Christians and Muslims possess similar beliefs about God, and they believe in several of the same important religious figures. Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions, both believing in one, true God. It is believed that God, called “Allah” in Islam, is the Creator of the World. (Shahani 12) Christians and Muslims believe in religious figures such as Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, and Jesus, all of whom appear in the holy books of each religion, the Bible and the Qur’an. In fact, many are unaware that these four figures are some of the main Islamic prophets. (pg 226) Christians and Muslims alike believe they are children of Abraham. (3) It is also widely unknown that Muslims believe in Jesus. The Islamic religion, unlike the Christian religion, doesn’t consider Jesus to be the Son of God, but rather, he is recognized as a prophet. (2) Muslims consider him to be “one of the greatest of God’s prophets and messengers.” (Discover Islam) According to both religions, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and God “strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.” (pg 226) He performed miracles, healed the suffering, as well as raised people from the dead. (Pg 226) It is believed that Jesus will return one day, implying that that the Day of Judgment has come. Christians and Muslims believe in other individuals with “intimate relationships with God” as well. (pg 226) While Christians call them saints, Muslims refer to them as awliya, or “friends of God.” (Pg 227) Although specific beliefs about religious figures differ among the religions, both Christianity and Islam acknowledge the importance of the figures.
The holy texts of Christianity and Islam are the Bible and Qur’an respectively. Each book is unique; however, several similarities exist between the two. The Bible and the Qur’an even contain many of the same stories, although sometimes there are different variations. Muslims and Christians believe in the Old as well as New Testament. (191) The Qur’an is believed to contain the words of God as spoken through the prophet Muhammad, whereas the Bible contains accounts written by disciples of Jesus, yet the two texts have an incredible amount in common. (192) Each religion possesses its own creed, but the purpose is the same. Muslims recite the Shahadah, or “Declaration of Faith.” (Discover Islam) The statement confirms the Muslim beliefs that there is one God, and that Muhammad was God’s messenger. (198) Beyond the creed, Muslims live by the “five pillars” of Islam. (198) Similarly, Christians recite the Nicene Creed to affirm their faith in God and other beliefs, and in addition they try to live by the “Ten Commandments.” The Islam religion acknowledges the commandments as well. The important texts of each religion demonstrate several examples of similarities between Christianity and Islam.
This looks pretty interesting. I look forward to the final draft. Are you learning anything new? Surprising?
ReplyDeleteIt's been an interesting topic to research so far. I knew that Muslims believed Jesus was a prophet, but I was surprised to find out how important he really is in their religion. I also found out that Mary is mentioned in the Qur'an more times than she is mentioned in the Bible! I think it's interesting that the Qur'an and Bible share many of the same stories.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you are doing pretty good so far, I like your topic and thanks for the help on the thesis statement.
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