Essay Sample on Comparison Between Christianity and Islam

Religion is a set of beliefs in a superhuman power worshipped and obeyed by followers (Crook, 2006). Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world that have an objective that promotes acts of love, kindness, and compassion toward human beings (Stacey 2020). Nonetheless, Christianity and Islam have similarities and differences in beliefs and traditions. Christians, followers of Christianity, believe in Jesus Christ's "Son" of the Holy Trinity as their savior (Peel, 2016). Muslims, followers of Islam, believe in Allah, whose teachings were passed through the Quran and hadiths of the "last prophet" Prophet Muhammad (Peel, 2016). Christianity and Islam have more differences than similarities in the traditions practiced by their followers.

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Similarities

One God. Christianity and Islam believe in the existence of one true God, the creator of heaven and earth. Christians regard the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the only God (Peel, 2016). Muslims also believe in only one God. Both Muslims and Christians reckon that the one true God is omnipresent (exists everywhere), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omniscient (all-knowing) (Peel, 2016). God has always existed, He is powerful over life and death, and He knows all. The belief of an all-powerful and all-knowing God gives hope and strength to the followers to overcome hard times in their daily lives.

Afterlife. Both religions affirmed life after death. On judgment day, all human beings will be held accountable for their actions here on earth (Stacey, 2020). Christians and Muslims believe that God will reward good deeds with eternal life in heaven. However, God can forgive evil deeds if the person repents or punish them with eternal life in hell. Life after death can either be in paradise or full of torment, therefore, encourages believers to do good here on earth.

Prophets. Scriptures documented the existence and the role of prophets to deliver God's message in both Christianity and Islam (Stacey, 2020). Christians acknowledge Jesus Christ as the messenger who delivered God's teachings through his disciples. In Islam, the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad's life conveyed Allah's teachings. The Bible and Quran provide further evidence of other prophets who spread the gospel across the world. Prophets not only acted as messengers but were also an example of moral models of life in Christianity and Islam. The lives of prophets have an impact on the moral code adhered to by both Christians and Muslims.

Scriptures. Christians derive God's word from the Holy Bible, while Muslims use the Quran and Prophet Muhammad's traditions called Sunnah. The Quran points out that God revealed all the divine books of the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible (Stacey, 2020). Therefore the contents of the Quran do not differ from the Holy Bible. However, the Sunnah is undocumented in the Bible. Scriptures serve as sources of God's word, which guides believers to live accordingly. Both the Holy Bible and the Quran's original text were in Hebrew and Arabic, respectively (Peel, 2016). Hence, some information from the scriptures was lost or altered over time. Christians and Muslims who are limited language proficiency often misinterpret the scriptures according to their understanding.

Spiritual beings. In both religions, angels, demons, and spirits duties to either protect or harm human beings are confirmed. Angels act as servants of God that guide and protect humans from evil (Peel, 2016). Muslims and Christians believe that demons are agents of Satan, which lead people into temptations and harm their faith in God (Peel, 2016). According to Christianity and Islam, when someone dies, he or she goes into the spiritual realm waiting for judgment day (Stacey, 2020). Spirits exist around us but cannot be seen or heard by people except for a few with a gift from God.

Differences

Places of worship. Christians have weekly masses in a church or chapel while Muslims pray in a mosque or masjid. Christianity advocate for their followers to visit the church but also allows them to pray in their households. On the contrary, Muslims can only worship in other places which are deemed clean by Islamic traditions (Stacey, 2020). The ability of followers of Christianity to pray in their homes allows them to communicate with God anytime, which improves their faith and relationship with Him.

Days of worship. Most Christians worship on Sundays except for Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA), who go to church on Saturdays. Churches hold several masses at different times of the day to accommodate all the followers. On the other hand, Muslims worship five times every day and have congressional prayers on Fridays. In Islam, prayers are obligatory for men but not for women (Stacey, 2020). Taking into account that most people work or go to school on weekdays, therefore, it is easier for Christians to worship on Sundays than Muslims on Fridays. Religion improves an individual connection with God; hence prayer should be obligatory for both men and women.

