Short answer
Islam and Christianity differ most on who Jesus was, whether he died on the cross for sins, and whether God's (﷾) Law still stands. Islam teaches that God (﷾) is One, with no partner and no son. Christians believe in one God in three persons. Jesus is a mighty messenger of God (﷾), not God. The Qur'an says he was not killed or crucified; God (﷾) raised him up. No one is born guilty of Adam's sin, and no one can pay for another's sins. A sinner turns straight to God (﷾), who forgives. Muslims follow Muhammad (ﷺ) as the last prophet; Christians do not. Muslims still keep rules of the Law that most churches dropped, such as pork and interest. Islam has no priests and no monks. Many of Jesus' words in the New Testament Gospels agree with the Qur'an. They agree on God's (﷾) oneness, keeping the commandments, and forgiveness without a sacrifice.
Full explanation
One God (﷾), not three
The Qur'an describes God (﷾) as One, who has no child and no equal. It tells Christians not to say "Trinity" (the Arabic word means "three"). Christians believe in one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Asked for the first commandment, Jesus answered with the creed of Israel: the Lord our God (﷾) is one Lord.
“Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.”
“O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.”
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:”
Jesus: a messenger, or God the Son
Christians hold that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity, fully God. The Qur'an calls him a messenger like those before him. It notes that he and his mother ate food. In John, Jesus calls the Father "the only true God" and calls himself the one God (﷾) sent.
“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 Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!”
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
The cross
Christians believe that Christ died for their sins. This is the centre of their faith. The Qur'an answers those who said "We killed Christ Jesus". It says: "they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them". It says God (﷾) raised him up to Himself.
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;”
“That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-”
“Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;-”
Sin, blood and forgiveness
Catholic and Protestant churches teach that Adam's sin passed to all his children. They teach that only the blood of Jesus removes it. Islam teaches that no soul carries another's burden. Ezekiel says the same: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father. Adam and Eve repented, and God (﷾) forgave Adam, with no sacrifice. In Mark, Jesus tells a paralysed man that his sins are forgiven, long before the cross Christians speak of. Matthew says the crowds "glorified God, which had given such power unto men".
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
“Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed."”
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
“They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost."”
“Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.”
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
“But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”
Does the Law still stand?
In Matthew, Jesus says he came not to destroy the Law, and that not the smallest letter will pass from it. Paul, a Christian missionary of the first century, tells Christians they are "not under the law, but under grace". So most churches eat pork, which the Law forbids. They also accept interest, which the Law forbids when lending to one's own people. Jesus kept that Law himself. Islam still forbids both: the Qur'an forbids the flesh of swine, and forbids usury (lending at interest) in plain words. In Islam, God's (﷾) law and morality are one thing. What the final revelation forbids, such as alcohol and gambling, stays forbidden until the end of time.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.”
“If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.”
“Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.”
“He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful.”
“Those who devour usury will not stand except as stand one whom the Evil one by his touch Hath driven to madness. That is because they say: "Trade is like usury," but Allah hath permitted trade and forbidden usury. Those who after receiving direction from their Lord, desist, shall be pardoned for the past; their case is for Allah (to judge); but those who repeat (The offence) are companions of the Fire: They will abide therein (for ever).”
“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.”
Faith and works
Most Protestants say salvation is by faith alone. Paul says a man is justified (made right with God (﷾)) by faith without the works of the law. James says a man is justified by works and not by faith only. When a man asked Jesus how to gain eternal life, Jesus said: keep the commandments. The Qur'an joins faith and good deeds in verse after verse.
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
“By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.”
| Question | One passage says | Another says |
|---|---|---|
| Does the Law still stand? | Jesus: “one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law” (Matthew 5:18). | Paul: “ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). |
| Faith or works? | Paul: “a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). | James: “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). |
| Is every word from God (﷾)? | Christians hold the whole Bible to be inspired through its human writers. | Luke says he writes because he had followed everything closely from the start, and does not say God (﷾) gave him the words (Luke 1:3). Paul marks one ruling as his own: “speak I, not the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:12). |
Asked how to gain eternal life, Jesus answered: keep the commandments. The Qur'an joins faith and good deeds in verse after verse.
Scripture: revealed, or written by inspired men
Muslims hold the Qur'an to be God's (﷾) own word, brought by the angel Gabriel over 23 years. God (﷾) promises to guard it. Of the Prophet (ﷺ) it says: "Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him." Christians hold the Bible to be inspired through its human writers. Luke gives his own reason for writing: he had followed everything closely from the start. Paul marks one of his rulings as his own, "not the Lord".
