Christianity and Islam: what are the main differences between the two religions?

Islam and other religions

Most followers of Islam live in Iran, Pakistan, the Republic of Bangladesh and Indonesia. There are about twenty million Muslims living in the Russian Federation. Approximately one billion people on Earth practice Hinduism, fifty million people adhere to Buddhism. Adherents of Islam profess various branches of this religion, for example, Shiism and Sunnism. The average age of parishioners is 22 years. Among Christians, the average age of the flock was 30 years, and among followers of Hinduism - 25 years. Atheists have an average age of 33 years. When calculating the average age of parishioners, only adults who had decided on their religious views were taken into account.

It is difficult to give an exact answer to the question of who is more numerous - Christians or Muslims on Earth. This number is constantly changing from year to year. The number of followers of other faiths is also increasing steadily. In reality, the important point is not the numbers, but their real faith. Many of those included in the statistics practice religion rather superficially, not observing the laws and canons of their confession. The priority is a true attitude towards faith, which does not depend on its laws.

Choice of religion

It is almost impossible to predict which denomination this or that person will choose. There are many people on the planet who were born in one religion, and then changed it to a completely different one of their own free will. The most popular reason for changing a religion is marriage to a person of a different religion. This is followed by a change of religion in adulthood, as well as a change of confession due to a change of place of residence. Many members of the clergy believe that changing religion is a sin.

Regions where Islam is the largest religion

This section provides a list of regions in which the majority of the population is Muslim.

• Australia: Cocos Islands;

World Christianity

Christianity is an ancient religious movement that has its own traditions and rules. At the moment, there are Christian churches in almost all countries. People everywhere practice this Abrahamic religion. Parishes and churches are created, large financial resources are donated for the creation of churches. But who are more numerous - Christians or Muslims? At the moment, Christianity is the most widespread religion in the world.

Brief comparison

Belief in one God

. Both Christians and Muslims believe in one God. But in Christianity, God is All-Perfect and Unlimited, His nature is uncreated. In Islam, the concept of spirituality is not applicable to Allah, which is simply an attribute of the created human soul, and God himself, in the understanding of Muslims, is endowed with created qualities. Of course, these two Gods are completely different and there is no reason to identify them.

Pillars of Faith.

The Christian belief is set out in the Creed. Faith in Islam has five pillars - its declaration, daily prayer five times a day, helping those in need in the form of donations, annual fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Inner Nature of God

in Christianity it is established by the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The three hypostases of God are inseparable. In Islam, the inner, spiritual, nature of Allah remains unrevealed.

Priests.

In Christianity, there are priests to perform the Sacraments, services and requirements. There are none in Islam. Prayer (namaz) can be performed individually by any believer or collectively under the guidance of the one who knows the Koran most of all.

Fast.

Christians have four long fasts throughout the year, and also fast every Wednesday and Friday. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and marital duties from dawn to dusk.

Charity

. Both Christians and Muslims give to the poor. But if in Christianity this activity is voluntary, then in Islam such activity is elevated to the rank of a pillar of faith. Sacrifice in the name of the poor sanctifies the Muslim's property and his heart.

House of worship

for a Christian it is called a temple, for a Muslim it is called a mosque.

God's creatures.

In Christianity these are angels and people. Man is given free will by God. Man and woman are equal before God. Husband and wife in marriage become one flesh and live in peace and harmony. In Islam, Allah also created jinn - creatures that resemble humans and can take on any form. Man does not have his own will. Men have a spiritual advantage over women and can have up to four wives. The Koran allows you to beat your wife if she has done something wrong.

Human nature.

Man was created in the image of God and His likeness, Christians say. Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were intended to be immortal and incorruptible. The fall of our ancestors influenced the entire history of mankind. Muslims believe that man has his own image, different from Allah. The ancestors were mortals, the world was not distorted after their fall.

The concept of the Holy Spirit.

In Christianity, the Holy Spirit in the Trinity is inseparable and is one of the hypostases of God. In Islam, the angel Jibril is called the Holy Spirit.

Holy books

. Christians base their teaching on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. The teachings of Islam are based on the Koran and the sacred tradition of the Sunna (description of the life of the Prophet Muhammad).

Jesus Christ and saints.

