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The following is a summary of a lecture by a western islamologist and theologian which has been given to a Christian student group. I think that more people might profit from reading it. The article is posted with the permission of the original author. May it help towards a better understanding among Muslims and Christians and help to clear up some of the many mutual misconceptions about the other faith.




ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY


Christianity and Islam share much common ground. Both trace
their roots to Abraham. Both believe in prophecy, God's messengers
(apostles), revelation, scripture, the resurrection of dead, and
the centrality of religious community. This last element is
especially important. Both Christianity and Islam have a
communitarian dimension: what the church is to Christianity the
"umma" is to Islam.

Despite these significant similarities, however, these two
world religions have a number of significant differences as well.
I would like to comment on these -- not to engage in any kind of
polemic (since I consider polemic a sign of religious immaturity)
but to foster better understanding. A true dialogue between
religions can be built only on nuanced understanding and not
caricature.

I will discuss these differences under four general headings:


I -- The Understanding of God
=============================

Muslims and Christians believe there is only one God / Allah.
The basic testimony of Islam is called the 'shahada', the first
clause of which states that "la ilaha illa Allah" -- "There is
no god but God." This is certainly a statement that Christians
would affirm.

But how Christians and Muslims conceptualize God in their
respective theologies is actually quite different. The emphasis
in the Islamic theology of God can be summarized by one word:
'tawhid', which means "absolute unity." Muslims insist that
there is no distinction within the Godhead. God is sublimely one.
Thus the Islamic polemic against Christianity has centered on the
doctrine of Trinity. This is the central doctrine that causes
problems for Muslims when they consider Christianity. Muslims have
caricatured Christians as tritheists guilty of "shirk", that is,
attributing an associate to God. By believing in the Trinity,
Muslims say, Christians believe in three gods. This attitude is
expressed in the Qur'an:

Say not "trinity", Desist. It will be better for you. For
God is One God (4:171).

They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a
Trinity, for there is no God except One God (5:76).


But every one who knows Christian theology well knows that the
doctrine of Trinity was articulated precisely to oppose the idea of
believing in three gods! Apparently the understanding of the
Trinity was very inadequate among the Christians with whom the
earliest Muslims interacted. Early Muslims, therefore, came to
understand the Christian doctrine of the Trinity in very distorted,
inadequate terms. It seems that some even believed that Christians
worshipped Mary as part of the Trinity! This misunderstanding of
the Trinity found expression in the Qur'an itself:


And behold, God will say; "O Jesus the Son of Mary! Didst
thou say unto men, "Worship me and my mother as gods in
derogation of God?" (5:119).

It seems that in the era of the Qur'an it was assumed by many
people that the Trinity was the Father, the son Jesus, and Jesus's
mother Mariam (Mary)! So the Trinity was misunderstood.

This is not to place blame on the people back then. The
Trinity is not easy to understand; in fact, it is an ineffable
truth, not graspable by the human mind. How many heresies in
Christian history have arisen because people attempted to detract
from the mystery of the Trinity, coming up with doctrines that were
more easily "digested" by the human mind. No, the doctrine of
Trinity cannot be reduced to the pale categories of human reason.
It is arrogant for anyone to think that he or she can grasp the
mystery of the Godhead! So the fact that the doctrine of the
Trinity is not readily understandable in terms of human reason
should not worry us. This is what the proper Christians response
should be to any polemic against the doctrine of the Trinity. We,
in all humility and submission to God can only say this: God has
revealed himself as Trinity, i.e the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. We do not rationally understand this; any explanation that
we come up with will be flawed. But since God has revealed Himself
as Trinity, we submit to Him as Trinity even if we do not
completely understand how he can be Trinity! It is blasphemy to
"reduce" God to something we can understand. The purpose of
theology is not to "cut God down" to the size of human reason but
to elevate human reason to the contemplation of the Divine Mystery
-- the Mystery which teaches us that the One God -- ineffably,
incomprehensibly -- exists in three Persons.

Perhaps the best way to enable our Muslim friends to
understand why we believe that God must be a Trinity is to
emphasize Christianity's fundamental teaching regarding God, namely
that GOD IS LOVE. Now, love can 'never' be exercised in
isolation. You cannot be all-loving and be alone. Love is
manifested 'in relationship', and for that reason the God who is
LOVE must exist within a "community within himself," that is,
within a community of three Persons, among whom their mutual love
is so perfect that they, though three, become perfectly One! This
is the fundamental truth underlying the doctrine of the Trinity.
So do not try to come up with a rational explanation of the
doctrine of Trinity to try to "prove the Trinity" to your Muslim
friends. That is a waste of time. Rather, try to help them
understand how affirmation of the mystery of the Trinity -- despite
the limitations of human reason -- is part of the Christian's
surrender and submission ('islam') to the God beyond all
understanding! We surrender to the all-holy Trinity not because we
can understand this sublime Mystery but simply because that is what
God has revealed himself to be.
It is from this same perspective -- that GOD IS LOVE -- that
we should try to explain how Jesus can be the Son of God. Such a
statement is blasphemous to Muslims; they believe that God is "far
above" having a son. On the contrary, Christians see the Sonship
of Jesus not as a blasphemy but as a testimony to the divine love,
which is so intense (again, beyond all human understanding) that
God was not content only to bless his creation from outside of it.
No, actually humbled himself to the point of becoming a part of his
creation through the Incarnation of his Son Jesus Christ! By
becoming part of the created order, by taking on a full and a
complete human nature, God sanctified humanity "from within," so to
speak. Both Islam and Christianity say that God is totally other
and beyond human comprehension, completely beyond the ability of
humans to grasp, yet Christians add something completely different:
that God sanctified the world by deigning to become part of it, by
loving us so much that he was willing "to come down from his
throne" to became part of this mess which we call the world. In
this bold -- and wonderful -- assertion, Christianity stands apart
from both Judaism and Islam, which stress the total otherness and
transcendence of God to the point where it is incomprehensible to
them that He could become part of the created order.
We Christians must never loose sight of the fact that even
though we are Trinitarian, we affirm that there is only "one God".
In fact, the Orthodox Christians in the Middle East always say in
Arabic: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, ONE GOD!" (in Arabic: "Bismilabi wal-ibni war-ruhi-l-
quddus, ALLAH WAHID!". This is to show that in affirming the
Trinity, we do not deny in any way that God is one.


