Christianity Vs. Islam

Christianity vs. Islam

Islam is making headlines and is rapidly increasing into a large political and religious power. Initially it seems that Christianity and Islam share a lot of the same doctrines, even the same prophets, but there are important differences. As a Christian we need to equip ourselves with the knowledge of Islam, what it teaches and how it differs from Christianity.

Although it seems on the surface that Christianity and Islam are so much a like, in all reality they are not, the key foundations that defines someone as a Christian is missing from the Muslim belief. As a Christian we believe that we can have a relationship with God and that is defined by the belief that Jesus died on the cross so that we can not only have eternal life but so that our sins could be forgiven. Christianity is based on grace and faith, where as Islam although generally based on the same background concepts, is a religion based on works and good deeds.

Islam, along with Christianity teaches monotheism which is the doctrine that there is only one God. Islam also acknowledges Jesus, however they consider him a great prophet who came to speak for God and to deliver a specific message that was needed at that time for the people. Islam does not believe in the Christian doctrine, that Jesus was the son of God or that he is any sort of deity, they don’t believe in the need for the sacrifice he laid down as his life nor do they believe in the Trinity. According to the Islamic faith to be forgiven there is no sacrifice that is needed, you need to believe in Allah and adhere to the Islamic law. On top of all this, one of the worst sins in Islam is to appoint partners to God, to state that God is a Trinity is a huge sin to a Muslim, they believe that no one is equal to Allah. "They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them," (Quran 5:73). Since the bible speaks of the Trinity, and because we as Christians know that it is written in the scripture (which is God breathed) therefore it is true, how can Muslims who as stated above do not believe in the Trinity, worship the one and only God? Simply stated, they cannot. Muslims also can never refer to God