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).”
“Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:”
“It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,”
“But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.”
Muhammad (ﷺ), the last prophet
Muslims believe in every prophet from Adam to Jesus, and in Muhammad (ﷺ) as the last of them. The Qur'an calls him the Messenger of Allah (﷾) and the Seal of the Prophets (the last of them). Christians accept the earlier prophets but not him.
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”
Prayer, priests and monks
Muslim prayer is fixed: five times a day, with the same words and movements everywhere. The face goes to the ground, as Matthew says Jesus prayed. Islam has no church hierarchy (ranks of church officials) and no monks. The Qur'an says monasticism (living apart as a monk or nun) was invented by men, not commanded by God (﷾). The Prophet (ﷺ) said that whoever turns from his way of fasting, sleeping and marrying is not of him. Catholic priests of the Latin rite (the Western branch of the Catholic Church) must, with rare exceptions, be unmarried men who stay celibate. Yet Peter had a wife.
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
“Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our messengers: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel; and We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him Compassion and Mercy. But the Monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them: (We commanded) only the seeking for the Good Pleasure of Allah; but that they did not foster as they should have done. Yet We bestowed, on those among them who believed, their (due) reward, but many of them are rebellious transgressors.”
Anas ibn Malik reports that three men asked about the Prophet's (ﷺ) worship and thought their own too little. One vowed to pray all night for ever, one to fast every day without a break, and one to keep away from women and never marry. The Prophet told them that he feared Allah more than they did, yet he fasted and broke his fast, prayed and slept, and married. Whoever turns away from his way, he said, is not of him.
“And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.”
What Islam keeps of Jesus
Islam does not ask a Christian to give up Jesus. Muslims believe in his virgin birth, his miracles by God's (﷾) leave, and his return before the Day of Judgement. What Islam does not accept is the teaching Christians built on him: that he is God, and that his blood was needed for forgiveness.
“She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!”
“"And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah's leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe;”
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) swore that the son of Mary will soon descend as a just ruler, break the cross, kill the swine and end the jizya, and that wealth will then be so plentiful that no one will accept charity.
Perspectives
Mainstream Christian
Mainstream Christians teach that God is one being in three persons. They hold that Jesus is God the Son, who died on the cross for the sins of the world and rose again. They hold that all inherit Adam's sin, that salvation comes by faith in Christ, and that Christians are not under the Law of Moses.
Paul teaches that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
Rebuttal
Paul does write this, and Christians believe it. The Qur'an says Jesus was not killed or crucified, and that God (﷾) raised him up to Himself. In Mark, Jesus forgives a man's sins long before the cross Christians speak of. Matthew says the crowds "glorified God, which had given such power unto men".
Paul teaches that sin and death passed to all people through one man, Adam.
Rebuttal
Paul does write this. Ezekiel and the Qur'an both say that no one bears the sin of another. Adam repented, and God (﷾) forgave him, with no sacrifice.
Paul tells Christians they are not under the law but under grace.
Rebuttal
Paul does write this about Christians. Jesus in Matthew says not the smallest letter of the Law will pass. He told a man who asked about eternal life to keep the commandments. In Islam, only God (﷾) changes His law, through a prophet He sends. The Qur'an says of the final Prophet (ﷺ): "he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure)" (7:157). So the commandments stand, and pork and usury are still forbidden.
The Islamic perspective
God (﷾) is One. Jesus is His messenger, saved from the cross and raised to God (﷾). Each person answers for his own deeds and turns to God (﷾) directly for forgiveness. On God's (﷾) oneness, on the Law and on forgiveness, many of Jesus' own words side with the Qur'an.
The Qur'an teaches that God (﷾) is One, with no son and no equal. It forbids saying "Trinity" (the Arabic word means "three").
Jesus named the first commandment as "the Lord our God is one Lord". He called the Father the only true God (﷾).
The Qur'an teaches that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, but raised by God (﷾) to Himself.
Both the Qur'an and Ezekiel teach that no one bears the sin of another.
In Mark, Jesus declares a man's sins forgiven long before the cross Christians speak of. Matthew says the crowds glorified God (﷾) for giving such power to men.
Jesus in Matthew says the Law will not pass away, while Paul says Christians are not under it. The two cannot both be followed.
The Law forbids pork, and forbids lending at interest to one's own people. Islam still forbids both, while most churches have dropped these rules.
Asked how to gain eternal life, Jesus answered: keep the commandments.