II -- The Understanding of Revelation :
=====================================
Christianity believes that God revealed Himself in order to
redeem us, to save us -- that is to lead us to a fullness of life,
freed from the bonds of sin both in this world and in the world to
come. According to Islam, on the other hand, revelation is not for
the purpose of redemption, but for the sake of "guidance". That is,
God's revelation is meant to provide guidance for living in this
world.
In Christianity, revelation is mediated. We believe that the
Bible is the Word of God, but we do not believe that God
mechanically transmitted it through certain people as if they were
"channelers" of some sort. Christians hold that the Bible was
written by human beings under divine inspiration, the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. The divine revelation was thus "filtered"
through a human lens and written in human words and within human
history. That is why our scriptures refer to historical
circumstances; it describes not some mystical, ahistorical
revelation of God but rather chronicles God's wonderful
intervention in human history.
In Islam, on the other hand, the Qur'an is considered the
"unmediated" word of God. In other word, Islam stresses very
strongly that in receiving his revelation Muhammad was illiterate--
and hence completely passive. He simply recited what was put into
his mouth, without any input of his own. ("Qur'an" means
"recitation." The Qur'an -- which is seen as eternally existing
in heaven -- simply descended (another name for the Qur'an is 'at-
tanzil', "that which descended" and was expressed through Muhammad
as a passive instrument of revelation. Anyone familiar with
modern critical linguistic theory would have to question such a
view. According to such theory, 'all' communication is mediated;
as soon as a thought is put into words, it is mediated. The very
fact that a thought is put into words means that it is "processed"
and passed through a human lens, so to speak. The whole purpose of
revelation is for God, whose thoughts are so far above ours, to
mediate his communication to us through human language. God does
not think in human language; to say so is to limit his omniscience,
which is far beyond the constraints of human language! Thus
Christians must call the Islamic view of "unmediated revelation"
into question on both linguistic and theological grounds.
It should also be noted that Qur'an is much more a 'book-
centered' religion that Christianity. It is wrong to assume that
what the Qur'an is to the Muslim the New Testament is to the
Christian. Not so! The appropriate analogy is this: what the
Qur'an is to the Muslim, 'Christ himself' is to the Christian. We
are not 'book'-centered; we are 'Person'-centered (that is,
'Christ'-centered)! Muslims say that the Qur'an is the Eternal
Word of God; but we do not say that the New Testament is the
Eternal Word of God. Only "Christ" is the Eternal Word! Therefore
be sensitive to Muslims. Never insult the Qur'an; to insult the
Qur'an would be as offensive to a Muslim as insulting Christ would
be to a Christian! By the way, Muslims, in affirming the
eternity of the Qur'an, face a theological problem that is directly
analogous to the one faced by Christians who affirm that Christ is
the Word, existing from all eternity. Muslims ask us how we
Christians can say that there is One God, who alone is eternal, and
yet claim that Christ existed from all eternity. They accuse us of
ascribing an associate to God in saying this. But they face the
same problem in teaching the eternity of the Qur'an. How can one
claim that something besides God -- namely the Qur'an -- exists
from all eternity without ascribing an associate (in this case an
object, rather than a person!) to God? It is interesting that both
Christians and Muslims solved these parallel theological dilemmas
in virtually the same way: Islam asserts that since the Qur'an is
the Word of God, it always coexisted with God -- "as part of God,"
so to speak, since God could never be without his Word. We use the
same reasoning in defending the Christian doctrine of the eternity
of Christ: as the Word of God, Christ always existed with God the
Father. Christ is co-eternal with the Father since God the Father
could never exist apart from his Word! One Eastern church Father,
Gregory of Nyssa, explained this mystery in this way: God
eternally spoke his Word (namely, his Son). And when he eternally
spoke the Word, there came forth eternally from his mouth the
Spirit (namely, the Holy Spirit, "ruh ul-quddus", by which the
Word was spoken. (Breath, after all, is necessary for speech!)
Thus, from all eternity, the Word and the Spirit co-existed with
the Father! Islam claims the same thing about the Qur'an as the
Word of God! Do you see the similarity in reasoning?
In short, while both Islam and Christianity affirm that God
has spoken and revealed Himself to humankind, still there is one
great difference: whereas Islam teaches that the Qur'an is God's
Word to humanity, Christianity proclaims that Jesus Himself is
God's Word to humanity. For Islam, therefore, God has spoken
through a Book: for Christianity, on the contrary, He has spoken
through a Person. In Islam, the written Arabic Book is the marvel;
in Christianity, the Person of Christ is the true miracle!
Christians believe that if Almighty God can reveal His will
perfectly through a Book, as Muslims assert, surely He can do so
even more perfectly and fully through a Person. For if God is a
personal God, then a personal life would clearly be a far better
means of revealing Himself than any Book, however excellent it may
be.
We must also mention here another standard Muslim argument
against Christians: that their scriptures suffered corruption and
distortion. This is called the doctrine of 'tahrif'.
Articulation of the doctrine of 'tahrif' began with the Qur'an
itself. Islam affirmed the veracity of the earlier revelations
given to the People of the Book; theoretically, they were fully
consistent with the Qur'an. Jews and Christians, therefore, were
urged to accept the revelation given through Muhammad:

O ye People of the Book! Believe in what We have
(now) revealed, confirming what was (already) with
you.(4:47)

And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing
blessings and confirming (the revelations) which
came before it. (6:92)


When Jews and Christians brought arguments against Muhammad and his
followers on the basis of what their scriptures taught, however,
Muslims had to account for the discrepancies. How could the text
of the Old and New Testaments contradict that of the Qur'an if the
latter was a confirmation of the former?

A number of responses to the problem are found in the Medinan
'suras'. The Jews are accused of knowingly perverting the word of
God after having heard and understood it (2:75). Some actually
"write the Book with their own hands and then say, 'This is from
God'" (2:79); these "transgressors changed the word from that which
had been given them" (2:59). Others corrupt the text by displacing
words, changing them from their right places (4:46, 5:14), or by
"twisting" their tongues and reading it incorrectly:

There is among them a section who distort the Book with
their tongues. (As they read) you would think it is a
part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they
say, "That is from God," but it is not from God. (3:78)

Of the Jews there are those who displace words ,
and say: "We hear and we disobey , with a twist
of their tongues, (4:46)


Moreover, the charge of concealment (ikhfa') is levelled
against the People of the Book. They know the truth as they know
their own sons, "but some of them conceal it (2:146); they thereby
"swallow fire" and will receive a grievous penalty for their
duplicity (2:159; 2:174). "Why do ye clothe truth with falsehood,"
the People of the Book are asked, "and conceal the truth while ye
have knowledge?" (3:71) Muhammad is depicted as coming to reveal
to them much of what they used to hide in their Book (5:16). Jews
are further chided for dismembering the Torah by making it into
separate sheets "for show" while concealing much of its contents
(6:91). Of Christians, it is said that "they forgot a good part of
the message that was sent them" (5:15).
It was a creative way of trying to explain the discrepancies
between the Qur'an and the earlier scriptures, but it is has
absolutely no basis in the manuscript tradition. Anyone who has
studied the manuscripts of the Jewish and Christian scriptures
knows that there is no evidence whatever for the corruption posited
by the doctrine of 'tahrif'. In fact the manuscript evidence, if
it establishes anything, establishes how carefully the texts of the
Old and New Testaments were passed down!


III -- The Understanding of Sin and Salvation :
=============================================


Sin and salvation are central categories in Christian theology
and spirituality. Christianity teaches that the effects of
original sin have corrupted the world and the human beings who
exist in it. In Islam, however, there is no such a thing as
original sin. The Qur'an does indeed state that Adam and Eve
sinned, but according to Islamic belief, they repented and were
fully forgiven so that their sin had no repercussions for the rest
of human race.

I believe the Islamic rejection of original sin is really the
rejection of a 'specific understanding' -- what I would consider to
be a 'narrow' understanding -- of original sin. Islam rejects the
doctrine of original sin that asserts that all human beings
inherited the guilt -- the culpability -- of the sin of Adam and
Eve. This seems unfair to the Muslim: Why should we have to
accept guilt for someone else's disobedience?

To respond to such a question, we Christians must move beyond
a narrow Augustinian understanding of original sin, the view that
"in Adam's fall we sinned all." The Calvinists later carried this
view to an extreme, saying that the result of Adam's sin is total
human depravity; that is, that original sin has made human beings
completely incapable of doing anything good without the assistance
of divine grace! Such a notion is thoroughly incomprehensible to
Muslims!

There are, however, other (in my opinion, better)
understandings of original sin in the history of Christian
theology. These can explain original sin to the Muslim inquirer in
more palatable terms. Western Christians (both Protestants and
Catholics) need to move beyond the traditional Augustinian-
Calvinist understanding of original sin and look toward the ancient
Christian East for what I would consider to be more satisfactory
explanations. Eastern Christianity understands original sin in
this way: No sin that is committed is without its effect. Every
sin that you and I commit -- every sin that is ever committed --
disrupts the entire cosmos. Your sin has an effect not only on you
but on everyone and everything else. Any sin that you and I commit
has a reverberation throughout the world, throughout the cosmos.
Every puff that you take on your cigarette pollutes the air that
everyone else breathes, so to speak. So when the Old Testament
claims that the sin of the father will be visited upon the
children, it is not issuing a threat; it is simply describing
reality. Think about this proposition, and I think you will
recognize that it is true. Is it realistic to claim, as Muslims
do, that Adam and Eve's sin -- the first of the human race! -- had
no effects in the world into which all other human beings were
born? I do not think so!

