The study of different cultures and the identification of distinctive features between them is of practical importance. They can provide much knowledge about religion and how it shapes people’s worldviews. The primary purpose of this scientific work is to conduct a comparative analysis of Christianity and Islam. The central aspect considered the attitude and vision of God in these two religions. Conducting this examination will help interpret the obtained information for further academic research on this topic.
Christianity and Islam have one of the main ways of the attitude and worldviews of God. Henceforth, for the Christian religion, there is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who form the concept of God, in other words, his three persons. In contrast, Islam sees the Almighty in one guise and claims that the formation of such a vision is impossible and has no meaning. In Islam, the nature of the Almighty, who is called Allah, is incomprehensible to ordinary mortal people. It is worth noting that “Allah” is a translation of the word God and is not a proper name1. This is because the Almighty is regarded as a prophet and not as in the Christian religion, almighty God. The worldview and beliefs of Islam do not allow equating a person with Allah.
Another difference between the Christian and Islamic God is his attitude towards people. Consequently, in the Islamic vision, the Almighty can treat people differently: he can show mercy and love or show negative feelings. Thus, unlike the merciful and loving Christian God, Allah chooses how to act and treat believers. This contributes to Allah being the sovereign Creator and Ruler of all things. Another distinctive feature is that submission to God is more valuable for believers than just love. In other words, it is a central part of this religion.
As already mentioned, unlike Islam, the Christian religion assigns three eternal, equal Personalities to God. Moreover, the Almighty has unconditional love for every believer, and his main feature is the manifestation of mercy, which is enough even to grant forgiveness to sinners2 (1 John 4:8). Another difference from Islam is that the relationship is based on the manifestation of love for Allah and simultaneous obedience. According to Christianity, God the Father has an eternal relationship with God the Son.
In conclusion, this work was a comparative analysis of Christian and Islamic religions. The main aspect considered was the perception of God in these beliefs. Thus, in Islam, the basis is submission to the Almighty, and in Christianity, love plays a big role. In Christianity, God has three persons, while in Islam, he has only one form. Distinguishing these differences helps to better understand other peoples’ religions and spread awareness about the importance of acquiring this knowledge.
References
Roosma, André H., and E. James Wilder. 2022. The Love of Immanuel. United States: Accede.
Shuhari, Hasrul, Norislalizan Harun, Wan Hishamuddin Wan Jusoh, and Aman Daima Mohd Zin. 2018. “Contemplation as a Mean to Achieve Recognition of Allah.” International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 8(10).
Footnotes
- Shuhari et al. “Contemplation as a Mean to Achieve Recognition of Allah.” International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 8, no. 10 (2018).
- Roosma and Wilder. “The love of Immanuel”. Accede, (2021).