By NSRK Ravi
|
BELIEF |
ISLAM |
CHRISTIANITY |
| God | Only one god – called Allah | Only one God – a triune being called God or Yahweh |
| Jesus | A prophet who was virgin-born, but not the Son of God | Divine son of God who was virgin-born. He is God’s Word and Savior to humanity |
| Crucifixion | Jesus was not crucified. Someone was substituted for Jesus and He hid until He could meet with the disciples | A fact of history that is necessary for the atonement of sin and the salvation of believers |
| Jesus’ Resurrection | Since Muslims do not believe in the Crucifixion, there is no need to believe in the Resurrection | A fact of history that signifies God’s victory over sin and death |
| Trinity | A blasphemy signifying belief in three gods. In Islam, the Trinity is mistakenly thought to be God, Jesus, and Mary | The one God is eternally revealed in three coequal and coeternal persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit |
| Sin | Sin is disobedience to the established law. Sin does not grieve Allah. | Sin is rebellion against God. Sin grieves God |
| Man | Man is created by Allah and is sinless | Man is created in God’s image and is sinful by nature |
| Salvation | Salvation is achieved by submitting to the will of Allah. There is no assurance of salvation – it is granted by Allah’s mercy alone | Salvation is a gift accepted by faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ on the Cross and provided through God’s grace |
| Bible | Muslims accept the Bible (especially the Pentateuch, Psalms, and Gospels) insofar as it agrees with the Qur’an | The Bible is the inspired Word of God that is complete and not to be added to |
| Qur’an (Koran) | A later revelation that supersedes and corrects errors in the Bible | Not accepted as divine revelation |
| Muhammad | The last in the line of prophets and, therefore, the final authority in spiritual matters | Not accepted as a prophet or legitimate theological source |
| Angels | These divine messengers are created from light and are not worshipped. Satan is an angel | Angels are defined in the Bible as heavenly servants of God who act as His messengers |
| Last Days | There will be bodily resurrection and final judgment with final destination. All Muslims go to heaven, though some must be purged of their sins first. All infidels are destined for hell | There will be bodily resurrection in the last days. Final judgment and eternal destination (heaven or hell) will be decided based on acceptance of Jesus as Savior and His removal of the sin which separates each person from God |
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