No, sin indeed has a "snowball effect": it accumulates
throughout human history, impacting upon all who are born into the
world. (Actually, we feel the effects of sin even before our
birth, while still in our mother's womb!) What started this off
was the sin of Adam and Eve -- the first, or original, sin in this
process. For the Eastern Christians to say that all suffer the
effects of original sin is not to say that all are "born guilty"
but rather that all human beings have to deal with the powerful
force of sin that has accumulated from the sin of our First Parents
until the present day. If we explained original sin to our Muslim
brethren in this way, perhaps it would be more understandable to
them (and to us, I might add!).

Once one understands original sin in this way, I think the
need for salvation -- the ability to break loose from the
overwhelming bonds of sin that have grown stronger and stronger
through the ages -- becomes evident. With sin's effects
everywhere around us, we have an undeniable proclivity to sin; and
no one of us sitting in this room this evening is capable of
freeing himself or herself from sin's grip. Because Islam has
understandably reacted against the deficient understanding of
original sin I described earlier, it has tended not to be receptive
to this more realistic understanding of the pervasive effects of
sin on all human beings. Thus, it sees no need for salvation; it
cannot understand how Christ's death and resurrection brings
salvation. "Salvation from what?" they ask. Just as it is
unthinkable to Muslims that one person should have to shoulder the
guilt for another person's sin, it is unthinkable that another
person (in this case, Christ) would be able to pay the penalty for
another person's sins.

Furthermore, because Muslims believe that prophets are sinless
(this doctrine is known as isma'), it seems a blasphemy to say that
Christ died the shameful death of a sinner on the cross. They
therefore deny that it was Jesus that was crucified; they say that
it was Judas (whom God made to look like Jesus so that he would
suffer his rightful penalty for betrayal). Through such a story,
Muslim see themselves as protecting the prophetic integrity of
Jesus, since a true prophet, according to Islam, could not suffer
the indignity that Jesus did. Muslims affirm that Jesus ascended
to heaven but deny that he died on the cross.

But back to our main point: because Muslims do not recognize
the universal and corruptive power of sin, unleashed as a result of
original sin, they see no need for salvation in the Christian
sense. If there is no sin that has a throttle-hold on you, you do
not need to be saved from it. What you should do, according to the
Islamic view, is to live a good life, pleasing God in all that you
do. Submit to God and follow His directives. Religion, to the
Muslim, does not mean salvation from sin; it means following the
right path, or the shari'a, mapped out by Islamic law. While
-------
Christianity is a faith concerned primarily with "orthodoxy," or
"right belief," Islam is a faith concerned primarily with
"orthopraxy," or right practice. It is a religion of law, and it
sees Christianity's rejection of the Law (as taught by St. Paul in
his writings, especially Romans and Galatians) as a serious
deficiency in the Christian way of life. This, of course, does not
mean that Islam is not at all concerned with right doctrine or that
Christianity is not at all concerned with right practice. It
simply means that the emphasis is different in the two religions.

But that difference in emphasis is very important. If one
recognizes the pervasive power of sin, salvation is not just an
option; it is a necessity. Christians lament the fact that a
faulty presentation of original sin led early Islam to "throw out
the baby with the bath water" with regard to their understanding of
sin. By reacting against an anemic understanding of original sin,
as I have described it, they have missed what Christians consider
to be the central truth of human existence: that no matter how hard
one tries to conform to "right practice," he or she will fall short
of the goal. We cannot live the kind of life that God wants by our
own power, And that is why salvation is necessary.

These matters, of course, are very profound, and I do not
pretend to have exhausted what should be said about them. In this
part of my presentation, I simply wanted to point to the divergent
Christian and Islamic understanding of the crucial issues of sin
and salvation.


IV -- The Religious Community :
=============================
Let me conclude on a theme that reverberates in the hearts of
both Muslims and Christians: religious community. What the church
is to the Christians is what the " umma" is to Muslims.
Christians and Muslims both consider themselves as accountable to
a community of faith. It is not enough to believe in isolation; we
must link our lives to brothers and sisters in the faith.

Nevertheless, there are some noteworthy differences between
the Christian and Muslims visions of religious community. There is
no ordained ministry or "hierarchy" in the Islamic umma. Also, in
the Islamic umma there is more stress on homogeneity -- on a common
pattern of life throughout the Islamic world, regulated by the
'sharia', or religious law -- than in the Christian church at
large. Christians have attempted to "incarnate" Christianity as
much as possible in local culture. For example, the Bible, hymns,
and liturgical texts are translated into the local language and
adjusted to the local culture. On the contrary, one must learn
Arabic if one wants to be a good Muslim. The Qur'an is considered
to be "untranslatable"; that is, to the Muslim the message of the
Qur'an is inextricably link to the original language. Yes, one can
attempt to render the text of the Qur'an in English, French,
German, etc., but then it is no longer really the Qur'an, only an
interpretation of it. Thus, when he did his famous translation of
the Qur'an into English, the British convert to Islam, Marmaduke
Pickthall did not call his work 'The Glorious Koran' but 'The
MEANING of the Glorious Koran'. A translation is thus seen as a
deviation. To the Muslim, Arabic is a sacred language; therefore
one can perceive the perfection and inimitability (i`jaz) of the
Qur'an only in Arabic, according to Islam.

Moreover, Muslims and Christians have different understandings
of worship. Now, I recognize that it is difficult to talk about
"Christian worship" as a single phenomenon because, as we all know,
there are many, many different traditions of worship in
Christianity. Different denominations worship in markedly
different ways because they have all responded to different social
and cultural contexts. In Islam, all Muslims worship the same way,
throughout the world, with no significant variations, regardless of
social and cultural context. In all fairness, it seems to me that
there are strengths both to the Christian emphasis on adaptability
and the Muslim emphasis on uniformity.

When discussing differences between Christian and Muslim
worship, we should also note that Muslims are very attentive not
just to the interior aspects of worship but to the external aspects
as well. In this Muslims have much more in common with Eastern
Christianity than with Western Christianity, especially
Protestantism. Like Eastern Christians, Muslims use their whole
body in prayer. Both groups, for instance, make prostrations
before God in their worship. This seems strange to many
Protestants, whose worship consists of sitting (or maybe standing
from time to time) in a comfortable setting (on cushioned pews, in
air conditioned churches, etc.) What one does with the body in
most Western Christian worship seems almost unimportant. Not so in
Islam. The submission of the spirit is symbolized by the
submissive gestures of the body, made according to a ritualized
pattern. Muslims have a much easier time, therefore, understanding
the spirit behind the highly developed liturgical worship of the
Eastern Christian than they do understanding what they consider to
by the overly informal, unregulated worship of the Evangelical
Christian. This, to me, is an interesting topic in Christian-
Muslim relations that needs to be explored more fully in
scholarship and inter-faith dialogue: Christians and Muslims need
to examine more fully -- and more objectively -- the similarities
and differences between their experiences of prayer and worship.

Please note, the literature below is intended to show to the Christian, the Muslim position in regards to Jesus Christ nd to show u the evidenc in the bible. it further shows u the similarities of bot islam and christianity and also the differences.
(Peace be upon him), the character of the Prophet of Islam and his mentioning in the Biblical scriptures, the Muslim view of the present Bible.

Please, if you are to read any of this. Read with an open mind, as pre-conceived notions can impair ones search for the truth.

inserted my commentry in order to clarify a meaning that I have noticed many Christian's misunderstand, or enhance the responce of the other poster's arguement.


Jesus Christ foretold the Prophet of Islam in the Gospels. According to the New Testament, the Comforter is well proven not to be a spirit, but of a human prophet that was to come.


We ought to view all monotheistic religions (religions which enjoin belief in one God) in the spirit in which St. Peter viewed them when he said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him." [Acts10:34,35]

The same is the spirit of the oft-repeated definition of "Muslims" in the Qur'an: "Those who believe and work righteousness" (al-lazina amanu wa amalu-s-salehat) [Qur'an 2:25, 2:62, 2:25 etc.]. And "Trust in the Lord and do good," as the Psalms say. [Psalms 37:3]

It is essential that any discussion of Islam as a monolithic religion must begin with its very fundamental concept of unity of God (Tawhid). In this context, it is also important to note that the creed of Islam is very simple. To become a Muslim, one has only to declare in sincerity, and preferably in the presence of a person already professing Islam, "I testify that there is none worthy of worship (god) but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God". The first part of the Muslim creed is a dialectically rigorous rejection of polytheism in favour of monotheism. It underlies the pivotal Muslim doctrine of divine unity (Tawhid), and has historical antecedents in both Judaism and Christianity.

