Christianity Vs. Islam

Christianity and Islam are known for their stark cultural differences, however they are incredibly similar, and when broken down, even their differences seem minute. Christianity and Islam are both Abrahamic, mostly or strictly monotheistic, and even follow the same stories of Mother Mary and Jesus Christ. Both religions are extremely influential with each having more than a billion followers. Christianity was founded out of Judaism in the first century C.E. It was founded on the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are many different branches of Christianity, but the most widely followed are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. According to the Islam Timeline written through PBS, Islam

Likewise, being Abrahamic religions they both follow Jesus Christ, and other biblical characters in their teachings. In both the Bible, and the Quran, Jesus’ holiness is revered. In the Quran, 5:26 “And in their ([the earlier prophets) footsteps we sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the law that had come before him. We sent him the Gospel, therein was guidance and light and confirmation of the law that had come before him, guidance and an admonition to those who fear God." Similarly, the Bible quotes in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” However, in Islam Jesus is believed to be a prophet, rather than a physical manifestation of God himself, in contrast to interpretation from the Bible verse John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." The Quran says of Jesus, "Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how God makes His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away

Both Christianity and Islam practice the belief in one all mighty God. While one of the pillars is, “Concern for the needy,” which is a dominant theme throughout the Bible as well, it is not a “law” of Christianity. The Ten Commandments rule over more so as literal law, such as “Thou shalt not kill,” whereas all of the Five Pillars are all morals that follow religion, and not everyday life. The most current, and obvious distinguisher between the two would be their traditional holidays. Like most organized religion, the two both have religious holidays. There are two official holidays in Islam: Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting), and Muslims usually give zakat (charity). Christianity has, most popularly, Christmas, the day of Jesus’ birth, which is celebrating with gift giving, and Easter, the day of his resurrection, celebrated in any way Christians choose. Christianity focuses mostly on Jesus Christ during holidays, whereas Islam focuses more so on charity and cleansing, as their pillars would suggest. Islam and Christianity are two beautiful and peaceful religions when conducted righteously. With their monotheistic nature, teachings of Jesus, and origin, they could