Christianity and Islam
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The historical interaction between Christianity and Islam, in the field of comparative religion, connects fundamental ideas in Christianity with similar ones in Islam. Islam and Christianity share their origins in the Abrahamic tradition though Christianity predates Islam by six centuries. Islam accepts many aspects of Christianity as part of its faith - with some differences in interpretation, and rejects other aspects. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are often collectively referred to as the Abrahamic religions.
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[edit] Official stance of Catholic Christianity versus Islam
The official stance of the Catholic Church was worded in the Nostra Aetate during Vatican II:
"Upon the Muslims, too, the Church looks with great esteem. They adore one god, living and enduring, merciful and all-powerful, Maker of heaven and earth and Speaker to all men. They strive to submit wholeheartedly even to His inscrutable decrees, just as did Abraham, with whom the Islamic faith is pleased to associate itself. Although they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary....They prize the moral life, and give worship to God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Although in the course of the centuries many quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Muslims, this most sacred Synod urges all to forget the past and to strive sincerely for mutual understanding. On behalf of all mankind, let them make common cause of safeguarding and fostering social justice, moral values, peace, and freedom."
[edit] The Qur'an on Christians
The Qur'an says, among others, the following about the prescribed behavior towards Christians (Qu'ran 29:46):
"Be courteous when you argue with the People of the Book, except with those among them who do evil. Say: "We believe in that which is revealed to us and which was revealed to you. Our God and your God is one. To Him we surrender ourselves.""
[edit] As part of the Abrahamic Religions
Christianity and Islam (as well as Judaism) are known as "Abrahamic religions" because of their common origin through Abraham. The firstborn son of Abraham, Ishmael, Muslims consider Father of the Arabs and the ancestor of Muhammad. Abraham's second son Isaac is called Father of the Hebrews. His story is told in the Book of Genesis.
Muslims commonly refer to Christians (and Jews) as "People of the Book": people who follow the same general teachings in relation to the worship of the One God as known by Abraham.
[edit] Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an
The Qur'an (Koran) contains many references to people and events that are mentioned in the Bible; especially the stories of the prophets of Islam, among whom are included Moses, David and Jesus.
Muslims believe that Moses was given the Tawrat (Torah in Hebrew, or 'the Law'); that David was given the Zabur (or Psalms) and that Jesus was given the Injil (Greek evangel, or Gospel) from the Abrahamic God (Allah in Arabic). Traditionally, Muslims have believed that parts of these teachings were eventually lost or distorted to produce what is now the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament.
There are several events that are present in both holy books in some form.
[edit] Views on Jesus
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Although Islam recognizes Jesus as a prophet and the Messiah, it does not believe Jesus to be divine and the son of God in a trinity. Muslims do not believe that Christ was the "begotten son of God" and they do not accept the Trinity. According to Muslims, Jesus was a human prophet who brought to mankind a closer relationship with God and each other. In the "religion-literal" sense, Christians reject the Muslim religion's understanding of Christ as heretical.
Archbishop Dmitri of the Orthodox Church in America has described Islam as the most prevalent form of Arianism (a fourth century heresy) still extant, observing its similarity to Arianism in that both assert Jesus' status as a creature made by God, rather than God Himself. Muslims, however, reject Arianism's view that Jesus was an angelic creature, instead seeing him as a human being who was given the prophetic office and appointed as the Messiah by God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official doctrine document released by the Roman Catholic church, has this to say regarding Muslims:
"The Church's relationship with the Muslims: The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day." (CCC 841).
Islam and Christianity differ in their fundamental views in regard to the crucifixion and resurrection which is essential to Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin and the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, physically crucified and resurrected. Muslims believe that Jesus was condemned to crucifixion and then miraculously saved:
Quran, Chapter 4
156: That they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge;
157: That they said in boast, "We killed Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-
158: Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise
Some Muslims hold the belief that another man was crucified and made to look like Jesus as is listed in the apocryphal (heterodox to Catholic and Orthodox faithful) scriptures. In Christianity, Jesus is present for 40 days after his resurrection and ascends to the heaven and appears briefly two more times, once to Saul of Tarsus, known as Paul and then again to Philip the Apostle.
It is sometimes asked, "What do contemporary Christianity and Islam share with each other that they do not share with Judaism?" The first and most important answer is their shared certainty in the objective existence of heaven and hell in the afterlife.
Moreover, they both believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, but disagree on the nature of Jesus' paternity in relation to the conception. Muslims believe the creation of Jesus was like the creation of Adam; they were both created by God without human fathers, but neither are seen as being the "sons of God" in the literal sense. This produces the major gap as Christianity is based on the sacrificial death of Christ[1] and Islam teaches that Jesus did not die.[2] Furthermore, Islam emphasizes that each soul is personally responsible for its salvation, and no soul can bear the burden(sins) of another.
Even some of the more gnostic aspects of Christianity, present in Gospel of John and The Apocalypse of John are also present in Islam, although what they mean are not always the same. Such as;
- Jesus is the Word of God.
- Second Coming
- Antichrist
- The Beast
[edit] See also
- Abrahamic religions
- People of the Book
- Judeo-Christian
- Islam and Judaism
- Islamic view of the Bible
- Comparative religion
- Christianity
- Islam
- Medieval Christian view of Muhammad
- Islamic view of Jesus
- Chrislam, a syncretist religion
- A Common Word Between Us and You, a 2007 letter from prominent Muslim personalities to the leaders of Christian churches
[edit] External links
- Jesus and Christianity A comprehensive essay on the Muslim view of Jesus and Christianity
- Christian Churches of God articles/papers on Islam
- The Christian Muslim Forum
- "I'm Right, You're Wrong, Go To Hell" - Religions and the meeting of civilization By Bernard Lewis
