Comparison grid between
Christianity and Islamic doctrine
Term |
Christianity |
Islam |
Afterlife |
Christians
will be with the Lord in heaven (Phil. 1:21-24), in our
resurrected bodies (1 Cor. 15:50-58). Non-Christians will be cast
into hell forever (Matt.
25:46). |
There
is an afterlife (75:12) experienced as either an ideal life of |
Angels |
Created
beings, non-human, some of which, fell into sin and
became evil. They are very powerful. The unfallen
angels carry out the will of God. |
Created
beings without free will that serve God. Angels were created from
light. |
Atonement |
The
sacrifice of Christ on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) whereby
His blood becomes the sacrifice that turns away the wrath of God (1 John 2:2) from the
sinner when the sinner receives (John 1:12), by faith (Rom. 5:1), the work
of Christ on the cross. |
There
is no atonement work in Islam other than a sincere confession of sin and
repentance by the sinner. |
Bible |
The
inspired and inerrant word of God in the original manuscripts (2 Tim. 3:16). |
Respected
word of the prophets but the Bible has been corrupted through the centuries
and is only correct in so far as it agrees with the Koran. |
Crucifixion |
The
place where Jesus atoned for the sins of the world. It is only through
this sacrifice that anyone can be saved from the wrath of God (1 Pet. 2:24). |
Jesus
did not die on the cross. Instead, God allowed Judas to look like Jesus
and he was crucified instead. |
Devil |
A
fallen Angel who opposes God in all ways. He also seeks to destroy
humanity (Isaiah
14:12-15; Ezek.
28:13-15). |
Iblis, a fallen jinn. Jinn are
not angels nor men, but created beings with free wills. Jinn were
created from fire, (2:268; 114:1-6). |
God |
God is
a trinity of persons: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. The Trinity is
not three gods in one god, nor is it one person who took three forms. Trinitarianism is strictly monotheistic.
There is no other God in existence. |
God is
known as Allah. Allah is one person, a strict unity. There is no
other God in existence. He is the creator of the universe (3:191),
sovereign over all (6:61-62). |
Heaven ( |
The
place where God dwells. Heaven is
the eventual home of the Christians who are saved by God's grace. It is
heaven because it is where God is and Christians will enjoy eternal Fellowship
with Him. |
|
Hell |
A place
of torment in fire out of the presence of God. There is no escape from Hell
(Matt. 25:46). |
Hell is
a place of eternal punishment and torment ( |
Holy Spirit |
Third
person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit
is fully God in nature. |
The
arch-angel Gabriel who delivered the words of the Koran to Muhammad. |
Jesus |
Second
person of the Trinity.
He is the word who became flesh (John 1:1, 14). He is both
God and man (Col. 2:9). |
A very
great prophet, second only to Muhammad. Jesus is not the son of God ( |
Judgment Day |
Occurs
on the day of resurrection (John 12;48)
where God will judge all people. Christians go to heaven. All
others to hell (Matt.
25:46). |
Occurs
on the day of resurrection where God will judge all people. Muslims go
to paradise. All others to hell ( |
Koran, The |
The
work of Muhammad. It is not inspired, nor is it scripture. There
is no verification for its accurate transmission from the originals. |
The
final revelation of God to all of mankind given through the archangel Gabriel
to Muhammad over a 23 year period. It is without error and guarded from
error by Allah. |
Man |
Made in
the image of God (Gen.
1:26). This does not mean that God has a body, but that man is made
like God in abilities (reason, faith, love, etc.). |
Not
made in the image of God (42:11). Man is made out of the dust of the
earth ( |
Muhammad |
A
non-inspired man born in 570 in |
The
last and greatest of all prophets of Allah whose Qur'an
is the greatest of all inspired books. |
Original Sin |
This is
a term used to describe the effect of Adam's sin on his descendants (Rom. 5:12-23).
Specifically, it is our inheritance of a sinful nature from Adam. The sinful
nature originated with Adam and is passed down from parent to child. We are
by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). |
There
is no original sin. All people are sinless until they rebel against
God. They do not have sinful natures. |
Resurrection |
Bodily
resurrection of all people, non-Christians to damnation and Christians are
resurrected to eternal life (1 Cor.
15:50-58). |
Bodily
resurrection, some to heaven, some to hell (3:77; |
Salvation |
A free
gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9)
to the person who trusts in Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. He
is our mediator (1 Tim.
2:5). No works are sufficient in any way to merit salvation since
our works are all unacceptable to God (Isaiah 64:6). |
Forgiveness
of sins is obtained by Allah's grace without a mediator. The Muslim
must believe Allah exists, believe in the fundamental doctrines of Islam,
believe that Muhammad is his prophet, and follow the commands of Allah given
in the Koran. |
Son of God |
A term
used to designate that Jesus is divine though he is not the literal son of
God in a physical sense (John 5:18). |
A
literal son of God. Therefore, Jesus cannot be the son of Allah. |
Word, The |
"In
the beginning was the word and the word was with God
and the word was God...and the word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1, 14). |
Allah's
command of existence which resulted in Jesus being formed in the womb of
Mary. |