THE DIFFERENT DOCTRINES OF ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this publication is to show the differences between the teachings found in the Holy Bible, and of those found in the Islamic Quran. This book will include a short history of the Islamic religion and the prophet Muhammad, it will also compare the historical recordings of the lives and deeds of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and those of the prophet Muhammad. The motivation for me to write this publication comes from the repeated attempts by prominent men within the world’s religious authorities, to compare the teachings of Islam to Christianity. Some people including Pope Francis, have even declared that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and that Christians and Muslims should put aside all differences and focus on what the two religions have in common. This publication is an attempt to show the difference between the doctrines of the two religions, while proving that the teachings of Muhammad, and those of Jesus Christ, are totally incompatible and have absolutely nothing in common.
WHAT IS GOD'S NAME
Before comparing the major differences of Christianity and Islam, I would like to note that the god of Islam is named Allah. The name Allah comes from a compound Arabic word, al ilah. The Arabic word “Ilah” means god and the word "al" is the Arabic equivalent to the English word ‘the’. So in English Allah translates to “the god” and is a title rather than a personal name, whereas the Bible says that Jesus is the true name of God and that salvation can only be found in the name of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
THE BASIC DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIANITY
The word Christian literally means follower of Christ, it was a moniker given to the original disciples of Jesus in a place called Antioch (Acts 11:26). The foundational doctrine of the Christian faith is that God is a Triune God consisting of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus Christ was literally God in the flesh (1 John 5:7) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, (The son) and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Christians also believe that Jesus was born of a virgin birth by way of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34-35) Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Christians believe that by way of this virgin birth, Jesus is declared to be the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Christians believe that Jesus was sent to earth by God the Father to die for the sins of mankind (Romans 5:8-9) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
The Bible teaches that after His death, Jesus rose from the dead and now He sits at the right hand of God the Father to make intercession for those who believe and confess His name. (Romans 8:34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Furthermore the Bible teaches that only those who believe Jesus is the Son of God (God in the flesh) and those who accept His death as payment for their sins will be accepted by God and given eternal life (Acts 4:12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. In conclusion the true Christian faith is based on the principle that salvation can only be obtained by faith alone in Jesus Christ, opposed to the idea that a person can be saved by their own merits or works of righteousness (Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
THE BASIC DOCTRINE OF ISLAM
The teachings of the Quran are very different to those found in the Bible, for example the fundamental Islamic doctrine is that salvation is obtained by a system of works, known to Muslims as the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars (works) of Islam are the framework of the Muslim religion and only through following these five pillars do Muslims believe salvation can be achieved. The five pillars are:
1. The testimony of belief in Allah and Muhammad as his prophet
2. Praying five times a day
3. Acts of charity
4. The observance of Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca
The Islamic doctrine of salvation through the five pillars is in total opposition to the doctrine of the Bible. The Bible teaches that salvation can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ and not by our own works and that we must trust solely in the righteousness of Jesus Christ in order to be accepted by God. While Islam teaches that people must rely on the five pillars and trust in the teachings of Muhammad for their salvation.
ISLAM AND THE REJECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
A common misconception among people today is that the Islamic religion believes in Jesus Christ. To determine whether or not this is true, we must look at what the Quran says about Jesus. It should be noted that Jesus of Nazareth is mentioned extensively in the Quran, but it is also important to know that Islam teaches that Jesus, was nothing more than a man, and Muslims believe that Jesus was a mere prophet, not the only begotten Son of God. Keeping this in mind let us now look at what the Quran says about Jesus.
(Quran 19:34-35) Such was Jesus, the son of Mary. That is the whole truth, which they still doubt, god forbid that he (God) himself should beget a son!
(Quran 37:151-152) No indeed it is one of their lies when they say, “god has begotten.” They are indeed lying.
So as you can see the doctrine of Islam directly contradicts the first and most important fundamental belief of the Christian faith. The Quran denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God by clearly stating that God has no Son. The Quran also calls Christians liars for teaching that Jesus is the Son of God.
