disclosures that he was meant to pass on to his fellow Meccans. He was to be a courier of God, a prophesier charged with presenting a message that would put consecutive misunderstandings of earlier disclosures of earlier disclosures given through the Prophetss God had sent to the Jews and Christians. ( Renard, 187 )

It was during these disclosures that it is believed that Muhammad had spoken to Allah by agencies of the angel Gabriel. This is where we begin to see the similarities between the two faiths as it is the angel Gabriel that brings intelligence as described in Luke 1:26-32, of the Bible, of Jesus ‘ birth ( Jesus being the laminitis of Christianity ) . The message that Muhammad received was that there was merely one God, non many Supreme beings as the so believed. This God was the Godhead of the universe, that there exists one sole God, whose name is Allah ( Hume, 231 ) . In Christianity, it is in Exodus 20:3 of the Bible, the message of a individual God was inscribed within the Ten Commandments, “ You shall hold no other God before me. ” Furthermore, it is documented in Genesis 1:1of the creative activity of the universe by this remarkable God. “ In the beginning God created the celestial spheres and the Earth. ” At the same clip, it is believed in the Islamic religion that this God would be the justice of adult male, which in Hebrews 10:30 besides rings true within Christianity, “ The Lord will judge his people. ” It is the same within both faiths that the consequence of this judgement twenty-four hours was either to be that of Eden or snake pit. The thought of forgiveness is yet another similarity between both Christianity and Islam. Islam teaches to:

Seek forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in penitence. A goodish proviso He will do for you till an appointed twenty-four hours, and will confer His grace on those that have merit. But if you give no attentiveness, so mind the torture of a fatal twenty-four hours. ( Voorst, 304 )

In Christianity, this same basic construct of forgiveness is accepted:

God forgives wickednesss non simply upon status of personal penitence, but besides upon status of the evildoer himself holding given forgiveness to all who may hold done incorrect to him, even his enemies, because God besides gives foolproof good intervention to all. ( Hume, 259 ) .

After Muhammad ‘s decease, certain basic patterns were singled out from his instructions to function as a foundation for the Islamic community. These basic religious patterns officeholder on all Muslims are known as the Five Pillars of Islam ( Fisher, 392 ) . To Christians this would be compared to the Ten Commandments which are considered to be daily, godly Torahs. Plus, each of these faiths has a “ book ” by which followings use as a usher for their faith, Islam has the Koran/Qur’an while Christianity has the Holy Bible. The Koran/Qur’an is the basic authorization for Islamic spiritual life, Islam ‘s go oning usher during 1,400 old ages of history ( Voorst, 297 ) . The Koran/Qur’an was believed to be interpreted from the unwritten disclosures between the angel Gabriel and Muhammad to animate the instructions of Allah. Likewise for Christians this would be the Holy Bible, which was recorded by Prophetss and adherents to Jesus. The Bible is for the most portion, arranged chronologically and the fables of Jesus fables. These fables were Jesus ‘ distinctive for of instruction ( Voorst, 270 ) . For both Christianity and Islam, these early instructions were passed through verbal instructions but were subsequently cataloged in written text. This text became the books which serve as a usher for its followings and continually emphasize the thought of one true God.

Despite the many similarities between Christianity and Islam there are many differences that exist as good. One of these differences is the signifier at which each faith does supplication. Within Islam there are two signifiers of supplication that are recognized. One signifier being the more personal and informal of supplication. The other signifier being a ritual manner of supplication which frequently is congregational with specific words and positions, which occurs five times a twenty-four hours: during dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sundown, and merely before bedtime. Before the public presentation of their supplications Muslims must execute ritual lavations of the custodies, pess, and face. Calls for remunerator by a mosque functionary, known as a muazzin, calls on Muslims from a minaret tower of a mosque five times a twenty-four hours. This supplication is started with the Imam, the supplication leader, standing at the forepart of the mosque facing in the way of the holy metropolis of Islam, Mecca, the decease topographic point of the prophesier Muhammad. Prayers consist of several units, during which persons are standing, kneeling, and/or lie face downward. 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 discourses based on the text. The discourses may dwell of moral, societal, or political content. Within Islam, there is no appointed Muslim clergy as such, but a class of specializers, known as spiritual bookmans ( Renard, 206 ) . In Christianity, Christians pray is entirely every bit good as congregational like Islam, but non as disciplinary like Islam. Traditionally one ‘s ain personal supplication is done at the persons ain discretion, and tends to be performed in the forenoon and/or the eventide. A sermonizer, priest, or other outstanding member of the church normally and usually will head up congregational supplication. Congregations are usually seated in church benchs, but may be done standing every bit good. Within Christianity a clergy is schooled in divinity and affairs of faith and rewarded grade from a seminary in order to preacher the way/word of the Godhead unto others. For Christians, chief twenty-four hours of assemblage is on ; on any given Lord’s daies, most Christians hear the same Bible readings and discourses based on more or less on them ( Voorst, 259 ) . Followings besides pray and sing, to God. Obviously, one can see that this is rather different from Islam.

Another major difference between the two faiths is that of a pilgrim’s journey. Every Muslim is required one time in his life-time to travel to Mecca, to walk around the Sacred Mosque, and to snog the Kaaba Black Stone seven times ( Hume, 238 ) . The Sacred Mosques Kaaba which by tradition was believed to be built by Abraham. The pilgrim’s journey was intended to reenact the Hegira, Muhammad ‘s backdown from Mecca, remembering the beginnings of the Islamic faith ( Hunt, Crotty, Crotty, 100 ) . In Christianity there is no such pilgrim’s journey, but many travel to the metropolis of Jerusalem, the birth topographic point of Jesus. Pilgrimage was one time on occasion prescribed for persons as repentance for wickednesss but it has ne’er been a cardinal demand for Christians as it has for Muslims ( Renard, 182 ) . Fasting and the giving of pecuniary gifts are yet another set of distinguishable differences between the two faiths.

