For those who wanted to read this.....

[Alexis]

The Islamic and Christian View of Jesus: A comparison



The role of Jesus or Isa in Arabic (peace be upon him) is of great significance in both Islam and Christianity. However, there are differences in terms of beliefs about the life and the occurrences of this noble Messenger. This essay compares and contrasts the differences of the role Jesus (PBUH) plays in both religions.

Source of information about Jesus in Islam.

Muslims take their information about Jesus from two main sources: the Quran, the direct word of God, as revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). As well as the 'Hadith', the recorded sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad.



Most of the information about Jesus is actually found in the Quran.



The Quran was memorized, written down and revised in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Today, anyone who calls him or herself a Muslim believes in the complete authenticity of the Quran.

Source of information about Jesus in Christianity

Christians take their information about Jesus from Bible, which for them includes the Old and New Testaments.



This includes four Biblical narratives covering the life and death of Jesus. These have been written, according to tradition, respectively by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are placed at the beginning of the New Testament and comprise close to half of it.





Below are the views of Islam and Christianity based on primary source texts and core beliefs.

1. Who was Jesus?

A) Belief in all of the Prophets and Messengers of the God, Allah as He is known in Arabic, is a fundamental article of faith in Islam. So, believing in Prophets Adam, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them) is a requirement for anyone who calls him or herself a Muslim. A person claiming to be a Muslim who, for instance, denies the Messengership of Jesus, is not considered a Muslim. The same is true of any other Prophet.



The Quran says in reference to the status of Jesus as a Messenger:



"The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate food (as other mortals do). See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!" (5:75).



Also in the Quran, God says:



"People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to God nothing except the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and in His Messengers, and do not say: (God is a) trinity. Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. God is indeed just One God. Far be it from His Glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. Allah is sufficient for a guardian." (4:171-172)



B) With the exception of Unitarian Christians, who like all the early followers of Jesus, still do not believe in the Trinity. Most Christians now believe in the Divinity of Jesus, which is connected to the belief in Trinity. They say he is the second member of the Triune God, the Son of the first part of the Triune God, and at the same time "fully" God in every respect.





2. Similarities between Islam and Christianity of his birth



A) Miracle Birth

The Quran says:



"She (Mary) said: ‘O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.’ He (God) said: ‘So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: ‘Be!’- and it is" (3:47).



It should also be noted about his birth that:



"Verily, the likeness of Jesus in Allah’s Sight is the likeness of Adam. He (Allah) created him from dust, then (He) said to him: ‘Be!’-and he was" (Quran 3:59).

B) Christians believe that the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit" (Bible: Matthew 1:18)

C) Performed miracles

Muslims, like Christians believe the Prophet Jesus performed miracles. But these were performed by the will and permission of Allah, Who has all power and control over all things.

Christians believe that Jesus performed these miracles because he was the Son of God as well as the incarnation of God.





3) Differences



A) Trinity

Allah says in the Quran regarding Trinity:



Muslims believe in the Absolute Oneness of God, Who is a Supreme Being free of human limitations and wants. He has no partners in His Divinity. He is the Creator of everything and is completely separate from His creation. "Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).’ But there is no god but One God. And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them (Quran 5:73).



Also:



"People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to God nothing except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of Allah, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and in His Messengers, and do not say: ‘Allah is a Trinity.’ Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. Allah is indeed just one God. Far be it from His glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. Allah is sufficient for a guardian" (Quran 4:171).

With the exception of the Unitarian Christians, who do not believe in the Divinity of Christ, the Trinity, according to the Catholic encyclopedia, is the term used for the central doctrine of the Christian religion. The belief is that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons or beings are distinct from each another, while being similar in character: uncreated and omnipotent.

The First Vatican Council has explained the meaning to be attributed to the term mystery in theology. It lays down that a mystery is a truth which we are not merely incapable of discovering apart from Divine Revelation, but which, even when revealed, remains "hidden by the veil of faith and enveloped. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that of all revealed truths, this is the most impenetrable to reason.



B) Son of God

As mentioned above, Muslims believe that God is One and free of all partners and associates. He is above all that others associate with Him. All power and control are with Him. It is above His Majesty and Glory to take a son, partner or associate. He is independent of everyone and everything, while on the other hand, everyone and everything is dependent on Him.



"Say: "God is Unique! God, the Source [of everything]. He has not fathered anyone nor was He fathered, and there is nothing comparable to Him!" (Quran 112:1-4).

The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (Bible: John 3:16).

However, it is interesting to note that the term "son of God" is used in other parts of the Bible to refer to Adam, Israel, and David as well. The creatures of God are usually referred to in the Bible as children of God.



C) Ressurection

Muslims claim during the last supper... Judas was taken instead of Jesus to be crucified and Jesus ascended to Jannat (Heaven).

"And because of their saying, ‘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. The have no knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely they killed him not (Jesus, son of Mary). But Allah raised him (Jesus) up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allah is ever All-Powerful, All-Wise" (Quran 4:157-158).

Christians claim that Jesus was crucified and rose again to then ascended to heaven.