FURTHER CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY
A common deception projected by the Islamic religion is that the Quran is a continuation of the Bible and that the teachings of the Quran confirm Bible scriptures. For example it says in (Quran 2:53) And recall that we gave Moses the scripture and the criterion, so that you may be guided. It says also in (Quran 2:87) We gave Moses the scripture and sent a succession of messengers after him. And we gave Jesus the son of Mary the clear proofs.
And again it says in (Quran 2:97) Gabriel who has by god’s grace revealed to you the Quran as a guide and good news for the faithful confirming previous scriptures. And finally it says in (Quran 2:91) And when it is said to them “Believe in what god has revealed,” they say “We believe in what was revealed to us,” and they reject anything beyond that although it is the truth and confirms their own scriptures.
So as you can see from these four verses, the Quran claims to confirm and corroborate the teachings of Moses found in the Old Testament, and the teachings of Jesus which were recorded in the New Testament. This book will now compare the teachings of the Quran to the teachings of the Bible, and you can decide for yourself if the Quran confirms the Bible and its doctrine.
The religion of Islam teaches in (Quran 3:32) Allah dose not love the unbeliever. Whereas the Bible teaches in (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Also it says in (Romans 5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The Bible teaches that God loved unbelievers so much, that He sacrificed His Son so they can receive forgiveness and eternal life through Christ, whereas the Quran teaches that Allah does not love unbelievers. The religion of Islam also teaches in (Quran 5:33) The punishment for those who oppose god and his messenger, and strive to spread corruption on the earth, is that they be killed, or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off on opposite sides. Whereas the Bible says in (Romans 12:14) Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Islam teaches in (Quran 2:191) If they fight you then kill them for such is the retribution of the disbelievers. However the Bible says in (Romans 12:19-21) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
On the subject of final judgment, the Islamic doctrine says in (Quran 2:48) And beware of a day when no soul will avail another in the least, nor will any intercession be accepted on its behalf, nor will any ransom be taken for it, nor will they be helped.
In opposition to Islam the Bible teaches that the death of Jesus Christ was a ransom for all who believe, and that Jesus will make intercession for believers on the day of judgment. (1 Timothy 2:5-6) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. (Romans 8:34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
As you can see, the teachings of Islam are the total opposite to those found in the Bible. These are only a few of the many examples of the conflicting doctrines of Islam and Christianity. The next section of this publication will briefly explain the history and foundation of the Islamic religion, as well as its founder the “prophet” Muhammad.
THE HISTORY OF ISLAM
The Islamic religion was started by Muhammad in the early seventh century, around the year 610 A.D. The teachings of Islam were supposedly revealed to Muhammad by God, through contact with the angel Gabriel on several occasions between 610 A.D. until Muhammad’s death in the year 632 A.D. The story of Islam begins when Muhammad was forty years old, it is recorded that Muhammad was meditating in a cave on Mount Hira when the angel Gabriel appeared before him and ordered Muhammad to record the angel’s message, in which Muhammad responded “I cannot write” (Muhammad was illiterate). The angel ordered Muhammad three times to record his message but he was unable to. It is said that the angel then began to either squeeze or strangle Muhammad until he was able to recite five verses whereupon the angel released him and then left. After this encounter Muhammad became afraid that he had become demon possessed and that he was being deceived, however his Catholic wife Khadija assured him that he was chosen by god (Allah) to be his prophet. Muhammad was visited many times, supposedly by the angel Gabriel in the Cave of Hira. During these visits the so called angel revealed to Muhammad the teachings we find today in the Quran. During Muhammad’s life all of these revelations were written down by his companions and these writings are the basis for the Islamic religion.
Muhammad was born and lived in the Arabian city of Mecca, but after he began to spread his new found religion, he and his followers began to suffer persecution from the Meccan authorities, so they relocated to the city of Medina (This event is known to Muslims as the Hijra). Upon their arrival in Medina Muhammad and his men were welcomed by the locals, but it became clear to Muhammad that he was unable to provide a livelihood for himself and his followers. As a result Muhammad and his followers began to commit armed robberies on travelling merchant caravans and during these raids many were brutally murdered by Muhammad and his men. Due to these robberies the early Muslims gained a significant amount of wealth and Muhammad was able to satisfy the needs of his followers.
