the relationship of islam and christianity

7/30/2019 The Relationship of Islam and Christianity

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Islam and Christianity: Beauty of Tolerance

The Relationship between Islam and Christianity

Is there any relationship between Islam and Christianity? Actually

Islam is the closest religion to Christianity. I can say Islam shares

with Christianity about 99% of the teachings. In many aspects

Islam meets Christianity. Let me mention seven of them which I call

it Seven Types of Relationship between Islam and Christianity. They

are:

1- Relationship of Tolerance: Jesus said, "whosoever

shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the otheralso." (Matthew 5:39) and Jesus said: "Love your enemies,

bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,

and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute

you." (Matthew 5:44) and the Prophet Muhammad taught

the same thing. We read in the Holy Quran: "Nor can

Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better:

then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as

it were thy friend and intimate!" and the Prophet Muhammad

said: "The best of all virtues is: to connect those whodisconnected you, and to give those who forbade you, and to

forgive those who oppressed you." A Jewish man was putting

some dirt in front the door of the Prophet Muhammad's

house. Whenever the Prophet comes out he cleans the dirt

and never blame the Jew. Once the Prophet Muhammad did

not find the dirt, so he asked about the Jew. They told him

the Jew is sick. Then the Prophet Muhammad visited him,

although he did all those bad deeds. The Jew surprised and

knew this is a Prophetic character. So what we both Muslimsand Christians need to do is to welcome everybody even

those who hate us.

2- The Relationship of Love: All Muslims love Jesus. All

Muslims believe that Jesus was the true Messiah. If a Muslim

did not believe in Jesus then he is out of Islam. The name of

Jesus is mentioned in the Quran about 25 times. And there is

a full chapter in the Quran titled in the name of Jesus'

mother, Mary. Muslims also believe that Jesus was bornmiraculously. Muslims wait Jesus second coming and they

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believe the true believers are the ones who will join him.

When he comes we, Muslims, will kiss his hands and feet.

3- The Relationship of Genealogy: Abraham the father

of the Prophets had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Jesus was

descended from Isaac and the Prophet Muhammad was

descended from Ishmael. So, Jesus and Muhammad were

cousins! Some people think in a racist way. They claim that

the only chosen people are the Jews, the children of Isaac.

But the Bible refutes them. It stated that both the children of

Abraham: children of Isaac (the Jews) and the children of

Ishmael (the Arabs) were both chosen nations of God. We

read in the Bible: "for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And

also of the son of the bondwoman [Ishmael] will I make anation, because he is thy seed." (Genisis 21:12-13). Some

people thinks because Hagar the mother of Ishmael was a

slave woman makes Ishmael out of congregation of God.

This is not true. Because firstly the obvious verse admits

Ishmael as Abram's seed and chosen nation. Secondly, yes

Hagar was a slave woman but later on, and before Ishmael

birth she became Abraham's wife: "And Sarai Abram's wife

took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten

years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husbandAbram TO BE HIS WIFE." (Genesis 16:3) Actually, God was

loving Ishmael (as he loved Isaac) and He was with him:

"And God was with the lad [Ishmael]; and he grew."

(Genesis 21:20). And God gave a promise that Ishmael will

be a great nation. God does not look at high buildings and

technology but He sees hearts. So when God says great

nation means a good, believing nation. "Arise, lift up the lad

[Ishmael], and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a

great nation." (Genesis 21:18)

4- The Relationship of Culture: Both Muhammad and

Jesus are from middle east. So they both are from the same

culture. Jesus was wearing white cloth and shawl, keeping

beard which were also made by the Prophet Muhammad, and

the Muslims follows him in that. Mary was wearing a scarf

which is a symbol of the Muslim woman. Jesus language was

Aramaic which shares a lot of words with Arabic. Jesus

wishes in his own language was "Shlama alaikhum" which isclosed to the Islamic wish, "Assalamu alaikum". Both words

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mean "Peace unto you". The word "God" is English term. In

the language of Jesus (the Aramaic) it was "Alah". The same

word applied to God in Arabic "Allah".

5- The Relationship of Faith and Worship: Jesus taught

that God is only one. He said: "The first of all the

commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one

Lord." (Mark 12:29) This same teaching which is most

important of all God's teachings is main teaching in Islam.

That is way Muslims always reapeat the word "la elaha

ellallah" means "There is no god except God." And in the

Holy Quran we read: "Say, He is only one." Jesus was liking

to have a connection with God always by praying to Him: "he

[Jesus] went out into a mountain to pray, and continued allnight in prayer to God." (Luke 6:12). So Muslims pray five

times daily to build a continues relationship with God.

Muslims also during their prayers put their forehead to the

ground, prostrating to God. It is a symbolism of submission

and love to God. Jesus did the same: "And he [Jesus] went a

little farther, and fell on his face." (Matthew 26:39).

6-The Relationship of Ethics: Both Muhammad and Jesus

teach us not to kill, not to steal, not to make adultery, not to

cheat, not to lie and not to hurt anybody. The Prophet

Muhammad taught also kindness not just to humans but also

to animals. 'A'esha the wife of the Prophet Muhammad once

she was riding a difficult camel and she started beating it.