The first part of the creed presupposes a cosmology that includes an invisible as well as a visible world. Underlying the cosmology of this first part of the creed, which is universalistic and acknowledged by all monotheistic faiths, is a concept of prophesy which is particularized and, by demanding recognition of Muhammad as God's Prophet becomes unacceptable to non-Muslims. None of the teachings of prophets who preceded Muhammad are denied. From Adam and Abraham to Solomon and Jesus, the Biblical and even extra-Biblical prophets are affirmed, many of their actions and utterances being lauded in the pages of the Qur'an. For this reason Muslims do not subscribe to the Jewish view which according to Jewish tradition asserts that prophecy ceased about 400 B.C. so that there could be no new scriptures after that time.

Christians maintain, on the contrary, that prophecy continued and that the writings that eventually became the New Testament were also divinely inspired. But since Muslims maintain and believe that Muhammad is also the last prophet, the revelations communicated through him supersede, even as they mark the culmination of all earlier SCRIPTURES. The authority of both, Jewish and Christian scriptures is subordinated to the content of Muslim revelation, and the former serve as a theological, not merely a chronological, preamble to Islam.

It is a well known fact that there is no trace today of the scrolls of Abraham. We are also aware of the sad story of the Torah of Moses and how it was destroyed by Pagans several times. The same fate befell the Psalter. As for Jesus, he had not had the time to compile or dictate what he preached. It was his disciples and their successors who gleaned his utterances and transmitted them to posterity in a number of recensions [a critical revision of the text], of which at least 70 recensions of the Gospels are known, and with the exception of four, all are declared by the Church to be apocryphal.

For such reasons, both the Torah and the Gospels are regarded as corrupted (Arabic term Tahrif, which means altering the words or misrepresenting the meaning) in their present form. Consequently, in these earlier revelations, whatever disagrees with the Qur'an is abrogated by the Qur'an.

Our presentation of some remarkable points of similarities and differences (set out in chart-form below) is meant to demonstrate and illustrate (as examples of practical application) how this principle of abrogation permeates not only the whole spectrum of Islamic teachings based on the Qur'an and the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad in general, but also underlies the whole Islamic legal system (Shar'iah and Fiqh). It is because of such application of this principle of abrogation that the Qur'an retells many stories found in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. No doubt the majority of Muslims, therefore, acquire their knowledge of the Bible solely from the Qur'an. Nevertheless, many Muslims have studied and several novelized lives of Jesus have been published in the twentieth century, especially in Egypt.

The Muslim position on this issue is twofold:

a) that the injil [Arabic for 'Bible'] like the Qur'an, was a real Scripture -- the original Word of God, sent down from the heavens and transmitted to the human Messenger (Prophet) Jesus on earth, through the medium of the celestial messenger (the angel Gabriel), as the highest form of infallible divine inspiration called wahy in Arabic. Christians have lost their injil, whereas Muslims have managed to meticulously preserve every word of their Qur'an in its original purity. [For further information please see The Preservation of the Original Teachings of Islam] [Also Click here to view two articles by Maulana Mohammad Aleem Siddiqui about how the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions were arranged and compiled.]
God is transcendent and beyond all the physical perceptions of man and also above all the limitations and bounds of language. The Scriptures have been revealed to the Prophets in different languages and at different times according to the needs and circumstances of those times. The phenomenon of Divine Guidance may be explained by using the following metaphor that "the Prophets are like lightbulbs and revelation is the electric current -- when the current contacts the light bulb, the light bulb provides light according to its voltage and colour. The mother-tongue of a Prophet is the colour of the light bulb, whereas the power of the light bulb, (i.e., the current and other things) are determined by God Himself. The human factor then, is just an instrument of transmission and only an intermediary." [Dr. Hamidullah, Introduction to Islam]
b) that not only the Prophet Muhammad's p.b.u.h. own words, sayings or utterances, as distinct from God's Words (the Qur'an) but also a record of his actions and tacit approvals, have all been separately preserved. They are known as Hadith, Traditions, or Sunnah. Muslim scholars maintain that The New Testament, which contains the writings of the disciples of Jesus are really more like the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h., whereas the injil, which has been lost, was like the Qur'an. Accordingly, since the Qur'an has remained unaltered to the present day, (compared to the other Scriptures) Muslims assert that only the Qur'an contains the Words of God -- the truth in toto (i.e., the whole truth and nothing but the truth). Whereas the earlier Scriptures/Books such as The New Testament, The Old Testament, etc. contain only partial truths (i.e., much less than the whole truth).

Consequently, in this connection, the scholars of Islam always seem so intent on bringing home the universal truth relating to change and renewal. It is maintained that this principle of change, revision, and renewal is enshrined in the laws of Nature itself and that such laws permeate the whole Divine Scheme of Guidance. This universal law has been beautifully articulated by Lord Alfred Tennyson in these serene and sombre yet simple words:
The old order changeth, yielding place to new,
And God fulfils Himself in many ways
Finally, the principle of abrogation does NOT mean nor does it operate by seeking the absorption and assimilation of everyone such as Christians, Jews, or other minority groups into the "ruling" Muslim community. Islam protects the interests of all its subjects. Islam welcomes and even encourages every group, Christian, Jewish, Magian or other to have its own tribunals presided over by its own judges, in order to have its own laws applied in all branches of human affairs, civil as well as criminal. This is a characteristic feature of the Quranic legislation which accords judicial autonomy to different minority communities living under the Muslim rule. How faithfully the Muslims of later generations have followed these principles in running their governments is a matter of history. History will also judge Christian, Jewish and other governments of later generations on their adherence to their principles!
[For further study, please see "Treatment of Minorities - the Islamic Model" on this web site.]

Similarities
The Lord's Prayer compared to Surah Fateha
We see that both the Lord's prayer in the Bible and the Opening Chapter of the Qur'an (Sura al-Fateha), go to the root of all religions ever professed by man. They are truly universal prayers. No man need hesitate to join in the solemn recitation of either.
The Islamic prayer is simpler than the Christian prayer. We do not say that one is good and that the other is bad. No, both are very good indeed, however one seems simpler than the other. Let us compare them.



Islam
The Muslim Prayer Christianity
The Christian prayer
The Fateha [The Opening]
The Qur'an 1:1-7
The Lord's Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
[The New Testament, King James version]

(a) Adoration
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, the Compassionate, the Merciful. King of the Day of Reckoning. (a) Adoration
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
(b) Submission
Thee only do we worship and of Thee only do we ask aid. (b) Submission
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
(c) Supplication
Guide us unto the right path -
the path of those to whom Thou hast
been gracious,
not the path of those who are the objects
of Thy wrath,
nor of those who have gone astray.
Amen (c) Supplication
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors [Other translations say: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."]
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
The Power and the Glory.
For ever and ever. Amen

If we carefully compare the parts of each prayer which are written above as separate paragraphs (a) (b) and (c), we will observe that there are differences only in language, yet there are no differences whatsoever in meaning. There is in both prayers absolutely the same spirit of (a) Adoration (b) Submission and (c) Supplication.