Once Muhammad began to gain power he gave the people who had first welcomed him in Medina an ultimatum “convert to Islam or die!” many refused and were killed, while some were exiled from their land and had their property stolen by the Muslims. Over the next few years Muhammad solidified his position as the ruler of Medina by assassinating the remaining prominent religious leaders of that area who had spoken out against him and opposed his violent campaigns. Due to Muhammad’s actions a coalition of tribes including the Meccans was formed to fight against Muhammad and this coalition attacked Muhammad and his Muslim followers at Medina in 627 A.D. This attack inevitably failed and resulted in the Muslims cutting of the heads of several hundred defeated enemies (this event is known as The Massacre of the Banu Qurayza). As Muhammad grew in power, Islam gained more followers and the Muslims led by Muhammad continued their military conquest of northern Arabia, which resulted in the torture, murder, rape and enslavement of countless people. It must be noted that history records that Muhammad and his followers were slave traders and profited from selling young boys and girls as sex slaves.
THE KAABA, AND OTHER PAGAN IDOLS OF ISLAM
After this Muhammad assembled several thousand soldiers and ordered that they attack the city of Mecca. Muhammad and his Muslim army conquered Mecca and took control of the Kaaba. The Kaaba was a temple built for the purpose of sun, moon and star worship and it was said to have contained three hundred and sixty Pagan idols. According to Islam, Muhammad was said to have destroyed all of the Pagan idols, however some disagree and say that he did not destroy the Pagan moon god Hubal. Hubal was said to be the Lord of the Kaaba, being the most powerful of the three hundred and sixty gods worshipped in the Kaaba. Many believe, myself included, that this Pagan idol became Allah of Islam, the so called greatest of all gods. One thing that seems to give validity to this claim is the battle cry of Islam “Allah Akbar” which means ‘god is the greatest’. This chant was most likely dedicated by early Muslims to the moon god Hubal, which was said to be the greatest of all the gods in the Kaaba. Whether this is true or not, the Pagan roots of Islam and its association with moon and star worship are well documented and easily verifiable. If you are looking for evidence of Islam’s association with Pagan moon and star worship, look no further than the crescent moon and star that is used as the universal symbol of Islam. The crescent moon and star symbol pre-dates Islam, but it is a well-known fact that these ancient celestial symbols were commonly used by Pagans in their worship of sun, moon, and star gods several thousand years before Muhammad was even born.
THE BLACK STONE OF MECCA
Another idol associated with Islam is the black stone of Mecca. According to Islamic tradition the black stone of Mecca fell from heaven to show Adam and Eve where to build an altar, which Muslims claim became the site for first temple built on earth. Adam's altar and the stone were said to have been lost during the great flood of Noah’s time and forgotten. According to the doctrine of Islam, Abraham is said to have found the Black Stone at the original site of Adam's altar when the angel Gabriel revealed it to him (Secular historians believe the black stone is part of a meteorite). The doctrine of Islam is that Abraham ordered his son Ishmael to build the Kaaba in which the black stone was to be placed, and Muhammad himself is credited with setting the Black Stone in the current place in the wall of the Kaaba. Muslims believe that the black stone takes away the sins of any Muslim who touches or kisses the stone. According to tradition, the stone was originally pure white but turned black because of the sins of those who touched and kissed it. It is said that on the day of judgment the black stone idol will have two eyes and a tongue, and it will testify in favour of those who touched or kissed it.