For Christians, He is God the Son, who came to earth to save the human race. In Islam he is considered one of the prophets. Muslims also consider the Blessed Virgin Mary to be a prophetess. The intercession of saints, so revered in Christianity, is rejected by the Koran. Christians consider the cross to be a weapon of victory over Satan, Muslims consider the black stone in Mecca. Icons are revered by Christians and blasphemed by Muslims.

Moscow Sretenskaya Theological Academy

Roman Lukishin 01/30/2021855

Ethics is a philosophical discipline that studies ethics and morality. Let's try to look at some principles of morality and ethics in Islam and Christianity and compare them. We will also look at several specific rules of behavior.

The main source of rules of behavior and morality for Muslims is the Koran. The rest of the rules, norms and laws are written in the Sunnah and Shariah. Unlike Christianity, in Islam a person’s entire life is strictly regulated, parsed down to the smallest detail. The Gospel, which, by the way, is mentioned in the Koran as one of the holy books sent by Allah to the prophets before Muhammad, contains instructions for action of a more general nature. In this way, the Koran resembles the Torah.

The word "Islam" is translated as "submission". A Muslim's relationship with Allah is based on the principle of the relationship between master and slave. Man unquestioningly fulfills his will: “Allah is the master, and man is the slave. “Everyone comes to Allah only as a slave” (19:93). Therefore, the law that Allah conveys to people through Muhammad is binding. The correct life of a Muslim consists of fulfilling, studying the law and loving it. A Christian is called to love God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Love for God is determined by fulfilling the commandments: “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he loves Me” (John 14:21).

From the commandment of love for God in Christianity comes the commandment of love for neighbors and, as its highest form, love for enemies. Islam prescribes love for fellow believers, one of the hadiths tells about this: “You will not believe [truly] until you love each other.” This love can be correlated with love for one's neighbor in Christianity. However, Islam does not talk about loving one's enemies.

Let us now turn to some specific regulations and prohibitions. In Islam, slander and blasphemy are rejected: “and let not one of you blaspheme another” (49:12). This rule echoes the 9th commandment about false witness from the Decalogue. Christ not only does not abolish it, on the contrary, He develops it during the Sermon on the Mount: “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

In relation to women, Christianity and Islam have different regulations. The Koran recommends, for example, the use of physical punishment against women: “Those whose disobedience you fear, admonish them and leave them on their beds and strike them” (4:38). In Christianity, women should be treated “as the weakest vessel, showing them honor, as heirs together of the grace of life” (1 Pet. 3:7). That is, a woman is equal to a man in honor before God. The Qur'an explicitly states the superiority of men: “Husbands are superior to wives because Allah has given some advantage over others, and because they spend from their wealth” (4:38).

Let us now turn to the very concept of sin in these religions. In Islam, sin is actually a violation of the law, which does not carry with it any internal, spiritual changes in a person. In Orthodoxy, sin removes a person from God, it brings corruption to a person, making him spiritually dead. This is where the difference in the understanding of repentance comes from. For Muslims, sin must be covered by some good deed or sacrifice. Let's look at similar cases.

One day a woman came to Muhammad and confessed to adultery, in response to which the prophet ordered her to be stoned. After which he performed a funeral prayer over her. He explained his actions: “She brought such repentance that if it were divided among 70 residents of Medina, it would be enough for everyone. Could she have done anything better than sacrifice her life? That is, a woman who regrets and repents of her action has to atone for it. Christ, in a similar situation, simply said: “I do not condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

That is, in Christianity, sin is an obstacle in communication between man and God. Repentance is a way to restore this connection. In Islam there is no emphasis on a person’s personal relationship with Allah, the emphasis is primarily on the fulfillment of the law, which for Christians is rather a tool for communication with God.

Thus, in both religions, similar offenses are condemned and virtues are praised. Hypocrisy, adultery, slander, etc. condemned in both religions; modesty, generosity and love for others are equally encouraged. However, the emphasis and goals are somewhat shifted. If for an Orthodox Christian a personal relationship with God is a priority, then for a Muslim the priority is fulfilling the law, for which he will receive reward. Based on this, the behavior of a Christian is determined by his inner, spiritual work and life and is in symbiosis with them. The behavior of a Muslim is determined by law.