Both faiths await his return in the "End of Days"... something Muslims call "Aakhirat". This is the last and final similarity.

[oneminutecooler]

Hey, that's pretty good!



Good work.



I just had a quick question or comment.......however you want to take it. Is it suppose to be based "more" on Islam or is it a complete comparison? If it's a complete comparison, I would add a little more about Christianity if I were you. Just a suggestion!



But it is still a great essay whether you add more, take out more, or leave it the same.



I give you an "A"

[asli_badmash]

Good work Alexis.



I gotta run now... I will write my review later.

[Jaan]

You sure quote, a lot!

I know that the Bible and Quran were your primary sources but I think you could have included how the present people interpret it, too. And, I didn't find too much of your opinion, just seemed like a lot of statements or facts presented.

I like the flow but it felt a bit redundancy repeated. However, I commend you for writing it.



Jaan

[The Jackal]

Hey nice essay.

[CtrlAltDel]

good job Lexi!



tho i think u cud have included more quotes from the Bible too...

[asli_badmash]

Good Job Alexis. I think the article was true to its topic. A few more quotes from the bible would have been more desirable about the Trinity.



Jaan: The article was a comparitive study of Jesus in Islam and Christianity. Alexis had very little scope to write her personal views. Though I would have liked to see a closing argument that she could have shaped to give her view of the topic.



Overall it was a good write-up.

[malakpetmasala]

the topic should have been Islamic view of Jesus.

by the way excellent work.

but would have been better if you haave added the political and demographic thought to the comparision in addition to what has been mentioned.

Is nt that what journalism is all about?

[azazel]

i see most of the critics have already said what i wanted to say after reading that essay. A commendable job in any case.

[HH]

Distinguished FH Members May Read This, Also!

Visit: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jckr.htm

Linkage between Krishna and Christ ...

* Many early Christian theologians noted the extreme similarity between Christianity and Pagan religions like Hinduism and Mithraism.

* Some liberal religious historians have raised the possibility that stories of Jesus' birth, ministry, execution, and resurrection were copied, at least in part, from Krishna's life.

* If a strong Krishna - Christ link exists, what is left of Christianity?

If one were to delete from the Gospels the events in Jesus' life that seem to originate in Krishna's story, one would end up with a story of:

# A very human, itinerant, Jewish, rabbi-healer.

# A teacher who largely followed the teachings of Hillel, a liberal Jewish rabbi from the 1st century BCE.

# An observant Jew who had a special relationship with God -- a kinship so close that Jesus referred to God by the familiar term "Abba."



This is very close to the image of Jesus found by many liberal theologians, in their quest for the historical Jesus.

Beliefs about Jesus:

# ...there is a near consensus that Yeshua of Nazareth was born in Palestine circa 4 to 7 BCE.



* Beliefs about his nature and role differ:



# Most Christians believe that he is the Son of God, the second personality in the Trinity. ... Conservative Christians believe that the normal destination for human beings is eternal punishment in Hell; only a relatively small percentage of people who trust Jesus as Lord and Savior will escape this fate.

# Muslims believe that Jesus was one of the greatest of prophets. He was neither crucified nor resurrected; he died at an advanced age. They regard God as being single and indivisible, not a Trinity of personalities.

# Jewish Christians circa 30 CE appear to have believed that he was a Jewish reformer, teacher, prophet, and native healer, but not a deity.

# In the early Christian movement, Gnostic Christians believed that Jesus was a spirit being, who only appeared to be a person in the flesh.

About Krishna (a.k.a. Chrishna):

# Krishna was born, lived and died at least 14 centuries before Yeshua. Estimates of his birth date vary. Some are 1477, 3112, 3600, 5150, and 5771 BCE.

# Hindus believe that whenever profound evil spreads widely throughout the earth, the Supreme Being comes to earth in the form of a human person "in order to uproot vice and to establish virtue so that the earth may get rid of sinners." Lord Krishna was just such an incarnation. "Krishna is the ninth@ and the complete incarnate of Vishnu, the Godhead of the Hindu Trinity of deities. Of all the Vishnu avatars he is the most popular, and perhaps of all Hindu gods the one closest to the heart of the masses...Krishna was dark and extremely handsome. The word Krishna literally means 'black', and black also connotes mysteriousness...Whether he was a human being or a God-incarnate, there is no gainsaying the fact that he has been ruling the hearts of millions for over three millennia. In the words of Swami Harshananda, 'If a person can affect such a profound impact on the Hindu race affecting its psyche and ethos and all aspects of its life for centuries, he is no less than God' ."



[@ The writer appears to be in error. Most Hindu sources list Krishna as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu; the ninth was Buddha.]



# He is believed to have died at the advanced age of 125. "In his final days on earth, he taught spiritual wisdom to Uddhava, his friend and disciple, and ascended to his abode after casting off his body, which was shot at by a hunter named Jara."

---------------------------

[HH]

Distinguished FH Members May Read This, Also! - 2

Visit: http://reluctant-messenger.com/christ_krishna.htm

Linkage between Krishna and Christ - 2 : Is Krishna also Christ?