THE HAJJ
Another important tradition of the Islamic religion is a pilgrimage to the Kaaba where Muslims perform a number of rituals, such as walking seven times counter clockwise around the Kaaba, each time attempting to kiss their sacred black stone idol. This ritual is completed by bowing down twice to the Kaaba. This is known as the hajj. (the hajj often results in violence between Muslims who fight and trample each other in order to reach the stone). The ritual of the hajj was said to have been established by Muhammad himself, however Islamic tradition traces the story of the hajj back to the biblical patriarch Abraham. According to Islam, Abraham was ordered by Allah to leave his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael alone in the desert of ancient Mecca. Hagar is said to have become desperate to find water so she ran seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwah (which were mountains worshipped by Pagans) but found none. Returning in despair to Ishmael, she allegedly saw the baby scratching the ground with his leg and a water fountain came out from the ground underneath his foot. Although Muslims claim this ritual originated with Abraham, it is never mentioned in the Bible. However what most people, including most Muslims don't realize is that the rituals of the Hajj are also of Pagan origin. For example researchers have noted that the Kaaba is accurately aligned on two heavenly phenomena: the cycles of the moon and the rising of Canopus, the second brightest star in the night sky after Sirius, and pre-Islamic Pagans circled the Kaaba seven times. The number of circles made around the Kaaba represented the number of planets’ which the Pagans worshiped as gods, which were the sun, the moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter. Pagans identified the sun, the moon and the five planets each with a living deity, god or goddess, with individual characteristics that were unique to each other. While there is much debate about Islam and its Pagan origins, it is not hard to research the subject and find out the truth for yourself.
ISLAM TODAY
A matter of even greater importance is the growing political domination of the Islamic religion. Islam consists of roughly 1.6 billion followers and with more than one hundred verses in the Quran advocating the use of extreme violence to silence opposition to the spread Islam, Christians should be alarmed. Open Doors, a human rights organization that monitors the persecution of Christians reports that 150 million Christians worldwide suffer torture, rape and imprisonment. Christians in Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea and Nigeria are among those hardest hit. The Open Doors report for 2015 found that, Islamic extremism is by far the most significant persecution engine of Christians in the world today and that 40 of the 50 countries on the World Watch List are affected by this kind of persecution. Islam is often referred to as a religion of peace, but these statistics tell a different story. Furthermore any criticism of the Islamic religion or the “prophet” Muhammad is punishable by death in almost every Islamic nation. The Quran teaches that Muslims will one day conquer all of mankind and the rules of the Islamic religion will govern all the world.
(Quran 9:33) It is he who sent his messenger with the guidance and religion of truth, in order to make it prevail over all the religions.
(Quran 2:193) Slay the idolaters until god’s religion reigns supreme, but if they cease let there be no hostility, except to the oppressors.
These issues in the Quran should be a cause of concern to Christians and the rest of the non-Muslim world, however what is even more alarming, is the recent attempts by prominent men to deceive people into believing that Islam is somehow compatible with the Christian faith. In fact an unprecedented effort is being made by the Pope and many other so called Christians, to deceive followers of Jesus into accepting the Quran as a legitimate continuation and conformation of the Holy Bible.
COMPARING JESUS TO MUHAMMAD
This section of the publication will simply and truthfully compare the lives of Jesus and Muhammad. This chapter will give you a better understanding of both Jesus and Muhammad and also of their individual character and morality. Please remember this publication is not intended to slander Islam or Muhammad, my only intention is to tell the truth. Many will be offended by this book and it will be wrongfully accused of racism and spreading a message of hate, but the truth is only hate to those who hate the truth. The first comparison I would like to make is a simple one, Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. in the city of Mecca, Muhammad became orphaned at an early age and he was raised by his uncle. After his childhood Muhammad primarily worked as a merchant. Whereas Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the year 1 A.D. Jesus spent His early childhood years living with His mother Mary and His step father Joseph while exiled in Egypt. Jesus grew up and became a carpenter, a skill he learned from Joseph. Muhammad was illiterate according to the Quran and Islamic tradition (Quran 29:51). Whereas the Bible teaches that Jesus could read very well and had great knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures without ever studying them, in fact the Knowledge of Jesus was so great that the teachers of His day were astonished at His wisdom and understanding (John 7:14-16).