In the month of Ramadan the Koran/Qur’an was revealed, a book of counsel with cogent evidence of counsel separating right from incorrect. Therefore whoever of you is present in the month let him fast. ( Voorst, 328 )

During the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, 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 festival Eid ul-Fitr, a three-day Muslim marks the terminal of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. In contrast, Christianity has the Lenten period:

Canons of the Council of Nicea in 325 represent the first mentions to the ulterior observation of a forty-day fast remembering symbolically similar patterns by Moses and Jesus. ( Renard, 172 )

During this clip, Christians normally give up something of importance, and although some fasting does go on, by and large abstained wholly of meat, it is by and large non every bit long as the Islamic faith. Liturgically, Easter is preceded by a forty-day period of penitence and fasting, called Lent ( Fisher, 352 ) . Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, get downing the holiest point on the calendar of Christianity. Besides, the giving of pecuniary contributions is slightly different. For Muslims, the zakat is an obligatory revenue enhancement, which is contributed to the province or community.

The Koran/Qur’an links supplication with zakat, charity or alms-giving, the 3rd pillar. One ‘s supplication is accepted merely if one besides portions with others. Consequently, at the terminal of the twelvemonth, all Muslims must donate at least two and a half per centum of their accrued wealth to destitute Muslims. ( Fisher, 394 )

In Christianity, this is known as tithe. For Christians this would be one ten percent of person ‘s income paid voluntarily in support of the church and/or its clergy.

Besides, other differences between Christianity and Islam are clearly discerned in the holy books of the Holy Bible and the Koran/Qur’an. The first illustration is the forfeit of and/or by Abraham, which is interpreted really otherwise within the text of both faiths.

Since Islamic reading of history convergences in important ways with those of Judaism and Christianity, one should non be surprised to happen that some stuff in the Koran/Qur’an parallels some scriptural stuff.

Sprinkled throughout the Bible are mentions to Abraham ‘s near-sacrifice of his boy ( whom Islamic tradition takes to be Ishmael instead than Isaac ) . ( Renard, 191 )

The difference between the readings lies in the name of Abraham ‘s boy. For illustration, Hebrews 11:17 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. ” The Holy Bible specifies that it was in fact Isaac for whom was offered up as the forfeit. However, within the Koran/Qur’an, Sura 11:69-73, states that “ Ishmael is the 1 who is supposedly offered up for forfeit as Abraham ‘s lone boy. ”

One more happening that is disputed between these two faiths is that of the Virgin Birth and the Nature of Jesus. In the Koran/Qur’an there is definite support refering the virgin birth of Christ, yet there is no grounds within the Koran/Qur’an that would back up the impression that Christ was resurrected. It is suggested within the text that a prophesier was born of the Virgin Mary, a prophet free from natural wickedness. Within the Holy Bible:

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke present Jesus as conceived by the action of the Spirit of God in the Virgin Mary. This marvelous construct signifies in a narrative manner the godly Sonship of Jesus, a sonship that the full New Testament affirms in other ways. The transition from Matthew besides focuses on the name Jesus, which in Aramaic linguistic communication of Palestine means “ God will salvage. ” Although the Virgin Birth ( more decently called a “ virginal construct ” ) is found explicitly merely in Matthew and Luke, by the 2nd century it became a normally held Christian instruction. ( Voorst, 262 )

In Islam it is believed that Christ was non the Godhead and rejects this ideal, this supported by the Koran/Qur’an, “ O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do non transgress the bounds ( of truth ) in your spiritual beliefs, and do non state of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, boy of Mary, was but God ‘s Apostle – ( the fulfilment of ) His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary – and a psyche created by Him ” Sura 4:171. However, Jesus within the Holy Bible, 1 Timothy 3:16, “ And without contention great is the enigma of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the universe, received up into glorification. ” This guides us to the Three of the Christian faith. Islam is based on a monotheistic nature.

Monotheism is Muhammad ‘s pre-eminent spiritual message. Yet in mentioning to himself, Allah ever is represented as utilizing the plural figure, “ We, ” “ Us, ” and “ Our, ” even as was done by the “ Elohim ” God in the early portion of the Old Testament ( Genesis 1:26 ) , as is still done in the official vocalizations of some modern sovereigns, and besides in the literary device of editorial “ we. ” However, the chief instruction of the Koran/Qur’an is clear-that there exists one sole God, whose name is Allah. ( Hume, 231 )

Monotheism is besides the footing of Christianity, except that God is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ; better known as the “ Holy Trinity ” .

Christians believed that the transcendent and unseeable God had become subjective and seeable within Jesus. This led to the early development of the philosophy of the “ Holy Trinity, ” which speaks of three equal “ individuals ” within one Godhead being: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ( Fisher, 319 )

Islam does non back up this thought and the Koran argues that Christianity supports the impression of polytheism by saying that Christian religion with the “ Holy Trinity, ” political orientation represents three different Supreme beings, non one true God.

In decision, the two faiths Christianity and Islam have some basic model in common, but begin to float apart with their beliefs. For illustration, some of the similarities shared between the two are of Gabriel the angel as a courier, monotheism, God as the Godhead of life and the universe, and judgement by God for all world. The function of Jesus as the savior tends to play a cardinal function with most of the differences between the two. For case, Muslims do non believe that Jesus was anything more than a prophesier and hence, the “ Holy Trinity ” can non be. Additionally, there are some differences in reading of similar narratives that are related by each faith, such as the forfeit of Abraham ‘s boy. Regardless of these similarities and differences, we can all be in understanding that Christianity and Islam are both major participants in the universe as faiths within today ‘s society.