Question

1.) Discuss the five central beliefs of Islam, which can be grouped under the Arabic term iman –“faith.” Can you identify any major similarities or differences between Islamic and Christian belief?

Answer 1

Five central beliefs of islams:

The first of the doctrines is faith in the absolute unity of God.

Tawhid, meaning "making God one," refers to the strict belief of monotheism and the refusal to compromise this position. In fact, another name for Muslims is muwahhidun, translated as "unitarians" or "upholders of divine unity" (Denny 107). He is the only creator and disposer of the Universe, has no partner and no comparable being, none but Allah is worthy of worship (Morgan 91). Tawhid is so essential and central to the faith that shirk, or the associating anything with God, is the one fundamental error for Muslims. As described in the following Quranic verse, shirk is the only sin that God cannot forgive:

God forgives not that aught should be with Him associated; less than that He
forgives to whomsoever he will. Whoso associates with God anything has gone stray into far error. (4:116)

The association of anything with God denies God in His true nature. In order for followers to allow belief into one's heart they must first surrender to God in his completeness. In fact, the Arabic word, islam, is translated as "to surrender" or "to submit." Associating anything with God is considered to be opposite to surrendering to Him, and therefore, no belief would be possible (Glasse 370).

The second doctrine of the faith asserts the belief in Angels as part of God's creation (Esposito 27).
In Arabic angels are known as malak, from la'aka meaning "to send on a mission" (Glasse 42). These angels have no sex and are made of light, whereas humans are made of clay (Denny 108). All of them are considered good, except Iblis/Satan, who was sent out of heaven after he refused God's command to bow down to Adam (Denny 108). The angels have various functions that are concerned with the spirits and souls of human that include carrying revelations, orders, and messages to the prophets, preaching the true and the good and encouraging believers by God's good tidings and His Eternal Paradise, and registering all human deeds (Morgan 99).
Although the angels work as messengers and helpers of God, none are considered to be superior to humans. The angels do not have free will and are completely obedient to God's commands. They have no central state, and therefore do not have the capacity, as humans do, to truly know God (Glasse 42).
Muslims also recognize another kind of supernatural creature, the Jinn. They can be differentiated from angels in several ways. Jinn, created from fire, are much lower than angels, are either male or female, have limited life spans, and can be either virtuous or wicked. Like humans, they too receive revelations through God's prophets.

The third doctrine is the belief in the prophets.
Muhammad was the last in a long line of prophets who were entrusted with bringing Scriptures to their peoples (Denny 108). The prophets are divided into two classes, rasuls and nabis. A rasul, or "messenger," was given a major new revelation and was called to communicate what God had sent to them (Denny 69). A nabi, or "prophet," is also one whom God has spoken to, but their mission lies within the framework of an existing religion (Glasse 318).
Regardless of the classification of the prophet, all are believed to "possess all natural perfections, excellent character, truthfulness and honesty in speech and deed before his appointment to office, because it is by virtue of these that he has deserved Prophetic mission and has come into contact with Angels, and received revelation" (qtd. in Glasse 318).

The fourth doctrine involves belief in the scriptures.

The Quran, meaning "recitation", is held to be the eternal, literal word of God. Therefore, to accept and believe in the messages of Allah is a mere consequence of belief in Angels and the prophets, the mediums by which God's word is revealed. All Scriptures are God's work, but the people before the dawn of Islam had corrupted the original messages to suit their own inclinations. The Quran is the purest extant scripture on Earth, as it is all the pure word of God's and has not been subject to tampering (Denny 108). It was revealed to Muhammad and preserved in the Arabic language and was placed in an order that was commanded by divine revelation (Esposito 9).

The fifth doctrine, belief in the Final Judgment, is of extreme significance and is very often emphasized in Islam. With the promise of reward for a life of faith and one of punishment for the unfaithful, final judgment emphasizes ultimate moral responsibility and accountability for each believer (Esposito 28). Salvation on the "Last Day" is assured for believers who displayed both faith and works. God will save the repentant sinner, but will not accept repentance on the verge of death. One must have established a pattern of repentance and good works, even if it was preceded by a life filled with evil-doing.