The Bible teaches that Jesus did not marry or have sexual relations with anyone in His thirty three years of being alive (Hebrews 4:15). The Quran on the other hand teaches that Muhammad had multiple wives (Quran 33:6). Islamic history tells us that Muhammad's first marriage was at the age of twenty five when he married a forty year old woman named Khadijah. He was married to her until the age of fifty, after this Muhammad is said to have had up to thirteen other wives including a nine year old girl named Aisha. Meaning Muhammad frequently had sexual relations with a nine year old child, which according to Muslims was a common practice of the time. It should also be noted that child marriage is still practiced today within Islamic communities. Muhammad was a warlord and is said to have lead twenty seven military campaigns against innocent villages and caravans, he was also known to have killed many men during these campaigns and throughout his conquest of Arabia. The Quran teaches that Muhammad advocated the use of extreme violence in order to achieve his goals. (Quran 2:191-194) - (Quran 2:216) - (Quran 2:244) - (Quran 3:56).
The Bible records that Jesus taught against the use of any violence (Matthew 7:38-39) and Jesus even commanded His disciples to love and pray for their enemies (Matthew 7:43-48). Jesus refused to use violence many times against groups of men who were actively trying to kill Him. When Jesus was betrayed and arrested, one of His disciples attempted to defend Jesus resulting in a man’s ear being chopped off. The Bible records that at this time Jesus immediately stopped the violence and healed the man’s ear by a miracle, Jesus was then willingly imprisoned without offering any resistance (Luke 22:49-51). Finally I would like to note that all historical records of the life of Jesus Christ document His amazing abilities to perform miracles. These records of Jesus are not only found in the Bible but are even found in the Talmud a book that blasphemes the Son of God (For more information on the Talmud get our free book ARE THE JEWS GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE). Furthermore the Quran even claims that Jesus performed many miracles (Quran 3:49). The Bible is the most detailed and truthful account of the life of Christ, it details His ability to give sight to the blind (John 9:1-8), make the paralysed walk (John 5:1-9) and even bring the dead back to life (John 11:1-44). The Quran on the other hand does not record any miracles performed by Muhammad.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The religion of Islam is totally incompatible with the Bible and the Christian faith because the doctrines of the two religions are in direct contradiction to one another on every level. The Bible warns us that false prophets would arise and lead many people away from the true God and His Son Jesus Christ. The Quran and Muhammad fit this description perfectly. Islam denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and this is the fundamental belief of the Christian faith. The Muslim religion attempts to elevate Muhammad as the greatest of God’s prophets, while lowering the status of Jesus and His teachings as of less importance. The Bible teaches 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.
True Christians believe that the only way to eternal life in the kingdom of God is through faith in Jesus Christ. Furthermore the Bible forbids Christians to have fellowship or support anyone who does not bring this fundamental teaching (2 John 1-9-10).
Therefore be aware of the great deception that is upon us all, a major effort is underway right now to unite all the religions of the world under a new global religion that will be ruled by the Antichrist (Revelation 13:8). The Islamic religion is just one of many false doctrines being used by Satan to deceive billions of people into rejecting their chance of salvation and eternal life that is only found through faith in Jesus Christ. Don’t be deceived believe in Jesus and study the Bible and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and you accept His death as payment for your sins, you will receive eternal life (John 3:16-18). God has a plan to save you and that plan is faith in His Son. If you believe in Jesus and you want eternal life, God has a simple way for you to receive it.
Step 1. You must know that you have sinned and because of this, you fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). You must also understand that you are not righteous (Romans 3:10).
Step 2. You must understand that the result of your sin is death, but God wants you to have eternal life (Romans 6:23).
Step 3. You must believe that Christ died for your sins (Romans 5:8).
Step 4. You must confess verbally that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE
It is very important to understand that salvation is received through faith alone in Jesus Christ and you cannot trust in your own righteousness or good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is also essential that you know that once you are saved you are always saved, nothing can take away your salvation or separate you from the love of Jesus Christ (John 6:37). These foundational beliefs are the true meaning of faith in Jesus Christ and without them there is no salvation or chance of eternal life. If you believe in Jesus and want to become God’s child, pray for Jesus to come into your life.