It is also of interest to note that a Prophetic Tradition (Hadith) that is included in Abu Dawud's collection of Hadith is as follows: "Narrated Abu Darda': I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: If any of you is suffering from anything or his brother is suffering, he should say: Our Lord is Allah Who is in the heaven, holy is Thy name, Thy command reigns supreme in the heaven and the earth, as Thy mercy in the heaven, make Thy mercy in the earth; forgive us our sins, and our errors; Thou art the Lord of good men; send down mercy from Thy mercy, and remedy, and remedy from Thy remedy on this pain so that it is healed up." [Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 28, Number 3883]



And nearest among them in love
To the Believers wilt thou
Find those who say, [789]
"We are Christians":
Because amongst these are
Men devoted to learning [790]
And men who have renounced
The world, and they
Are not arrogant.
Qur'an 5:82 Yusuf Ali Translation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Behold! God said:
O Jesus, I will take thee [394]
And raise thee to Myself
And clear thee (of the falsehoods) [395]
Of those who blaspheme;
I will make those
Who follow thee superior [396]
To those who reject faith,
To the Day of Resurrection:
Then shall ye all return unto Me,
And I will judge
Between you of the matters
Wherein ye dispute. [397]
[Qur'an 3:55 Yusuf Ali translation]

What follows here are further points for a comparative study of Christianity and Islam (in simple columnar form) highlighting similarities and differences. We must also bear in mind the importance of the Qur'an's declaration which requires Muslims to regard Christians as their close friends:

Similarities

Islam
Creation Christianity
Creation
Qur'an 35:13
He merges Night into Day, and he merges Day into Night, and he has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law): each one runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah your Lord: to Him belongs all Dominion. And those whom ye invoke besides Him have not the least power. Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night,
and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
Qur'an 13:2
Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see is firmly established on the throne (of authority). He has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. Genesis 1:1,2
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
Qur'an 13:3,4
And it is He who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm and (flowing) rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two: He draweth the night as a veil o'er the Day. Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who consider! And in the earth are tracts (diverse though) neighbouring, and gardens of vines and fields sown with corn, and palm trees - growing out of single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water, yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who understand! Genesis 1:9-12
Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear''; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them''; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after] their kind; and God saw that it was good.
Qur'an 41:37
Among His Signs are the Night and the Day, and the Sun and the Moon. Do not prostrate to the sun and the moon, but prostrate to Allah, Who created them, if it is Him ye wish to serve. Genesis 1:3-5
Then God said, "Let there be light''; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Qur'an 41:12
So He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, Full of Knowledge. Genesis 1:14-18
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth''; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
Qur'an 50:38
We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days, nor did any sense of weariness touch Us. Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Qur'an 15:28,29
Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man from sounding clay from mud molded
into shape; when I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit fall ye down in obeisance unto him. Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Similarities

Islam
Similar verses to the 10 Biblical Commandments Christianity
The 10 Commandments
About the 10 Commandments:
Qur'an 2:53
And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion (between right and wrong): There was a
chance for you to be guided aright.
Qur'an 7:145
And We ordained laws for him [Moses] in the tablets in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, (and said): "Take and hold these with firmness, and enjoin thy people to hold fast by the best in the precepts . . . About the 10 Commandments:
Exodus 24:12 The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction."
Deuteronomy 4:13 He declared to you His covenant, the Ten Commandments, which He commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.


Qur'an 17:23
Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him . . .
Qur'an 2:163; 2:255; 3:2; 3:6; 3:18; 3:62; 4:87; 5:73; 6:102; 6:106; 7:59; 7:65; 7:73; 7:85; 7:158; 9:31; 9:129; 10;90; 11:14; 11:40; 11:61; 11:84; 13:30; 16:02; 18:110; 20:8: 20:14; 20:98; 21:25; 21:87; 23:23; 23:32; 23:116; 27:26; 28:38; 28:70; 28:88; 35:3; 37:035; 38:65; 39:6; 40:3; 40:62; 40:65; 44:8; 47:19; 64:13; 73:9
La illa ha illa Allah [there is none worthy of worship but God] Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before Me
Qur'an 22:12
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 [Athar Husain translation condensed version ]
Avoid filthy rites associated with idols and also false invocations, remaining firm in faith towards God, without associating anyone with Him. And whosoever associates aught with God, it is as if he has fallen from on high and the birds snatch him away or the wind blows him to a distant place. Exodus 20:4
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.
Qur'an 7:180
And Allah's are the best names, therefore call on Him thereby, and leave alone those who violate the sanctity of His names; they shall be requited for what they did. Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, [i.e. in an irreverent or disrespectful manner] for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Qur'an 16:124
The Sabbath was only made (strict) for those who disagreed (as to its observance); But Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgement, as to their differences.
Qur'an 4:154
And for their covenant we raised over them (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai); and (on another occasion) We said: "Enter the gate with humility"; and (once again) We commanded them: "Transgress not in the matter of the Sabbath." And We took from them a solemn covenant. Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
Qur'an 17:23
Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. Exodus 20:12
Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gave you.
Qur'an 17:33
Nor take life which Allah has made sacred . . . Exodus 20:13
You shall not kill
Qur'an 17:32
Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit Adultery
Qur'an 60:12
O Prophet! When believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee, that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood, and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter; then do thou receive their fealty, and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Note: This applies to men as well as women.
The Qur'an ordains severe punishment for theft 5:41,42]
Qur'an 2:188
And do not eat up unjustly the property of each other among yourselves nor convey their cases to the authorities for devouring unlawfully some portion of the property of the people knowingly.
[Commentary by Mufti Shah Ahmad Raza Khan -- this prohibition covers the acquisition of property by all unlawful means, such as theft, robbery, gambling, bribery, backbiting, giving false evidence, and all such other means as bringing a false claim against another or wrongfully influencing authorities to obtain unlawful benefits as a consequence] Exodus 20:15
You shall not steal.
Qur'an 2:42
And cover not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). Exodus 20:16
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
Qur'an 4:32
And in no wise covet those things in which Allah Hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others . . . Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife or his male servant or
his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

The Qur'an gives 12 Commandments to the Muslim Community. Click here for further elaboration.

Similarities

Islam
Degrees of affinity and consanguinity
prohibiting marriage Christianity
Degrees of affinity and consanguinity
prohibiting marriage
Qur'an 4:22-24
4:22 And marry not women whom your fathers
married, except what is past: It was shameful and odious, an abominable custom indeed.
4:23 Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: your
mothers, daughters, sisters;
father's sisters, mother's sisters;
brother's daughters, sister's daughters; foster-mothers (who gave you
suck);
foster-sisters;
your wives' mothers;
your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom ye have gone in, no prohibition if ye have not gone in;
(those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins;
and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past;
for God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful;
4:24 Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess. Thus hath God ordained (prohibitions) against you. Except for these, all others are
lawful . . . and God is All-knowing, All-wise.
Leviticus 18:6-18
6 No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
7 Do not dishonour your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
8 Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonour your father.
9 Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.
10 Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonour you.
11 Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
12 Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative.
13 Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative.
14 Do not dishonour your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.
15 Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her.
16 Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonour your brother.
17 Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
18 Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.