The time of the "Day of Distinguishing" is unknown to all but Allah. The angel Isafril will sound the trumpet and at that moment the order of the natural world will be inverted. The Quran describes the Garden of Paradise as a heaven filled with peace and dotted with flowing rivers, gorgeous gardens, and shining streams. It is life-affirming and emphasizes the beauty of creation and enjoyment of pleasures within the limits set by God (Esposito 28). Contrastingly, hell is a place of endless pain, suffering, and torment. It is filled with flames, boiling water, and blistering wind. This punishment is a just one for a life filled with unfaithfulness.

The Key Difference Between Christianity and Islam

The key difference between Christianity and Islam is the difference between Jesus and Muhammad. Jesus was a spiritual leader who laid down His life to save the world. Muhammad was a spiritual leader, who became a political leader, then a violent military leader. Jesus accomplished His mission by dying on the cross. Muhammad accomplished his mission (at least largely) by ruling by the sword.

There are, of course, great similarities between the world’s two largest religions. Both point to a holy book, allegedly inspired by God, for faith and practice. Both call for high moral standards and serious personal commitment. Both share common traditions, since Muhammad learned from Jews as well as Christians. And both have a vision to spread their faith around the world.

But this is where the two faiths diverge. One follows the example of a crucified and risen Savior. The other follows the example of a prophet and military leader.

Cross vs. Sword

The biblical verses of violence (as in “Kill the Canaanites”) were limited to a specific place and time. No such commands are found on Jesus’ lips. The Quranic verses of violence (as in “Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them”) do not have such obvious limitations. Many Quranic interpreters and Islamic jurists claim that those verses cannot be applied indiscriminately today. But others differ. And they proudly cite them in their jihadi manuals.

Again, the difference is that of the cross versus the sword. That’s why Jesus and His followers never established the death penalty for leaving the faith. Muhammad established it once he assumed military dominance. And the death penalty for apostasy from Islam remains in force in a number of Islamic countries today.

Muhammad beheaded some of his enemies. Jesus forbade His followers from taking up the sword in His defense. The differences are glaring and clear.

Just compare the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels with those of Muhammad in the Hadith. Jesus never calls for violent acts against enemies of the faith. Muhammad often does. That’s why there’s no gospel (or apostolic) equivalent to the lengthy collection of Muhammad’s military raids.

Exception vs. Expression

The most tolerant expressions of Islam are found when: 1) Muslims are the minority in a country, as in America; or 2) the Muslim-dominated country is quite secular, as in Indonesia. In strictly observant Muslim countries, there is limited tolerance for non-Muslims.

If you don’t believe me, try setting up a public Christian mission to Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iran. Tell me how long it lasts.

I do commend those Muslims who call for a more tolerant expression of their faith. They abhor the terrorism carried out in the name of their religion. But if they’re honest, they will have to admit that violent Islam has a long and rich history.

Acts of violence carried out to advance the Christian faith are the extreme exception to the rule. Acts of violence carried out to advance the Islamic faith are all too common.

Liberation vs. Subjugation

When it comes to freedom of religion, a country like America, drawing on Judeo-Christian principles, has allowed this liberty from its founding. And in a country like England, which also has a rich Christian history (despite its current backslidden state), Muslims can practice their religion freely. They can even proselytize non-Muslims.If Muslims became the majority religion in England, it would be a different story. Non-Muslims would become second-class citizens. They would have limited freedoms (like Christians in Pakistan), unless they converted to Islam.

It is true that both faiths seek to spread their message by disseminating information. Both faiths point to the sublime message of their founders. But the message of Jesus leads to liberation while the message of Muhammad leads to subjugation.

Again, I know there are honorable Muslims who seek to reform their faith. Some of them believe they are being true to the real spirit of their faith.

But there’s a reason that, in general, true Christians are persecuted by true Muslims rather than true Muslims persecuted by true Christians. It’s the difference between the cross and the sword.