The differences between Islam and
Christianity derive from a distinction in their core beliefs on the
nature of God, the nature of man, and the understanding of sin. Both
religions agree that God created man, and then gave him stewardship
over all creation, and they also acknowledge that something has gone
wrong, and man no longer acts according to God's will. Both
Christians and Muslim seek to live godly lives, described as the
straight path for Muslims (Qur'an 1:1-7), and the narrow path for
Christians described by Jesus (Matthew 7:14). How are these paths
different, and how do Christianity and Islam explain eternal
salvation despite the fallen condition of man?1
Muslim do not believe there was an
active rebellion of man against God to cause the fall from the
primordial condition. Rather, they believe that everybody is capable
of doing the right thing, but they forget. In Qur'an 7:172, Allah
gathers all of humanity, and makes them testify that they recognize
him as lord, so they will be without an excuse on the day of the
resurrection for not living according to his will as a Muslim, this
is the Covenant of Alast. To them a man sins when he forgets to do
the right thing, once he repents he is forgiven, and this requires no
bloody sacrifice.2
Because Allah and man could not have a relationship, sin cannot
affect their relationship, man does not need to be redeemed, he just
needs to remember. According to Hasan Askar, a Muslim author, there
is no conversion in Islam just restoration, or a remembering of the
original state, as every human being is born Muslim.3
The Qur'an talks about a right path to
follow, a lifestyle pleasing to Allah. This idea is found in Qur'an
1:1-7 and 22:54. If sin is forgetfulness, its proper remedy is
remembrance, which is why Allah sent as many as 124 000 prophets.
Even Mohammad referred to himself as the “warner”. Prophets came
to give people divine guidance, what they had forgotten. To help them
remember, Muslims perform the Salat which is a ritual prayer (Qur'an
76:25-26), they have Sharia law, which holds principles found in the
Qur'an and Hadiths, assembled to help all remember the ways of Allah
for political, social and personal life. Obedience to god's revealed
guidance is the way to salvation. As Qur'an 5:10 says: “To those
who believe and do deeds of righteousness hath God promised
forgiveness and a great reward”4,
Muslim theologians Muhammad abul Quasem writes “the Qur'an teaches
that the means to salvation in the Hereafter on the human side are
belief or faith and action.”5
The right beliefs include the Shahada,
the Muslim confession of faith, in Allah the only God and Muhammad
his messenger, and they need to accept the doctrines of Islam
concerning Monotheism, Angels, Revelation,
Prophets, Judgment, and Heaven and Hell.6
As important as these beliefs
are, salvation in Islam is not “by faith alone”, as
it is a rule keeping religion, they are required to keep all five
pillars of the Faith: belief, prayer, fasting, giving alms, and
pilgrimage.7
These pillars
are non negotiable, criticizing them is considered blaspheme.8
As well as these works, inner purity is also required, faith and
works do not guarantee anything. Each
man will be judged by what he has done, which means there is never
assurance of salvation during any
body's life time. Allah is
considered
sovereign, and it is not for anybody to know who will go to paradise.
From the very beginning of Islam, Muslims have feared for their
eternal destinies, but they do not see it negatively, because it
motivates obedience.9
Allah
shows his mercy by sending Prophets so that the people would remember
his ways. Men are saved by Allah's mercy and forgiveness. Qur'anic
faith has only room for salvation by man's right actions and
by Allah's predestination (Qur'an 5:18: 16:93). Uncertainty for
salvation is turned into relative certainty in case of death in Holy
war or being able to recite the whole Qur'an.10
Christianity takes the effects of the
fall very seriously. Mankind is messed up, and everybody sins
(Rom.3-9-20; Eph. 2:13). Rather than sin just being forgetfulness,
Christians view sin as a disease, often referred to by Muslim's as
“pessimism of Christian diagnosis”. A Christian response to Islam
is that if guidance was the remedy to sin, why did Allah have to send
124 000 prophets to the people, and not just one. Christians believe
mankind needs redemption, not just revelation.11
Muslims do not understand how their
sins could affect God, due to their different understanding of the
nature of God, and His relationship with mankind. In the Christian's
understanding, Adam and Eve were in the presence of God. God's
holiness cannot suffer defilement, so when man sinned, this caused a
separation between him and God. God wants us to be holy (Lev. 11:44),
but the Old Testament sacrifices were not enough to atone men's sins,
because they were being offered by men who had sins of there own.
Mankind needed Jesus' perfect sacrifice (John 1:29) to be saved. Now,
Christians believe they need to repent, trust Jesus as savior for
their sin, and follow him.12
For Muslims, the incarnation and
sacrifice does not make sense because they do not view God's love in
terms of a relationship. Allah shows mercy, he can communicate, but
there is no relationship. The God of the Bible wants relationships,
because that is the kind of God He is, and his sacrifice for man's
sin shows how much he loves the world (John 3:16). Christians can
still have doubt in life, but they know that Jesus' death was enough
for the full payment of their sin, and they are assured salvation.
This can be seen negatively, and referred to as “saviorism”,
because it leaves the impression that Christians can live as they
please, but the truth is that Jesus died for more than the salvation
of sins, the goal is that one can be transformed, and then
participate in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).13
In conclusion, Christianity and Islam
have two different claims of salvation. Christians believe they are
saved when they believe. Their faith was given to them by God (Eph
2:8), and transforms them into a new being (2 Cor.5:17), washed from
the former self. Muslim's have a more legalistic system, where
salvation must be earned, Christians are saved by Grace alone through
faith alone, Muslims are motivated by fear, to do works, without ever
knowing if they have done enough, or if Allah has even destined them
for paradise.14
1
Timothy George, Is
the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad? Understanding the
Differences between Christianity and Islam
(Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2002), 108.
3
Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: the Crescent
in Light of the Cross (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House,
1993), 122.
4
George, Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?, 106-110.
5
Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 121.
6
Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner, Unveiling Islam: an
Insider's Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs (Grand Rapids, MI:
Kregel Publications, 2002), 144-145.
7
George, Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?, 110.
8
Caner and Caner, Unveiling Islam, 122.
9
Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 126.
10
Steven Paas, Beliefs and Practices of Muslims – The Religion of
our Neighbours (Zomba, Malawi:
Good Messenger Publications, 2006), 65.
12
George, Is the Father of Jesus the God of
Muhammad?, 116.
13George,
Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?,
119-120.
14Josh
McDowell & Don Stewart, Understanding Non-Christian Religions
(San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Pub, 1982), 176-177.
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