Similarities
(i) Basic Concepts

Islam Christianity
Monotheistic -- God (Allah) is recognized as the Creator. Monotheistic -- God is recognized as the Creator.
God is omnipotent, omniscient, immanent within His creation yet transcendent. God is omnipotent, omniscient, immanent within His creation yet transcendent.
God has a unique relationship with humans (master and servant). God has a unique relationship with humans. (master and servant).
God makes agreements or Covenants with humans. God makes agreements or Covenants with humans.
Have similar eschatology (pertaining to the last days or the end of the world) -- this world will come to an end someday and no-one knows when. Have similar eschatology (pertaining to the last days or the end of the world) -- this world will come to an end someday and no-one knows when.
A figure referred to as Satan or Antichrist (dajjal) (a figure of evil) will be defeated at the end of the world. A figure referred to as Antichrist or Satan (a figure of evil) will be defeated at the end of the world.
After the world has ended, God will judge humans, based on their actions in compliance with a moral code, specified in the Covenant which God makes with us. At the end of the world, God will judge humans based on their actions in compliance with a moral code, specified in the Covenant which God makes with us.
This judgement will determine one's eternal abode, heaven or hell (bliss or punishment). This judgement will determine one's eternal abode, heaven or hell (bliss or punishment).
Human beings have a spirit (ruh) which is eternal, continuing its existence after our physical death. As to its origin, the Qur'an says, "When I [God] have fashioned him [Adam] (in due proportions) and breathed into him of My spirit . . ." [Qur'an 15:29] Human beings have a soul which is eternal, continuing its existence after our physical death
Humans have the ability (free will) to choose between good and evil (obeying or disobeying God, complying with the moral code of the Covenant or transgressing). Humans have the ability (free will) to choose between good and evil (obeying or disobeying God, complying with the moral code of the Covenant or transgressing)
Angels exist who are the servants, and sometimes messengers of God. Angels exist who are the servants, and sometimes messengers of God
Satan (shaitan) exists, as well as evil spirits who follow him; they are the enemies of humanity. Satan exists, as well as evil spirits who follow him; they are the enemies of humanity.
Divinely revealed scriptures exist which are the primary source of religious knowledge. The Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad and it is the final scripture given to man. Divine scriptures exist which are the primary source of religious knowledge; revelation in this department is finished (there are no more biblical books yet to be revealed)
Miracles occur on occasion. Miracles occur on occasion.
If a person errs or transgresses, God may forgive them, if they sincerely repent. If a person errs or transgresses, God may forgive them, if they sincerely repent.
Prophets brought spiritual instruction. Prophets brought spiritual instruction.
There are similarities between the Quranic and biblical version of many stories, such as Adam and Eve, Moses and the children of Israel, etc. There are similarities between the Quranic and biblical version of many stories, such as Adam and Eve, Moses and the children of Israel, etc.
At the time of the end of the world, Jesus Christ will come again. At the time of the end of the world, Jesus Christ will come again.
Jesus Christ was born to the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ was born to the virgin Mary. (Immaculate Conception).

Similarities
(ii) Moral Code

Islam Christianity
Faith without works is useless (it is not enough to simply say "I believe). Faith without works is useless (it is not enough to simply say "I believe).
God severely punishes the worship of any deity other than God Himself as well as disrespect toward Him. God severely punishes the worship of any deity other than God Himself, as well as disrespect toward Him.
Humans have rights (hence the prohibitions on murder, theft, lying, violence). Humans have rights (hence the prohibitions on murder, theft, lying, violence).
Parents have special rights (to be honoured), as do spouses (hence adultery is forbidden). Parents have special rights (to be honoured), as do spouses (hence adultery is forbidden).
Fornication and lewd behaviour are forbidden. Fornication and lewd behaviour are forbidden.
Transgressions similar to the Christian "seven deadly sins" (avarice, pride, greed, gluttony; envy, lust, sloth) are all spiritual illnesses. Transgressions similar to the Catholic "seven deadly sins" (avarice, pride, greed, gluttony; envy, lust, sloth) are all spiritual illnesses,
Society's laws must be obeyed. Society's laws must be obeyed.
Intoxication is forbidden. Intoxication is forbidden.
Suicide is forbidden. Suicide is forbidden.
Homosexuality is forbidden. Homosexuality is forbidden (as stated in the book of Deuteronomy, as well as in the story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorra).

Similarities
(iii) Practices

Islam Christianity
Prayer is a means of communicating with God; God hears prayers and sometimes grants requests. Prayer is a means of communicating with God; God hears prayers and sometimes grants requests.
Special congregational service of worship (salat) once per week on Friday, in a mosque, is an obligation (in addition to five times a day obligatory service of worship (salat) - also preferably in congregation.) Congregational worship at church once per week on Sunday is an obligation.
Charity and relieving the suffering of others carries spiritual rewards. Charity and relieving the suffering of others carries spiritual rewards.
Certain standard prayers exist. Certain standard prayers exist.
Fasting and similar ascetic practises for religious purposes carries spiritual rewards. Fasting or depriving oneself for religious purposes carries spiritual rewards.
Pilgrimage (hajj) is obligatory. Pilgrimage still exists, but is not obligatory
Celebrate the advent and birth of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) on the 12th Rabi Awwal (Islamic calendar date) Celebrate the advent and birth of Jesus Christ, Dec. 25. This is known as Christmas.

Differences
(i) Basic Concepts

Islam Christianity
Do not believe in the Trinity Christians believe in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
God has informed us of only 99 of His beautiful names (Attributes). Many of them depict His beautiful aspects (jamal), and some of them depict His power, authority and grandeur (jalal). Christians currently emphasize the beautiful aspects of God (i.e. God is Love)
Jesus is a Prophet and a servant of God. Muhammad is also a Prophet and a servant of God. He was the last Prophet sent by God to guide and teach mankind. As a member of the Trinity, Jesus is viewed as God Himself.
The Quranic teachings in this regard may be summed up as follows: (1) Christ was neither crucified nor killed by the Jews, notwithstanding certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion in the minds of some of the enemies; and (2) Jesus was taken up to God (i.e, God raised him up (raf'a) to Himself.) [Qur'an 4:157, 158 & 3:55 & 4:157] Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on a cross.
See above. Christians believe Jesus was resurrected (raised from the dead) three days after being crucified on a cross (Good Friday to Easter Sunday are the days when Christians remember and celebrate this.) Jesus' crucifixion they believe, redeems Christians of their sins.
Eschatology - Judgement will occur on Judgement Day (the end of the world when God will judge all human beings beginning from Adam and Eve). Persons who have been previously deceased, and are in their graves, are given an indication (via 'windows' in the grave) of what his or her future Judgement may be. The punishment of the grave will begin immediately. Rewards begin immediately too. (This intermediate stage of the grave may be regarded as similar to the Catholic Purgatory, and is called barzakh in Islam). The final abode of either Paradise or Hell will be pronounced on the Day of Judgement. Eschatology - most Christians believe that judgement takes place, immediately upon death (i.e. they will either go to Heaven or Hell, or as in the case of Catholics, they could also go to Purgatory immediately upon death). Christians also believe that the final Judgement Day is only for all those people who have not died yet and will be for those remaining on earth.
Hell is a place of purification, and is permanent. Paradise as a reward, and Hell as a punishment are but graphic terms to make us understand a state of things which is beyond all our notions of life in that world. Paradise will be eternal. Once meriting it, there can be no question of being ejected from it. As to whether Hell is also eternal for the unbelievers, there are two schools of thought: (1) A great majority of Muslims affirm that God may pardon every sin and every crime except disbelief in God. [Qur'an 4:48,116]
(2) Others believe that even the punishment of disbelief may one day terminate by the grace of God. [Qur'an 11:107, etc.]
The Qur'an 4:124 declares: "If any do deeds of righteousness - be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them." In other words no religion has a monopoly on salvation! Hell is eternal, but Purgatory is not (note: Catholics believe in Purgatory whereas Protestants do not). While Catholics believe that Purgatory is precisely the same as Hell, it is not eternal. They believe it is a place or state of punishment wherein the souls of those who die in God's grace may do penance for past sins and hence become cleansed and fit for heaven. Only Christians can go to heaven.
All mankind is born pure and he/she is responsible for his or her own sins and not someone else's. Christians believe in Original Sin, (all of mankind is held responsible for the sins of Adam and Eve) which only the sacrament of baptism in the name of Christ can expiate.
Muslims do not believe in vicarious atonement. They believe that each person is responsible for his or her own actions and that no-one else can atone for them. However, you can pray to God for His Mercy and Forgiveness on behalf of another person. The Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h. -- and some others (like innocent babies who have passed away) are given the special privilege to intercede on behalf of their parents on the Day of Judgement. This is in accord with the Throne Verse in the Qur'an. So with God's graceful permission, they may have a specially bestowed privilege of pleading on behalf of others and begging for God's forgiveness for them on the Day of Judgement. This is known as intercession (shafa't). Christians believe in vicarious atonement -- that another person can extinguish the guilt incurred by another person's sins. Jesus is believed to have died so as to atone vicariously for man's sins. He was considered to be the Lamb of God, which means that Jesus was considered to be the perfect sacrifice by which the hold of Original Sin was broken. Christians believe in intercession and intercessors such as priests and monks.
The holy Qur'an was revealed ('revelation' [wahi] is the highest form of inspiration with no possibility of error in the message or the conveyance of the message) to the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h. through the angel Gabriel who was carrying out God's precise instructions. This occurred over a period of 23 years. The holy Qur'an is God's Word -- not the word of the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h. Christians believe that divine inspiration (the Latin word is 'afflatus' which means 'divine wind') inspired the writers of the scripture. Hence they believe that the Gospel of St. Mark (obviously written by St. Mark) or the letters of Paul the Apostle are the "Word of God."
The Qur'an exists today exactly the same as it was revealed to Muhammad, p.b.u.h. There have been absolutely no changes whatsoever made to the wording. Special checks and balances and special means for the preservation of accuracy (.e.g. memorizing of the text by many people, etc. etc.) were put into place so that no error or change could possibly creep into the text. A council was called, in the early days of Christianity, where the church fathers and elders debated. This was presided over by the Roman (and Christian) Emperor Constantine (circa 324 A.D.). This council codified (systematized) standard Christian belief and gave the New Testament its present form, depriving some books of the status of Scripture (many of which still exist today and are known as the Apocrypha).
All the Prophets, from Adam a.s. to Muhammad p.b.u.h. are pure and sinless/infallible. In the Old Testament (Jewish scriptures which most Christians regard as authoritative), Prophets are not portrayed as being infallible to say the least.
There are many differences between the Quranic and the Biblical versions in the details of certain Biblical stories. There are many differences between the Quranic and the Biblical versions in the details of certain Biblical stories.
The first source of Muslim Law, is the Qur'an. The second source of law is the Hadith (Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h.). The Hadith literature expounds and explains and interprets the Quranic injunctions and teachings. The Hadith do not contradict the Qur'an in any way. The source of Christian (or Canon) Law is the scripture, which has been interpreted by the Pope for Catholics; by the Patriarch for members of the Orthodox faith; and by the consensus of the community for other groups. The writings of the church fathers would also be relevant.
For Muslims, Prophets are spiritually advanced and are very pure and sinless. They have been sent by God to guide and teach mankind. There have been 127,000 of them from Adam, a.s. to Muhammad p.b.u.h. who was the last Prophet sent, meaning that no more Prophets will come after him. Hence Muhammad p.b.u.h. was called the "Seal of the Prophets." The Prophets were sent as Messengers of God to people in different countries at different times. Prophets do not have the same stature in Christianity that they have in Islam.

