Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions worldwide and share many similarities and differences. Read on to find out more!
People who follow the Islamic faith are called Muslims, and there are around 2 billion Muslims in the
world today.
People who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ are called Christians, and there are around 2.4 billion Christians today.
What are the similarities between Christianity and Islam?
At first, it seems that the two religions are very different, but there are many similarities between Christianity and Islam. Both religions have a similar place of origin – the Middle East. Christians believe Jesus, the son of God, was born in the Middle East in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. Muslims believe Islam was founded over 1400 years ago in Mekkah, known today as Saudi Arabia.
Christians and Muslims believe that there is only one God (unlike religions such as Hinduism). Muslims and Christians also believe that all humans are children of God. Both religions are monotheistic – meaning one God. Christians and Muslims believe that the word of their God was revealed to them through prophets; both believe that Jesus was a prophet who performed miracles!
Other similarities between Christianity and Islam are:
- They both believe practicing their religion is good for them because it creates harmony and peace.
- They believe that Satan is real and tries to tempt people away from God and commit sins.
- They believe that paradise/heaven and hell are real literal places.
- Christians and Muslims believe that the body is sacred and should be treated respectfully.
- They also believe that Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin.
- They both believe that family is the foundation of their beliefs, and it dramatically impacts society.
- Muslims and Christians believe that obeying God creates peace and harmony among people and brings blessings in life after death.
- Both faiths believe that Jesus will return from Heaven.
- Both faiths also believe in the afterlife.
- Both religions believe that humans will have a day of judgment and will be judged for the lives they lead on earth. For Christians, it determines whether they will go to Heaven or Hell for the rest of eternity. Muslims, refer to the afterlife as Akhirah – they will stay in their graves until the end of the world when they have their day of judgment. Then, they will come before Allah (God), and if they have lived a good life, they will go to Jannah (Heaven); if they have lived a bad life, they will go to Jahannam (Hell).
What are the differences between Christianity and Islam?
There are differences between the two religions. Here you can find the main differences:
- A key difference is that Christianity is founded on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow this are called Christians. Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad shares the word of God and the teachings of Islam (Peace Be Upon Him). Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is believed to be the final prophet who taught Allah’s law and revealed the Islamic faith through the angel Gabriel.
- Islam views Jesus as a messiah, sent to guide the children of Israel and a messenger of God, not the son of God. At the same time, Christians believe Jesus to be the messiah of the Hebrew scripture (a religious text) and the son of God. Muslims believe that Allah (God) passes messages down to earth through prophets like Jesus and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), and all prophets should be respected but not worshipped. The vital difference here is that Muslims view Jesus as a human prophet and do not believe Jesus is divine.
- Christianity and Islam have different scriptures, another word for a religious text. For example, Muslims follow the Quran, but Christians follow the Bible.
- Religions have differing beliefs about the Holy Spirit. For example, Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is God, but Muslims believe the Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel.
- Similarly, Christians believe in the Doctrine of the Trinity; God exists simultaneously as The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. In Islam, the plurality of God would be seen as a denial of the belief in one God – Allah.
