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Contrast of Worldviews: Islam and Christianity
Of all world
religions, Christianity and Islam are two of the most prominent. Although
derived from the same origins, both faiths have diverged into manifold
differences with respect to worldview. The consequences of both Christianity’s
and Islam’s worldviews are extensive in nearly every culture of the world. Those
who do not understand the foundations of both faiths might incorrectly claim
the God of Christianity to be the same as that of Islam. Contrasting
Christianity and Islam, however, would reveal a different truth.
Christians should understand the Islamic worldview through a threefold lens: 1) the Islamic doctrine of tawhid, 2) the Islamic view of sin and its remedy, and 3) the Islamic perspective on the person and nature of Jesus Christ. These three fundamental differences create an irreconcilable contrast between the two faiths. Nevertheless, with such an understanding, Christians may replace false assumptions about Islam with enlightenment and greater love for image-bearers in the Muslim faith.
The
Islamic Worldview: Tawhid
Vastly
disparate from the Christian worldview, the Islamic worldview is founded upon
the doctrine of tawhid (Schdmit, 2020, p. 32), the Arabic term meaning
oneness of God. For this reason, polytheism may never be accepted in Islam.
While a monotheistic view is also taken by Christians, the doctrine of tawhid
infers that the Christian triune God may not be possible, for God is one alone;
to the Muslim, there is only Allah. In the Islamic view, Allah has no physical
attributes (Schmidt, 2020, p. 32); thus, the Christian concept of imago Deo,
that humankind is created in the image of God (Gen 1:27), is an impossible
feature. While Christians believe in a personal relationship with God through
Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Heb 4:14-16), in the Islamic view, God cannot
“maintain a personal relationship with humans…[but]…depends on his creatures to
earn his respect in order to receive compassion” (Schmidt, 2020, p. 33). Such
drastic contrasts between Christianity and Islam make it impossible for the two
faiths to reconcile.
The
doctrine of tawhid does not allow for the Islamic faith to understand
Jesus Christ as divine (Schmidt, 2020, p. 33). Therefore, although Islam
understands Jesus to be a valuable and important prophet, even believing in the
virgin birth, the person of Jesus in Christianity stands in stark contrast to
that of Islam. In fact, in “a period of serious discussions about the nature of
Jesus, the Qur’an denounced all disputation about the nature of Jesus as vain
(Qur’an 19:34)” (Schmidt, 2020, p. 33). In the Islamic view, Jesus is a messiah,
albeit not the Messiah, as he certainly is in Christianity. Such a view (by
Muslims) radically impacts one’s outlook on God, humankind, and the means of
salvation.
Because
of the Islamic worldview, i.e. namely the view that one must earn Allah’s
compassion by pleasing him, devout Muslims find themselves persistently
striving to walk the right path as given by Allah: the concept of jihad.[1] Understanding the Islamic
worldview consists of understanding jihad correctly. In its simplest
terms, jihad is a Muslim’s best efforts to walk the right path of Allah
(Schdmit, 2020, p. 48). In its most extreme form, jihad has come to be
associated with terrorism, although the term does not inherently imply such.
Contemporary Arab interpretations of Quranic texts, nonetheless, take the form
of animosity toward Jews, Christians, and all who do not follow the ways of
Allah (Gilman, 2014, pp. 117-118), which assuredly contributes to the
widespread increase of global terrorism. Where the Christian worldview tends to
offer grace and mercy even to those who are opposed to the faith, Islamic
worldview, by contemporary interpretations, seeks to destroy any who oppose the
will of Allah. Thus, even the demeanors of Allah and the Christian triune God
stand countered to one another.
Moreover,
Islamic worldview and the concept of jihad expects women to endure
sufferings and live under the authority of men in solidarity with the community
of believers (Schmidt, 2020, p. 45). While both women and Muslims are not a
monolithic group (Jafar, 2005, p. 36), the belief in the inferiority of women
to men is seemingly ubiquitous in contemporary devout Muslims. Christianity
views women as equal to men; even Paul’s instructions for wives to submit to
their husbands (Eph 5:22-23) are written in the context of all believers
submitting to one another (Eph 5:21). The Christian worldview then does not see
women as inferior to men but rather as complementing to men while both submit
to one another and ultimately to God. The Islamic worldview approaches women as
inferior to men and to merely serve the purpose of procreation (Schmidt, 2020,
p. 45).