Differences
(ii) Moral Code

Islam Christianity
Islam does not treat law and morality as different things. What is legal/lawful is also moral and conversely what is unlawful/illegal is also immoral. Consequently, Islamic law automatically covers and governs morality -- moral values are not changeable nor are they dependant on the whims of individuals or society. The Islamic legal system combines the two opposites: a) rigid inflexibility and permanency through the Shar'iah (i.e. the divine injunctions of the Qur'an and the Sunnah) and b) the flexibility and fluidity to accommodate man-made legislation with the changing needs of society. There are two forms of legal systems in Islam: i) Fiqh (which cannot be inconsistent with the Shariah) and ii) the derivative form of legislation which is based on the Shariah. Transgressing these two regulations or bounds will make Fiqh (i.e. man-made legislation) ultra vires ab-initio (i.e. absolutely void from the beginning.) Secular law, and morality are often different things. For example, abortion is considered legal by the government in Canada. Many Protestants have no problem with this law, yet Catholics forbid it for their followers. What is considered moral has tended to change with each generation. The guideposts and/or criteria of what is considered moral or what is considered immoral are interpreted differently depending on the era or the group (Catholic, Protestant, etc.). Church doctrine, while it can change and be altered, doesn't change so often as the church members interpretations of it do. For example, Jesus' commandment "Love thy neighbour as thyself" has differing interpretations on how to carry it out depending on the time and era and generation; also compliance to this commandment has changed substantially from place to place, group to group and time to time.
Muslims believe that while the Scripture and Gospels were originally pure and error free, contradiction and error has crept into them over time and so now the current books are considered to be highly suspect. For example we don't know what are really Jesus', a.s. words from what are the scribes words because there were no checks and balances that were put into place to ensure that such errors did not occur. Hence we see several contradictions in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Even though the Old Testament is regarded as Scripture, Christians do not regard themselves as being bound by Jewish law (this thanks to a dream of St. Peter).
Muslims, like Jews do not consume the flesh of swine. Christians consume the flesh of swine.
Alcohol and/or intoxication is completely forbidden. Alcohol intoxication is forbidden for Christians, but alcohol consumption is not.
Free-mixing of sexes is discouraged. Free-mixing of the sexes was historically discouraged, but today this injunction doesn't play the role it used to.

Differences
(iii) Practices

Islam Christianity
Muslims do not believe in the separation of 'church from state' (i.e. secularism). However, it is permissible to separate the functions of government (politics) from religion and be undertaken by different individuals -- politics would still be subject to religion. Almost all Christian countries have secular governments.
The Muslim daily rituals and practices are clear and detailed (e.g. proper way to use the washroom, specifics of purification for prayer, inheritance, details of Zakat, prescribed punishments, etc.). Lack the details that Islam holds.
Prayer is very specific and exactly the same no matter which country the Muslim happens to live in. There are five prescribed prayers per day at set times according to the rotation of the earth around the sun. All of these prayers are obligatory on every Muslim. The prescribed prayers are recited in Arabic and are recited exactly the same in all countries of the world. The culture of a person does not influence the performance of prayer (salat). It is the exact prayer that Muhammad, p.b.u.h. taught us to do. With a few memorized exceptions, like the 'Our Father' and the 'Apostle's Creed,' prayer is an improvised conversation with God; there is no prescribed time for nor daily number of Christian prayers.
Actions may be haram (forbidden), halal (allowed), fard (obligatory), sunnah (following the ways of the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h.) and so on. Don't have any specific categories of actions as seen in Muslim law.
Funeral prayers, the birth of a baby (adhan), donations to charity (i.e. Zakat) etc. are ritualized and clearly set out no matter which culture a Muslim belongs to. Certain rites called sacraments are performed: i.e. Baptism, Confession, the Eucharist, etc.
Hymns and devotional services of worship and supplications are an integral part of all Muslim forms of worship. Zikr ceremonies (chanting a name of God), and sama (religious music) are practised more often among the more devout groups of Muslims such as the Sufis. Hymns and devotional music play a big role in Christianity.
In Islam, there is no institutionalized "church" nor its hierarchy. There are no monks in Islam either. Religious leaders are not obliged to remain celibate. Certain sects (i.e. large sects like the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches) condone monkhood. Catholic monks and priests are obliged to remain celibate. Protestant ministers are not obliged to remain celibate.
Muslims are forbidden to put pressure, either directly or indirectly, on another person to convert to Islam. Efforts in this regard have to be through persuasion (i.e. without involving any kind of pressure). The Qur'an clearly lays down the law that the duty and function of all the Prophets and all Muslims is only to convey the message of God. Period. Christians have an obligation to proselytize. Missionary work is considered very important.
Homosexuality is considered to be a perversion and is forbidden. Since the prohibition on homosexuality is found in the Old Testament only, some Christian sects say it does not apply (i.e. the United Church ordains homosexual ministers).
Interest (riba) is forbidden to Muslims who live in Islamic countries. Interest used to be forbidden in Christianity, but it seems that this is no longer the case.
Polygamy is allowed to Muslims. There are strict limitations and prohibitions concerning it so it does not become a method to dominate women. Polygamy used to be allowed by the Church, but now it is forbidden to all sects but the Mormons.
All games of chance and gambling are forbidden in Islam. Some sects are very strict about gambling, but others are not strict at all.
Only females are allowed to wear gold Males and females are allowed to wear gold.

