Christianity vs. Other World Religions: Islam {Part 2}

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This free essay is Part 2 of the series “Christianity vs. Other World Religions”. Visit THIS PAGE to find easy links to the complete series, as essays are released.

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In Part 1 of the series, Christianity vs. Other World Religions, I shared that Christianity and Islam are currently the two largest religions in the world. The prediction by Pew Research is that, by the year 2050, Christians will hold steady at 31.4% of the global population and Muslims (Islam) will increase to 29.7%.¹

As my grandparents would say, “If Jesus tarries…” this information indicates that Christians and Muslims combined will equal over 60% of the world population by 2050. This is significant, and it is important that we educate ourselves on the religion of Islam.

What is Islam?—

Islam is the religion’s name. Its followers are known as Muslims. You may hear the term Arab used to refer to Muslims, but Arabs make up only about 13% of the Muslim population.

Muslims are taught to believe in the prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Joseph, Jesus, and Muhammad. They believe Muhammad was the final prophet sent by God. Yes, the Islam religion believes in God as the creator of the universe, whom they call Allah (the Arabic term for God). There are 5 main articles of the Islamic creed, which teaches that followers must maintain a belief in 1) one God, 2) angels, 3) prophets, 4) revealed scripture, and 5) a day of judgement.²

In the footnotes for this essay, you’ll find a link to an Islamic website used in research (WhyIslam.org). I encourage you to explore the information found there. For Christians, the more you understand about the beliefs and expectations of Islam, the more concerning it may become.

Commonalities—

According to a Reasons.org article by Kenneth Samples, historic Christianity and Islam are alike in some ways. It may be surprising to learn that there are similarities. While these parallels are not necessarily what we think of when discussing either religion, they are important to note. Historic Christianity and Islam are both:³

• theistic—believe in the existence of a god or gods⁴

• monotheistic in doctrine—characterized by the doctrine or belief that there is only one God⁵

• Middle Eastern in origin

• biblically oriented Abrahamic faiths (connected to the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament)

We can add to this list that both Christianity and Islam believe Jesus did exist, though what Islam believes about Him beyond his existence is different from Christianity. More on this in a moment.

Major Differences—

For the most part, we are interested in the differences between Christianity and Islam. Here are the primary points of disagreement in doctrine between these two dominant world religions.

1. The religion of Islam does not teach that the Bible is the final and authoritative Word of God. This is in direct opposition to the Christian belief that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3.16). Muslims, on the other hand, “believe that after the Old and New Testaments, God revealed a final testament: the Quran” which, in their view, is “the ultimate authority.” ⁶

2. The religion of Islam fails to acknowledge the Trinity. Not only is this in direct contrast to the Christian faith, but it is what sets us apart. In part 1 of this series, I shared that, “Christianity is based on the belief in a triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The religion of Islam (Muslims) upholds Unitarianism, teaching that Allah is a single, solitary being.⁷

3. The religion of Islam does not believe in the incarnation. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ was God come to earth in human flesh; he existed in both human form and divine nature. Muslims believe Jesus was simply an ordinary human being, albeit one born of a virgin, who did miracles and lived without sin.⁸

4. The religion of Islam denies the crucifixion of Jesus. Our salvation is a result of Jesus’ death on the cross, and there is no Christianity without the crucifixion! Though it’s reported that most Muslims believe in Jesus and hold him in high regard, they are taught that He did not actually die on the cross.⁹

In addition, Islam denies the imago Dei (i.e., believers bearing the image of God), original sin (i.e., we are born with a sinful nature), and salvation by grace.¹⁰

Many of these points denied by Islam are considered essential doctrine in the Christian faith. As Phylicia Masonheimer writes, “First-order issues are…truths summed up in the creeds: the nature of the Trinity; the physical life, death, and resurrection of Christ; the hope of eternity; the final judgement of sin.”¹¹

How to Engage?—

If you know much about the history of the Muslim people, it may concern you to think of reaching out to them in friendship or hospitality. In some locations around the world, doing so requires extreme caution for Christians, as it could mean life or death.

Historically, Muslims have been raised with the belief that all unbelievers must be subjugated by Islam.¹² Sadly, rooted in the teachings of Islam is a hatred for both Jews and Christians.

Today, there are millions of Muslims in the United States, and that number is growing. You may find them on the job, in your children’s school, or living next door. It is important to remember many Muslims, especially in America, love our country, our culture and want to befriend people of various religions.¹³

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

As Christians, we hold the truth of the gospel in our hearts. We are called to be instruments of that truth, sharing that Jesus came to bring rest from the cares of this life, and give us everlasting peace in Him. What an honor to simply demonstrate the love of God by showing kindness and respect to those we encounter, no matter the religion they follow.

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As you consider how to interact with those outside the Christian faith, remember these steps shared in Part 1 of the series.

Be bold—“…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” —Matthew 5.16

Be respectful, kind, and wise—“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” —Colossians 4.5-6

Be willing to listen—“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 1 Peter 3.15

Be open to extending an invitation—“Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!” Psalm 66.5

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In future editions of this free series, we will take a look at other prominent world religions—Hinduism, and Buddhism—as well as the sects of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Christian Scientists.

• GO HERE to find the links to each post in the series.

1. The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/ Link effective as of 10/10/2024.

2. World Religions Made Easy. © 1999 Mark Water. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.

3. How Does Islam Differ from Christianity? by Kenneth Samples. https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/reflections/how-does-islam-differ-from-christianity Link effective as of 10/10/2024.

4. Word meaning found at Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theistic Link effective as of 10/10/2024.

5. Word meaning found at Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monotheistic Link effective as of 10/10/2024.

6. Christianity and Islam. WhyIslam.org. https://www.whyislam.org/christianity-and-islam/ Link effective as of 10/10/2024.

7. ibid.

8. How Does Islam Differ from Christianity? Kenneth Samples. https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/reflections/how-does-islam-differ-from-christianity Link effective as of 10/10/2024.

9. ibid.

10. ibid.

11. Every Woman a Theologian. by Phylicia Masonheimer. © 2023 W Publishing.

12. What Is Islam and How Should Christians Respond. https://shepherds.edu/what-is-islam-and-how-should-christians-respond/ Link effective as of 10/11/2024.

13. ibid.