Christian Respose to Islam

Christianity and Islam atomic number 18 two of the nigh significant religions crimece their creation. Islam means submission in Arabic, and a Muslim is unity who submits to the exit of perfection (Allah). Christians atomic number 18 c ei on that pointd so because of delivery boy title Christos, which is classic for Messiah. Christianity and Islam atomic number 18 akin in a lot ways, but likewise have quite a few variances in beliefs, practices, and basic theology. They in addition outflow separate meanings to step upsiders as to what their religions stand for. Both religions argon mo nonheistic with a holy text and they both endeavor to conquer evil.Islam has a set of rules (5 Pillars of Islam) set forth to reach enlightenment while Christians repent, necessitate Jesus Christ as their shaper and Savior, and then are forgiven for their sins. A lot of the great unwashed in todays world intrust that Islam and Christianity are very similar with precisely a few cle ar-sighted differences, but this paper exit discuss some of the big difference regarding the belief in on matinee idol, the view on oracles and the view on the Day of ideal. To begin, lets compare the Islamic view on the belief in superstar deity.The graduation and superlative teaching of Islam is proclaimed by the Shahada, which states, La llaha illa-l-lah, Muhammandun rasulu-l-lah. (thither is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the apostle of Allah) (Robinson). After a mortal sincerely makes this confession than they become a real Muslim. Muslims believe that Allah is one, and has no partners, no equals. The ledger states, And cry not unto any other god along with Allah. There is no god save Him. ( calfskin 2888). This logical argument in the Quran makes a clear claim that Muslims believe that Allah is supreme, that he created and maintains the world.In Islam it is also very clear that Allah has no son, no father, no relative and no associates. The Muslim prophet Muham mad is reported to have indite shoot down 99 c every to try and express the attributes of Allah. Some of these that Muhammad wrote down is that Allah is merciful, that he is exclusively-powerful (omnipotent), all- chouseing (omniscient) and that he is eternal (no beginning and no end) (Robinson). The Christian response to this claim by Muslims is that there is provided one righteous and transcendent creator deity.In the Old Testament Moses states, The Lord our God is one Lord and you shall the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 64). This passage makes it clear that God is there is only one God who wants us to love him totally with all our being. at a time again in the New Testament Jesus Christ himself states, 29 The most important one, answered Jesus, is this Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 live the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all y our strength. (Mark 12 29-30). The problem between Christians and Muslims is not the item that there is only one God, but the view of the trinity.Christians believe that there is God the Father, God the give-and-take (Jesus) and God the holy Spirit. These three persons are complete in unity of ordain, purpose, action and love, yet cannot be confused even though they have different functions. The script sings of God, the Father, who as the co- Creator, blesses acclaim be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1 3), initiates and sends Now this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have direct. (John 17 3).And finally God sent the Holy Spirit, who is resident deep down a Christian, to guide, instruct and empower them. 16 And I leave ask the Father, and he provide give you another pleader to be with you forever 17 the Spiri t of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it incomplete sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 1416-17) It is important that God as Father not be viewed within a biological context. Christians share with Muslims the prohibition against conceiving of God in the constellation of an image.God as Father refers, rather, to a relationship between God and man. Christians accept all the 99 names of God, which Muslims repeat in approbation to God. Even the name Allah is affirmed by Christians as one of the names of God, the same Arabic name that the Prophet Abraham used in Hebrew as El or Elohim. Secondly, lets compare the Islamic belief slightly the prophets to that of the Christian belief.Islam makes a distinction between a messenger (rasul) who is sent with a Divine Scripture to guide and reform mankind, and a prophet (al nabbi) who simply carries information or proclaims Allahs news. Therefore, though all messengers are prop hets, not all prophets are messengers. The number of Allahs prophecy is said to be 124,000, yet the Quran mentions only 25 prophets. Some of these prophets are rapture who is the first, Abraham, Jacob, Ishmael, Isaac, David, Solomon, John the Baptist, Jesus and also Muhammad, who is said to be the final and greatest prophet.And verily, we have swotd in every nation a Messenger, saying, serve Allah alone and shun false gods in any form. Then Allah maneuver some of the citizenry. And error took hold of others. Do recede lessons from history as you travel in the earth, and see the consequence of the deniers. (Sura 1636) According to the Sura Allah raised up these prophets, among every nation, to provide mankind with firm and formative guidance, so that they could walk the straight path of Allah, could live happily in this world, and could be prepared for life after terminal.Allah promises to protect his prophets from serious sin, noxious disease and death. Muslims use this b elief to deny that Jesus, who they believe was adept a prophet, did not die on the cross because as stated supra prophets cannot be killed. The Christian response about prophets is that God appointed prophets and others to speak to mankind about his word, and his story of redemptive acts in history. Christians believe that God revealed the interpretation of his acts to the prophets who then passed it on to man by preaching, teaching and piece of music it down.Even though Muslims and Christians have quite a few people that both agree were prophets Muslims do not believe that Isaiah, Jonah, Daniel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and Jesus were prophets (Robinson) Prophets within Christianity came from different classes of society, some rich, others poor, young and old some scholars, and others with olive-sized