Similarities
Secularism




Islam
Islamic Secularism Christianity
Christian Secularism

O Beloved! Did you not see a group (or Chiefs) of the Children of Israel after Moosa (Moses)? When they spoke to a prophet of theirs: ‘raise for us a king that we may fight in the way of Allah….’
“And their prophet said to them: ‘Verily Allah has sent Talut [the Biblical Saul] as your king … and has increased him in knowledge and physique.”(Quran 2:246)
The Quranic word ‘Talut’ is itself expressive of tallness; and that he was tall and stood high is mentioned in the Bible too:


He [Saul] was higher than any of the people from his shoulders on upwards (The First Book of Samuel 10:23).
(The First Book of Samuel, 8: 4-5; 19-20)
“… Then all the elders ofIsrael gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him… Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations… We will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”


“In war he [Saul] was able to march 120 miles without rest” (The Book of Jeremiah). It was a fixed belief with the Hebrews that their leader, besides possessing other qualities, must be tall of stature. ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, does not cause His Shechinah to alight except on one who is wise, strong, rich, and tall of stature.” (Cohen’s ‘Everyman’s Talmud, [Dent, London] p. 126)



Differences
Secularism

Islam
Islamic Secularism Christianity
Christian Secularism
Islam attaches no importance to the external form of government. It is satisfied if the well-being of a person in both the worlds is aimed for, and the Divine law applied.
Thus constitutional questions take a secondary place.
Thus, a republic, a monarchy, a joint-rule, among other forms, are all valid in the Islamic community.
If this aim is realized by a single chief, one accepts it. If at a given time, in a given surrounding, all the requisite qualities of a "commander of the Faithful" or caliph are not found united in the same person, one admits that the division of power is for the purpose of the better functioning of the government.
A famous case cited by the Qur'an (2:246-47) is of a former prophet who was solicited by his people to select for them a king beside himself [don't forget he was a prophet too], so that they might wage war under his leadership, against the enemy which had expelled them from their homes and familes.
The designation of a king in the presence of and in addition to a prophet, and even by the intermediary of the latter, shows the lengths to which one can go in this direction. A division is is thus made between the spiritual and temporal functions, yet no arbitrary power is tolerated for either of them.
The politics and the king remain as much subject to the Divine law as the cult and the prophet. The source of authority and codes of law remain the same, only the application of law and the execution of necessary dispositions relate to different persons. It is more a question of specialization than a divorce between the two aspects of life.
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Islam has kept the original meaning of the Quranic text whereby both the spiritual and temporal functions of the government are governed by the Divine Scriptures. One can see the close similarity of the Quranic and the Biblical texts. here. Biblical Secularism has been reinterpreted in modern times. The initial Biblical text does not provide for the separation of the Church and State in a way that it was correctly interpreted to mean [i.e. that although the Church is governed by the Divine Scripture, the State is not supposed to be governed by the Divine Scriptures but rather by the man-made laws of Caeser.]


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Matthew 22
21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.



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The maxim “Render unto Caesar . . . the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God’s” has become the cardinal doctrine under which modern Christian/Western governments operate.
.

The current definition cited in the opposite column is much used in the west and it is spreading to the east. The current definition:
Secularism: indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations.


this is the truth about the whole thing and fact with evdience.

so if u have any question.

Lady~ (f)

listen, we are not here for sentiment, but for clerification.

in islam, no body assume jesus is second to mohammed.

he prophet mohammed is the last prophet but the leader of the messenger.

ok i want you guys to answer this question.

does jesus himself no about christianity?

who created christianity?

its not about sentiment but about understanding.


ok

can u allow ur chick to sleep with a dog really?

since the number of people that says its ok are much.

that means it good rigt?

irrespective of ur choice, tubaba still remain nuber 1

some of u guys think with ur anus.


tuface sing agbero? lol.

if they write song for tuface, y them no write for faze?

dont crycify me.



i am a neutral guy.

how will i no when they started fucking. and when they hv started, omo men, no one can stop them

y are u guys always complaining abt other poeple eglish,

this is not a class.

in a place like this, u can decide to write anyhow without check it b4 sending because u dnt care. so if some 1 's english is an error. its not a big deal

lol

those who said the school is not recognised, the question u will ask them is how do they define the word recognition? and b4 a school can be recognised, who will recognise the schoo?


those schools they claim are recognised schools, who recognised them?

so the answer is if the body that recognise the genuinty of a university in Nigeria still remain the the National University comission, them u have to check the website of the national university commission to see the schools that are recognised in Nigeria.

www.nuc.gov.ng

there u can comfirm maybe the school is recognised of not.

but for ur information, those saying that are only talking without knwoledge

am back here with my story.

this is what happened and i don't no what to say to both of them.


I have two friends A & B.

my friend A, has been hunting for a lady since 2004 and till date she is still giving him hope.

she told my friends that she really like him as a friend, but he needs to convince her that he loves the way he sound b4 she will finally go out with him.

this guy has done everything to attract this girl, but still the same story. now we told him to 4get about her but he wouldn't listen. we told him to allow another of our friend to go for the girl but he refuse.

now my friend B, has a sister and his sister happen to be the friend of this same lady.

so my friend A told my friend B to use the influence of the sister to help him convince this gal. and we all agreed.

but my friends B decided to change the game and he has been fucking the girl for the past three months now.

just last week, my friend A get to no about it .

now the question is, if u happen to be my friend A who have been trying to date this girl for many years, what will u do?

and if u are the second guy who is fucking this Chick current how will u feel? and if u happen to be me the last man standing how will u settle the whole thing?

actually, i hail my friend B who is fucking the girl now Cos if she succeeded in plying my friend A, she will go out and saying all sort of thing about guys. and i really hail him 4 penetrating to the central processing unit of that lady.

but 4 my friend A, i don't no.

but plz guys, don't u think this is crazy, trying to date girl for 4 year now still on pending.

Lady's, u can contribute too

lol

@Big star

i think u got it wrog here.

i dont think the school fee is up to 70k a year.

actually for a new student, u pay almost 50k but after then, u just pay about 20-27k for semetre, so its not up to 70k.


when i got admission, i paid 44k

and now the second semester, i paid 27k

thats for a new student. but when i proceed to 200l, i will pay lesser than the 27k i paid for this emester, that means the higher u go, u lower u pay.

noun offers admission into faculty of law at degree level.

and the admission process is on right now.

if u care for more information of the law requirements, u can check the school website www.nou.edu.ng

so go to any oceanic bank or zenith bank to purchase ur application form at the rate of 2500 naira only, complete it online. make sure u check everything well b4 submitting ur application.


note: u dont need anyne to help u process ur admission, just complete the form and the schoool will offer u admission of their own.


dont pay anyone for admission.

if what u need is what u jst stated, i think the national open university is a right place for u.

do u have ur o level papers complete for law? if yes, then u will get i at noun.

secondly, the school fee is 2500 naira per semester.

we pay for course units and course materials.

A 2unit course and its course material(handout) plus the exam fee cost 2500 naira. so if u have 9 course for that semester, u are paying the total of 2500 x 9courses.

thats ur fees for that semester.

if u have other question, feel free here.

\cheers

so y are u not dead now because of my English?


may b na f9 u get self 4 waec and u re here condemning some1

so y are u not dead now because of my english?


may b na f9 u get self 4 waec

this ur story is very funny bros

there are some people here who think they are the lord of english i guess.

having sex, or making sex wht eva .

dont u understand what dat means,

so if i say i made sex, thats not a big deal or error.


and i still say that again.

so may b u will die now,because of my english.

na u be wole soyinka now.

some times its fun but some times it turns to hurt u bad

thanks guys.


i jst need advice from u.

thats all.

thanks guys.


i jst need advice from u.

thats all.

no sorry.

i was referring to those dude who claim i am a street mech

tight guy 4 sure

i will send u mail .

thanks

lol

i cant jst stop laughing guys.

well keep the post going both error's are accepted.

4 ur information, i am a street mech. so no hard feelings

mumu.

its fun hearing people's view on this topic.



u can still send more reply

hi all,

it is my pleasure to annouce to my fellow nairalader that i am intending to run for the presidential election in the 2027.

please, u re free to say what u want here. so u can give ur advice if thre is any and i will appreciate ur contribution.

Thanks

still here 4 u

yes u can get the visa that way, but depending on thye countrys visa.

an examploe of visa u can get that way is campodian visa, thats the way they issue it so its possible.

if i may ask, wish countrys visa u talking about?