Islam and Christianity, the two great religions of the world, share the same divine roots. With more than two billion Muslims and Christians in a world of six billion people, let us have a look at what they share in common and where they differ. What Islam affirms Jesus was born miraculously to Mary. Mary was a chaste and extremely pious virgin. She was chosen above all women to give birth to God's messenger. God revealed the Injeel (Gospel) to Jesus, just as He revealed Torah to Moses and Zaboor (Psalms) to David and the Qur'an to Muhammad (peace be upon them all). Jesus will return and rule the earth with justice establishing God's laws. When Jesus returns, he will kill Dajjal (Antichrist, the False Messiah). God has given only Jesus the power to do that. Jesus, with the will and permission of God, cured the lepers, healed the blind, brought the dead back to life, and spoke when he was a child in cradle. However, these are miracles that God gave to Jesus, just as He gave to all His prophets some miracles. Points of difference Islam says Jesus was a Messenger of God, just like the many other messengers whom God sent to deliever His message. Messengers called people to worship only the One True God Almighty. The Qur'an mentions what Jesus said to his people: “Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is a Straight Path.” (Qur'an, 3:51) According to the Bible, this was the first commandment given to Moses, and Jesus too testified to this. Christians believe in all prophets and messengers before Jesus, but when it comes to Jesus, they believe this time God sent His son. Allah says in the Qur'an: “It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glorified (and Exalted) is He (above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it: “Be!” – and it is.” (Qur'an, 19:35) “The Messiah (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother [Maryam (Mary)] was a Siddiqah (i.e. she believed in the Words of Allah and His Books). They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allah does not eat). Look how We make the Ayat (proofs, lessons) clear to them; yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth).” (Qur'an, 5:75) The fact that Jesus was born miraculously does not make him the divine ‘son of God.' God says that creating someone without a father is easy for Him. He just says ‘Be' and it comes in to existence. Allah says: “Verily, the likeness of (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: “Be!” – and he was. (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.” (Qur'an, 3:59-60) Jesus is the Word from God, which means, the command, “Be” that Allah said to create him. Islam also does not approve of the concept of trinity. According to this concept, the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, with their distinctive and unique identities as separate beings are not three, but one God, or are “three persons in one single Godhead.” Encyclopedia Britannica states: “Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Hebrew Scriptures: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) [...] The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies.” Islam says God is One, in the most comprehensive and elementary meaning of the word one. God has no children, parents, and no partners being anywhere equal to His Majesty. He is Unique and there is nothing like unto Him. Islam asserts that the belief in trinity was not propounded by any of the prophets or messengers. The message was always consistent that God is One. However, it was in the later years that the belief of trinity came into Christianity – a position also held today by the Unitarians among the Christians. Allah mentions trinity – a word not mentioned in the New Testament – in the Qur'an: “O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion, nor say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His Word which He directed to Mary and a spirit (Ruh) created by Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, “Three” (trinity); Cease! – it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.” (Qur'an, 4:171) The Unitarians interestingly maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God. Regarding the death of Jesus, Islam says he was neither crucified nor killed on the cross, but God raised him up alive. Jesus was saved from the shame and torture his enemies wanted to inflict on him. “And because of their (Jews) saying (in boast), “We killed Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah,” – but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Jesus was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not. “But Allah raised him (Jesus) up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allah is Ever AllPowerful, AllWise.” (Qur'an, 4:157-158) According to Islam, since Jesus (peace be upon) did not die, and since every soul shall taste death, he will return to earth, complete his lifetime and die as every other messenger. When he returns, however, he will follow the law of Muhammad (peace be upon him) – the last and the most complete form of existing divine legislation. Lastly, Christians do not believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last and final messenger of God to the entire humanity. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came with the Qur'an, the final revelation, clarifying the differences and disagreements and calling people to the same message that all prophets came with. His message struck a balance between Jews, who disbelieved and vilified Jesus, and Christians, who in their extreme love and respect exaggerated his status to that of God. His message called people back to the sole worship of God, and to believe in all the prophets and messengers without discrimination between them. The Last Messenger, who was prophesied in the previous scriptures, is the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him), about whom Jesus (peace be upon him) said: “O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you confirming the Torah (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad. But when he (Ahmad i.e. Muhammad, peace be upon him) came to them with clear proofs, they said: ‘This is plain magic'.” (Qur'an, 61:6)