Severely
dissimilar to the Christian worldview, the Islamic worldview is derived from
the doctrine of tawhid; everything a devout Muslim believes and
practices stems from the concept of Allah’s oneness and separation from
humankind. Even the concept of Jesus is impacted in such a worldview, for Allah
may not be associated with any human and is, in fact, incapable of a personal
relationship with humankind. Humankind, however, according to Islamic
worldview, must strive to walk in the right path of Allah to achieve compassion
from him. These vital components of Islam provide a complete worldview that,
although possessing some similarities to Christianity, operates in polar
opposition to Christianity.
Islamic
and Christian Views of Sin
Most
world religions hold some view of morality. David Marshall writes:
In contrast to
the moralistic, trivializing, hedonistic, or therapeutic transformations of
what was formerly understood as sin, all world religions, if they are in one
way or another religions of salvation or redemption, persistently maintain a
dissonance between what we are and what we are meant to be, a contradiction
between the factual state of humans and their true destiny (Marshall and
Mosher, 2016, p. 23).
Both Christians and Muslims have views
of sin, which are manifold in many respects. Whereas sin (and the understanding
thereof) is vital to Christianity, it is merely marginal in Islam (Schdmit,
2020, p. 68). Sin, in fact, takes a plurality of meanings in the Islamic view,
which ambiguates the topic (Marshall and Mosher, 2016, p. 40). To Christians,
humanity is inherently evil with each person falling short of God’s standards
by nature (Rom 3:23). Many Christians and Christian groups subscribe to the
concept of original sin with some going as far as determinism (Schdmit, 2020,
p. 69). To Muslims, however, humanity is merely less than Allah but also
capable of good (Schdmit, 2020, p. 71). Both religions then hold distinct views
of sin: Christianity centralizing and Islam minimizing its concept.
Since
sin is a reality in both Islam and Christianity, each must consequently offer a
solution for redemption. In Christianity, the remedy for sin is Jesus Christ
(Rom 6:23, 10:9-10). As the Messiah and God himself, Jesus alone offers total
atonement for the sin of anyone who receives him, a concept which would be
considered blasphemous in the Islamic perspective. Islam asserts that atonement
must be made between man and Allah directly rather than through a mediator.
Additionally, it is up to each man to execute the will of Allah so that he
might be atoned, i.e. man is directly accountable to Allah. Initially, the
latter part of the concept is similar to many Christian perspectives. Even most
determinists would not argue against the compatibility of human responsibility;
yet, the Islamic perspective does not require a mediator while Christ the
Messiah is a necessity in Christianity. From the Islamic perspective:
God cannot humble himself to die on the cross for the
sin of mankind as did the Son, Jesus. God is majestic and glorious, unlike the
image of man; man is very humble and small beneath the Most High. It would
violate the divine attributes of God to have his Son die for the sin of mankind
at the cross (Schmidt, 2020, p. 71).
The
only possibility of atonement for Muslims, therefore, is to achieve a level of
compassion from Allah by accomplishing his will and carrying out his tasks. In
this manner, Islam is heavily-works-based. Devout Muslims will perpetually
strive for the satisfaction of Allah.
While Christianity emphasizes the importance of understanding sin and its consequences, Islam minimizes it. Both faiths demand a cure for sin; yet, the feat is accomplished in vastly disparate ways. For Christian believers, according to Scripture, Jesus Christ is the mediator between the Father and humankind and is yet also God himself in the flesh. No such mediating atoner is required in Islam but only pleasing Allah to the point of receiving his compassion. The Islamic worldview then approaches the will of Allah in a serious manner with the realization that if one does not execute Allah’s tasks, he is certainly doomed. Christianity, however, relies on the righteousness of Christ; therefore, the ransom has already been paid irrespective of one’s works. Thus, the Islamic worldview often leads to radical measures in accomplishing the will of Allah. For a Christian to employ such drastic measures, there must be a grave misunderstanding of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. With such contrasting views of sin, both Islam and Christianity hold opposing views of the remedy.
