Galatians 4:22-23, CEV: “In the Scriptures we learn that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one of them was a slave, while the mother of the other one had always been free. The son of the slave woman [Ishmael] was born in the usual way. But the son of the free woman [Isaac] was born because of God's promise.” Galatians 4:28-29, CEV: “My friends, you were born because of this promise, just as Isaac was. But the child who was born in the natural way made trouble for the child who was born because of the Spirit. The same thing is happening today.”

The world’s primary religions are considered as Abrahamic religions, which are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. ⁱ They are called Abrahamic religions because their relationship is claimed to be traced back four thousand years to Abraham, his wife Sarah, and Hagar their slave and the children Isaac and Ishmael.

CHISTIANITY. The largest “group” is categorized as “Christianity” and is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and is approximately 2,000 years old. Its largest groups are the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and the Protestant churches, and its sacred text is the Bible.ⁱⁱ

ISLAM. The second most widely practiced religion is “Islam.” It started in Mecca (a city in modern-day Saudi Arabia) 1300 years ago and was spread by Muhammad (570–632 years after Christ) whose followers of Islam believe to be Allah's “ultimate prophet.” Their teachings of God, known as Allah, were written down after Muhammad's death in a sacred book known as the Qurʾān. There are two major branches of Islam: Sunnis include approximately 80 percent of Muslims, and the Shiʿah includes approximately 15 percent. There are also smaller denominations.ⁱⁱⁱ

Their Respective Teachings

ON THE SUBJECT OF DEITY. Christianity's deity is “God” in English, whereas in Islam the deity's name is “Allah.” The latter is an Arabic word thought to be derived from al-ilāh, which means "the god", and is linguistically related to the Jewish Hebrew word El (Elohim) for God.^iv Probably the chief difference is that Christianity interprets deity as a trinity: i.e.,, God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Islam argues that this is polytheism and condemns calling Jesus the Son of God. The Holy Spirit's entity is reduced to being apparently an angel Gabriel (Jibril).^v

ON THE SUBJECT OF MUHAMMED. Muhammed, or Mohammed, is “God's last prophet” according to the teaching of Islam. But to the Christian he is a false prophet. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1).

ON THE SUBJECT OF CHRIST. To Islam, Jesus is but a human, although He was a prophet. Only His actual words would be sacred and not what anyone (his apostles) said about Him. However, to them He is not deity. There is no trinity. He did not die at all (on the cross or in any way) and therefore was not resurrected. But He did ascend into Heaven as they also teach about Muhammed centuries later.

To Bible believers, Jesus is not only the special prophet but is God's Son (Philippians 2; John 1:1-3), Sinless, who died upon a cross for the sins of all believers, buried for three days, but witnessed as resurrected as proof of who He is, followed then by His ascension into Heaven.

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE QU'RAN. The Koran is taught by Islam as a collection of the "actual" words of God who spoke in the Arabic language through the angel Gabriel to Muhammed. Muhammed did not write it down. Rather, it is the written quotes from the memory of those that had been associated with Muhammed. Somehow it is reasoned that these are the only perfect and uncorrupted teachings from God. Christianity teaches that the Koran is false teachings.

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE BIBLE. The Bible consists of both the Jewish Old Testament and the New Testament of Jesus Christ. Islam teaches that the Bible is corrupted. Christians on the other hand consider the Bible written by prophets who were guided in their respective language by the inspiration of God's Spirit. Islam claims to respect only what could be determined to be the actual gospel words from the mouth of the prophet Jesus. What is in the current New Testament can only be concluded to be a corruption of the teachings of Jesus by so-called witnesses. An example is when Jesus predicts the coming of the Comforter Helper, the Holy Spirit, this is a corruption of a prediction of the coming prophet Muhammed.

To Islam the Old Testament is corrupted too. An example is Abraham offering his son as a sacrifice to God. Instead of offering his son Isaac, he is supposed to have offered Hagar's son Ishmael, who is the father of the Arabs.

ON THE SUBJECT OF SALVATION. The Bible says that a person is a lost sinner but can be saved from their sins by God's grace through the obedience of faith. "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. … But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 10:38;11:6).

Islam teaches that there was no “direct” earthly fall of humanity, therefore no original sin. ^vi Although it is important for one to be a good Muslim on earth, “Because humanity is not in a fallen, sinful state, there [is] no need for a Savior.” A person cannot know before his death and the judgment whether God will bless him eternally. The Quran says, “They whose balances shall be heavy shall be blest. But they whose balances shall be light, they shall lose their soul, abiding in hell forever (Surah 23:102-104).”^vii

There is an unpardonable sin in Islam (“shirk”) which is a denial of the unity of Allah. Anyone who holds to the doctrine of the Trinity, therefore, commits the unpardonable sin.^viii

ON THE SUBJECT OF WORSHIP. In Islam there are five basic foundations. First, there is Shahadah-- one must voluntarily assert that, “There is nothing worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” Second, Salah—one must pray five times a day which includes physical motions of bowing and prostrating. Third, Zakah-- one must give an annual charity of 2.5% of one's savings to the poor, the needy, and the oppressed. Fourth, Sawm-- Muslims are to fast during the month of Ramadan by refraining from eating, drinking, and sexual interaction from dawn to sunset. And fifth, Haj—there is a required journey to Mecca at least once in one's life. ^ix

Christian worship involves praising God in music and speech, readings from scripture, prayers of various sorts, a sermon, and various ceremonies such as the Lord's Supper. Those professing Christianity generally assemble but/or can worship God on their own, and in any place.^x

ON THE SUBJECT OF CHRISTIANS. Islam teaches that Christians are worthy of death because they believe that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are deity. Christians believe they are the faithful ones and chosen of God.

ON THE SUBJECT OF JIHAD. Islam's Jihad is classified as either an inner ("greater") jihad, "a struggle against one's own base impulses", or an external ("lesser") jihad, which is subdivided into jihad of the pen/tongue (debate or persuasion) and jihad of the sword.^xi Non-muslims consider Islam's jihad as the external which refers particularly to the sword (i.e., "fight, battle; jihad, holy war against the infidels, as a religious duty") and therefore is sinful hate and violence.

The Bible is now fulfilled in Galatians 4, “But the child who was born in the natural way made trouble for the child who was born because of the Spirit. The same thing is happening today.”

- Gaylon West

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