Marriage. Both religions view marriage as a holy act that completes a man and woman in the eyes of the Lord. A man of Christ is only allowed to marry one woman, and divorce is not an option as the vows state "until death do us apart" (Crook, 2006). Muslim men can marry up to four wives as long as they can support them physically, emotionally, and financially (Stacey, 2020). Divorce is allowed in Islam, but it is only easier for the husband than the wife. Happiness is a right that every person deserves; thus, divorce should be an option if there is no more love in a marriage. Islamic traditions should award equal rights to their women and abolish polygamous marriages, which undermine their position in the engagement.

Food and drinks. According to the Holy Bible, Jesus declared all foods clean (Peel, 2016). The Bible only restricts Christians from eating meat products during the fasting period. Muslims are only allowed to feed on halal food. For example, Islamic traditions consider pork meat and products haram, so Muslims cannot eat them (Stacey, 2020). Food and drink safety for human consumption should be the lone concern before deciding whether they are edible or not because health is paramount.

Clothing. In both Christianity and Islam, followers are encouraged to dress modestly. Conservative Christian men wear clothes that do not expose their chest, arms, and legs while women wear long-sleeved blouses and skirts or dresses that cover their arms and legs (Crook, 2006). According to Muslims culture, men wear clothes that hide their limbs while women dress in hijabs that wrap their hair and full-body shape (Stacey, 2020). However, some liberal Christians and Muslims do not follow these clothing restrictions. Both religions encourage reserved dressing because it is essential in upholding the moral code in the community.

Holidays. Christianity has several holidays that are significant to their beliefs and traditions. Every Sunday is the day of worship and rest. Christians also celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day, death of Jesus on Good Friday, and his resurrection on Easter Monday (Peel, 2016). In contrast, Muslims celebrate the holy month of Ramadhan (fasting), Eid-ul Fitr at the end of Ramadhan, and Eid-ul Adha, which is the feast of sacrifice (Peel, 2016). The holidays act as periods of remembrance to show love, kindness, and compassion towards one another. Both religions urge their followers to give back to the community and help the needy.

Money. Islamic culture encourages Muslims to removes Zakat, which is a charitable giving, and in turn, will be rewarded by Allah (Stacey, 2020). In Christianity, the Bible suggests that Christians should exercise tithing. During modern times, Christians give 10% of their monthly or annual income as a tithe (Crook, 2006). Christians also give offerings in the form of money or goods every Sunday during mass. Charitable giving is a kind deed aiming to help the poor and needy people in society. Commitment to giving back to the community should be according to an individual's ability to support themselves and not a requirement.

Burial. Islamic traditions require Muslims to bury their dead followers on the same day that they passed on (Stacey, 2020). The Imam conducts the burial ceremony, and women are forbidden to attend (Stacey, 2020). In contrast, Christians take a few days to mourn the deceased follower before the burial (Peel, 2016). A pastor usually leads the proceedings, and all the family members and friends are allowed to be present. The Muslim culture denies some family and friends who are far away from the location a chance to mourn and say goodbye to a loved one. The tradition also hurts the women who cannot appear at the last commemoration of a beloved.

Conclusion

There are many religions in the world with diverse traditions and practices. The cultures may distinguish one from the other, but the core values of these religions remain the same. All religions preach about love towards each other regardless of their beliefs (Peel, 2016). Therefore, followers should always try to understand, appreciate, and respect other people's religious views. The practices also have to align with human rights, which promote equality among all people and liberty to ensure happiness reigns in the community (Crook, 2006).

In summary, Christianity and Islam share vital traditions and objectives. Both religions believe in the existence of one God and that He rewards good deeds and punishes evil doings, thus encouraging love and kindness among people. The two religions also believe in the afterlife in heaven or hell. Despite the similarities in the critical values, Christianity and Islam displayed more differences in their cultural practices such as clothing, holidays, marriage, and burial.

References

Crook, R. H. (2006). An introduction to Christian ethics. Pearson Education.

Peel, J. D. Y. (2016). Christianity, Islam, and Orisa religion: three traditions in comparison and interaction. University of California Press.

Stacey, A. (2020, January 20). The Similarities and Differences between Islam and Christianity (part 1 of 2): The Same but Different. Islam religion. https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/11182/similarities-and-differences-between-islam-and-christianity-part-1