The
Person and Nature of Jesus in Islam and Christianity
Perhaps,
the most significant difference in the Islamic and the Christian worldview is
the person and nature of Jesus. While Jesus is understood as the Son of God
and, in fact, incarnate God himself in Christianity, it is blasphemy to refer
to Jesus as divine in Islam (Qur’an 5:17, 5:72). Jesus is referenced in Islam
and considered an important figure but no more important than other prophets in
the faith. Islam even acknowledges the virgin birth but denies perhaps the most
important aspect of the life of Christ: his death and resurrection.
Islam supports
Jesus as a messenger from God to Israel and even a messiah (albeit not the only
Messiah). Traditional Muslim interpretation of the Qur’an suggests that Jesus
was not crucified on the cross but that God raised him to himself (Qur’an
4:158). The Christian version of the Ascension then occurs after the death and
resurrection of Christ while the Islamic version does not include Jesus’ death.[2] The greatest disagreement
between Islam and Christianity, regarding the nature of Jesus, centers around
his divinity. The Islamic doctrine of tawhid does not allow for God to
either have the form as a human, have a personal relationship with people, or
for any human to be considered divine. Christianity is christocentric;
therefore, to reconcile by adopting Islamic doctrine is an impossibility for
Christianity.
To understand the vital differences between Islam and Christianity, one must realize the point of separation which is no more crucial than that of the person and nature of Jesus. One may not claim Christianity and deny the death, resurrection, and divinity of Jesus. Contrarily, one may not claim Islam and admit these three points of contention. With no bipolarity, Jesus is mysteriously both human and God; this is the essence of Christianity and blasphemous to the Islamic perspective.
An
Irreconcilable Discord
Realizing the foundational issues of Islamic worldview exposes the fact that an irreconcilable discord subsists between Islam and Christianity. Such a statement does not negate the responsibility of Christians to love everyone including Muslims. Certainly, there exist commonalities between Christianity and Islam; yet, the fundamental doctrines of Islam perpetuate a worldview that is not only inconsistent with Christianity but may never be reconciled. Through the Islamic doctrine of tawhid, the concept of sin and its remedy, and the perception of Jesus Christ, a worldview is created that stands opposed to Christianity. The Christian’s response then should be greater love toward a people who misunderstand truth and who deny the gospel. The Christian worldview includes love toward everyone, which is the place of origin for resolving significant differences between the two faiths.
References
Brown,
Daniel W. (2017). A New Introduction to Islam (3rd ed.).
Wiley-Blackwell.
Deedat,
Amhed (n.d.). A Collection of Comparative Religion Booklets. Islamic
Propagation Centre.
Esposito,
John L. (1999). The Oxford History of Islam. Oxford University Press.
Gilman,
Sander L. (2014). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Collaboration and
Conflict in the age of Diaspora. Hong Kong University Press.
Haleem,
M.A.S. Abdel (2010). The Qur’an (Reissue ed.). Oxford University Press.
Jafar,
Afshan (2005). Women, Islam, and the State in Pakistan. Gender Issues, Vol.
22 (No. 1), 35-55.
Lippman,
Thomas W. (1995). Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World
(3rd ed.). Meridian Books.
Marshall,
David and Lucinda Mosher (2016). Sin, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation:
Christian and Muslim Perspectives. Georgetown University Press.
Netton,
Ian Richard (2011). Islam, Christianity, and the Mystic Journey: A
Comparative Exploration. Edinburgh University Press.
——— (2019). Islam,
Christianity, and the Realms of the Miraculous: A Comparative Exploration.
Edinburgh University Press.
——— (2006). Islam, Christianity, and
Tradition: A Comparative Exploration. Edinburgh University Press.
Rahman,
Fazlur (1979). Islam (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Schmidt,
Muhammad Wolfgang G.A. (2020). [Course syllabus for MRS 718 Islam and
Christianity]. MRS 718 Islam and Christianity (Mac Lynn, Ed.), Nations
University.
[1]
From the term’s earliest references, jihad should not be primarily
understood as a holy war but as a striving to do the will of Allah. The concept
of a holy war emerged later because of the term’s distortion.
[2]
Aamhed Deedat suggests that Jesus did not actually die on the cross but only
fainted and then awoke. Such a view is not common and is discounted by many
Muslims (Deedat, n.d., 92-93, 99-100).