education. Not all wrote books (Elijah, John the Baptist), but they all heard Gods word, all through angels, by means of visions, by Gods voice, or by receiving the message in their minds and hearts.Also contrasting Islam we know that prophets were not sinless, but just normal believers whose sins were forgiven by God. The prophets most important message was that since there are none who could obey the law fully, they remained still in sin, and so be death. Yet, those living with sin need not despair, because God had promised to take upon himself the misdeed of their sins, by incarnating himself and dying on the cross, thus taking upon himself that penalty, and so release him to forgive them from those sins, which then brought them back into a personal relationship with him. (Rahim et al).When a Christian tries to evaluate to see whether or not Muhammad was a prophet, they must(prenominal) try to see him in light of the total Biblical regain ending with Jesus and displaying these three criteria. One that he fully accepts the reason Scriptures, two that he points to the central significance of Jesus as saviour and three that his life and teachings exemplify suffering redemptive love. Based on these three criteria, which are shown through the life of Jesus, Muhammad is not at all a prophet.Thirdly, lets view the Islamic view on the Day of Judgment (Death) and the Christian response to what they believe. To begin we must first find out what a Muslim believes about sin. To a Muslim sin is a private matter, which is not binding from one generation to the next. This is so because the Tempter is the root of all sin and Allah being all merciful, forgives those who ask. There is only one sin that the Muslims believe is so bragging(a) that it is deemed unforgivable, that of shirk, which is the practice of associating anyone or anything with Allah.Going by this logic the sin of exaltation and Eve was not really their fault at all because Satan tricked them, and they asked for lenience. Furthermore, their sin was not hereditary/ passed down to their children. Also because the sin committed by Adam was not his fault and he repented, Allah made him earths first messenger. (Nazir-Ali 142-144) For the Muslim, salvation is attained not by faith, but by works, in observing the Five Pillars of Islamic practice, as well as avoiding the major and minor sins.Tradition indicates that on the Judgment Day, once the person is buried, the two recording angels appear, and the dead person sits up to undergo an examination. If he says the Shahada (There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the apostle of Allah), he lies down peacefully and awaits his judgment. If he refuses the Shahada, he is severely beaten for as long as Allah pleases. once the individual is awakened for judgment a scale is presented, which weighs the good and bad deeds of the person taken from their book of destiny.Ultimately Allah makes the decision as to whether someone should be received into paradise or not. If Allah places the individuals book in his right hand then that person is salve and crosses a razor sharp bridge to paradise, which h olds a perfumed garden of material and sensual delights, surrounded by rivers and flowing fountains, populated with black-eyed virgins, who are there to serve them with all variety of fruits (Nazir-Ali 145). On the other hand, a vivid hell (Gahenna) awaits those who fail the test.This hell is described in the Quran as a place consisting of boiling water, gore and fire it is a hell of extreme physical pain (Nazir-Ali 145). Christians view of sin/death is drastically different that of Islam. A Christian believes that any sin is an wickedness to God, because it is, in essence, a rejection of His character. Christians believe, as Muslims believe, that Satan does tempt us. Yet, Christians are obligated for their own sins, and not Satan. Christians believe that they have the choice to reject Satans tempting.But, The Bible insists throughout, that the wages of sin is death, and since we are all guilty, therefore, we all deserve death. God, however, in His mercy, has not left us in that g uilt, but has offered payment and forgiveness for those who receive it. He has sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to die in our place, to take upon himself our guilt. Therefore, those who believe in His redeeming death on the cross, and repent of their sins, are saved from eternal separation (John 316-17), while those who reject Him will be eternally condemned. Before His ascension into heaven, Christ promised to return a second time to judge the world.When He returns, He will raise all the dead to life, and will separate those who believe from those who reject, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. Those rejecting Christ will live in eternal punishment, in total isolation from God because, in rejecting Gods Son, they have rejected God the Father and God the Holy Spirit as well, and no sin is greater than this. 22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichristhe denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the F ather whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1 John 222-23). Those who have authentically believed in Christ the redeemer, will not fear Christ on Judgment Day, and will have eternal life.This does not mean that they will go into a garden full of carnal pleasures, which, as we know in this life, separates us from God, but they will go into the presence of God Himself, to live forever with Him in love and in joy. For, as it says in The Bible, 3 And I heard a loud voice from the deal saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. 5 He who was seated on the derriere said, I am making everything new Then he said, release this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. 6He said to me It is done. I am the Alpha and the O mega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who everywherecomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21 3-7). To summarize, even though Islam and Christianity both are monotheistic, both have a holy text and both strive to overcome death/evil there are big shrill differences. Hopefully the above paper achieved its aim in informing people of the differences regarding the belief in on God, the view on prophets and the view on the Day of Judgment. All in all those that believe that these religions are similar and basically the same thing are incorrect and should stop skipping over/ignoring the discrepancies between the religions.