The Prophet Muhammad said to her: "You should have

kindness. Anything with kindness becomes beautiful and

anything without it becomes ugly." The Prophet Muhammad

gave a story of a man God forgave him his sins. The reason

of God's mercy on him is that the man was thirsty then he

found a well and drank. When he came out he found a thirsty

dog who eats the dust out of thirstiness. The man filled his

shoes with water and gave the dog to drink. The Prophet

Muhammad said: "God thanked the man [for what he did]

and He forgave him [his sins]." Once the Prophet

Muhammad saw a bird bewildered. Then he knew that

someone took her child. Then the Prophet asked his disciples

who did terrify the bird by taking its child? One of the

disciples said: "I did." The Prophet asked him to return itback. Women who were persecuted in most of early cultures,

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the Prophet Muhammad taught us we must be kind with

them. He said: "Be gentle with the glasses." The Prophet

Muhammad taught such merciful teachings because he is a

Prophet of God. God's Prophets were sent by God to teach

goodness and to lead us to how we conduct our life rightly.The most thing the Prophets focus on is mercy. Jesus said:

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

(Matthew 5:7) The Prophet Muhammad said: "Be merciful in

the earth the one who is in heaven will be merciful to you."

7- The Relationship of Characteristic: Because

Muhammad and Jesus were sent by God, both were sharing

same characteristics. Both were humbles and sat with poor

people and slaves. Both were ignored by arrogant people.Both were loving their followers and their followers loved

them. Both were living a simple life. Both all what they care

is to have a connection with God and to have goodness to

people.

The Prophet Muhammad and the Bible

The Bible already predicted about the Prophet Muhammad coming.Let me give some of biblical prophecies about the coming of theProphet Muhammad:

1- The Last of the Three Prophets: In the first century CE, theJews were awaiting three promised men. The Jews hadprophecies that predicted their coming as the last threeprophets who would be sent. When John the Baptist startedhis mission, the Jews came and asked him: Who art thou?And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not

the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And heanswered, No. (The Bible, John 1:19-21)The coming three prophets were:

1) The Christ.2) Elias.3) That Prophet.

According to Matthew 17:12-13 Jesus testified that Elias isJohn the Baptist himself:But I [Jesus] say unto you, ThatElias is come already, andthey knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever theylisted. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.Then

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the disciples understood that he spake unto them of

John the Baptist.The Prophet Elias already had come hundreds of years beforeJesus (Read the first book of kings in the Bible, chapters 17-21) but here Jesus was referring to Elias successor. The

Prophet John the Baptist (the successor of Elias) was the firstof the three prophets named. The second one was the Christwho certainly was the Prophet Jesus. The remaining oneis the last of three who was known as that Prophet. ThatProphet is an awaited Prophet and his coming definitely willbe after Jesus, the Christ, as well as after John the Baptist.So, According to the history and Bible record, the result willbe:

1) John the Baptist (Elias successor).2) Jesus (the Christ) who was sent after John the

Baptist.3) That Prophet who will be sent after Jesus. Andwe know that the Prophet Muhammad came after Jesus.

2- The Prophet of "Read!": Seven centuries before Jesus,

Isaiah the Prophet prophesied about a Prophet that was to

come. Isaiah described how that Prophet would receive his

message: And the book is delivered to him that is not

learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not

learned.(Isaiah 29:12)Six centuries after Jesus, this prophecy was fulfilled. In 610

CE, Muhammad was worshipping the One God, the God of

Abraham, just outside of the Arabian city of Mecca. There the

Prophet Muhammad was visited by the angel of the Lord who

asked him to read. The Prophet answered, I am not learned.

The angel of the Lord asked him thrice and Muhammad

answered the same. Then the angel embraced Muhammad

and at that moment all time and space was removed. The first

words of the Holy Quran were then revealed to the ProphetMuhammad:

"Read in the name of your Lord who created- Created man

from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the most

Generous Who taught by the pen Taught man that which

he knew not." (The Holy Quran 96:1-5)

This fact of the prophethood of Muhammad cannot be omitted

by the most learnt, educated and honest of Christians. During

the third Anglican Mission Congress in Canada, Canon Worn,

who was a Christian evangelist and scholar, declared to all theevangelists: God has revealed Himself in diverse manners.

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We should be bold enough to insist that God was speaking in

that cave in the hills outside Mecca.1

3- Prophecies About the Prophet Muhammad's Life

Incidents: The Prophet Muhammad was sent in Arabia and

descended from Ishmael son of Abraham. A promise of God to

Ishamael which was fulfilled in Muhammad: "Arise, lift up the

lad [Ishmael], and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him

a great nation." (Genesis 21:18) The Prophet lived in Arabia

and was persecuted by the pagans as Moses was persecuted

by the pagan Egyptians. Then the Prophet Muhammad and his

followers migrated to a city called Media. One year after the

migration, the pagans attacked Medina and the ProphetMuhammad and his followers defended in a battle called,

"Battle of Badr". In this battle the Muslims won over the

pagans. All these incidents were mentioned in the Bible. In

the book of Isaiah (21:13-17) we read (I will put my

explanations between brackets []. And I will use New

International Version):

"13An oracle concerning Arabia [The place where the Prophet

Muhammad was sent]. 14 You caravans of Dedanites, who

camp in the thickets of Arabia [Dedanites are Syrians. In thetime of the Prophet Muhammad the trading caravans were to

go from Arabia to the city of Tema up to Damascus in Syria

then it return back through the same way], 14 bring water for

the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.

15 They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the

bent bow and from the heat of battle [here the verse

describes the persecution of the pagans to Muslims which led

the Muslims to immigrate to Madina as fugatives]. 16 This is

what the Lord says to me: "Within one year, as a servantbound by contract would count it, all the pomp of Kedar will

come to an end [The verse here is describing the war wich

happened one year after the migration. Kedar is the second

son of Ishmael who was the father of Arabs]. 17 The

survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar, will be few

[The verse here explaining the trumph of Muslims over the

pagans]". The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken." (Isaiah

21:13-17)

1 Peter Whiteley, Frontier Mission: An account of Toronto Congress, p.18.

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