* The Master seemed delighted as he started instructing Chester. "In the Bhagavad-Gita, we learn that Krishna created everything and sustains all things by his glory. Chapter 9 teaches that the entire material universe is created, prevaded, maintained and sustained by him. In Chapter 10 we learn that he is the source of everthing and that all existence is because of Lord Krishna. '... I am the seed of all creatures; nothing animate or inanimate could exist without me.'

In John 1 of the Christian New Testament we are taught that 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth .... grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.'



* We also learn in the Bhagavad-Gita that total devotion to Krishna will allow man to achieve eternal life and never know death again.



In the New Testament we learn that Christ is the the only way. '...that whosoever believeth in Christ should not perish, but have everlasting life.'



* "What does your logic tell you about this paradox?" The Master waited.



Chester licked his lips. "Here are two different religions revealing to us the creator of all things who, is also the way to achieve eternal life. Either one is a fraud or both are the same holy manifestation recorded at different times from two different cultural and historical viewpoints. The logic is clear and simple."



* The Master announced, "The Krishna of Ancient Hinduism is the Christ of Christianity. Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, and Christos is the Greek version of the word Krishna. When an Indian person calls on Krishna, he often says "Krista." Krishna is a Sanskrit word meaning the object of attraction." So when we address God as "Christ," "Krista," or "Krishna," we indicate the same all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Jesus said, "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name," that name of God was Krista or Krishna. "Christ" is simply another way of saying "Krista," and "Krista" is another way of pronouncing Krishna."





---------------------------

[azazel]

Muslims believe that Jesus was one of the greatest of prophets. He was neither crucified nor resurrected; he died at an advanced age.

HH saar, would like to make a correction here.
[i]Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the plan of Jesus’ enemies to crucify him, but God saved him and raised him up to Him. And the likeness of Jesus was put over another man. Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus.

for more info:
http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch3-10.htm

They regard God as being single and indivisible, not a Trinity of personalities.

thats affirmative.

[HH]

... would like to make a correction here.
[i]Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the plan of Jesus’ enemies to crucify him, but God saved him and raised him up to Him. And the likeness of Jesus was put over another man. Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus.

for more info:
http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch3-10.htm

Thank You, Dost "Azazel"!

---------

[azazel]

always at yer service

[Sharjeel]

Great work! I will have to read it again to understand it more nicely...

[Habitual Perfectionist]

Talking of trinities, even the trinity in hindu mythology is not to be confused with God. Paramatma, or the Almighty is a formless entity in our religion too.



The trinity is a diefied representation of the same Almighty in his various cosmic functions.

[Sharjeel]

Talking of trinities, even the trinity in hindu mythology is not to be confused with God. Paramatma, or the Almighty is a formless entity in our religion too.

The trinity is a diefied representation of the same Almighty in his various cosmic functions.

Woulja pls make a separate thread out of the posts you have made? That would be nice because your posts definitely are a good read for non-hindus like me. I am very interested in Hindu history, but havent the littlest clue on what to ask and who to ask.

[Habitual Perfectionist]

Talking of trinities, even the trinity in hindu mythology is not to be confused with God. Paramatma, or the Almighty is a formless entity in our religion too.

The trinity is a diefied representation of the same Almighty in his various cosmic functions.

Woulja pls make a separate thread out of the posts you have made? That would be nice because your posts definitely are a good read for non-hindus like me. I am very interested in Hindu history, but havent the littlest clue on what to ask and who to ask.

Will do so at leisure. Good to know that people are interested to know about the oldest religion in the world. Hope it would be a mutually beneficial experience.

[CtrlAltDel]

Talking of trinities, even the trinity in hindu mythology is not to be confused with God. Paramatma, or the Almighty is a formless entity in our religion too.

The trinity is a diefied representation of the same Almighty in his various cosmic functions.

Woulja pls make a separate thread out of the posts you have made? That would be nice because your posts definitely are a good read for non-hindus like me. I am very interested in Hindu history, but havent the littlest clue on what to ask and who to ask.

Will do so at leisure. Good to know that people are interested to know about the oldest religion in the world. Hope it would be a mutually beneficial experience.

u can make it one of the Perfectspeaks...

[Sharjeel]

Thats a nice idea CAD.

Will do so at leisure. Good to know that people are interested to know about the oldest religion in the world. Hope it would be a mutually beneficial experience.

I hope so too!*fingers crossed*

[azazel]

lookin forward to it, next topic for Perfectspeak?

[CtrlAltDel]

a website http://www.religioustolerance.org has lotsa essays abt all the religions and has an objective look at various conflicts too.....



btw, it has many essays on Jesus in Islam n Christianity too...

[igiveadamn]

a website http://www.religioustolerance.org has lotsa essays abt all the religions and has an objective look at various conflicts too.....

btw, it has many essays on Jesus in Islam n Christianity too...

"Religions which recognize the existence of multiple deities have traditionally been among the world's most religiously tolerant. Hinduism remains arguably one of the most tolerant of such religions. However, during the past few years, a Hindu nationalistic political party has controlled the government of India. The linkage of religion, the federal government and nationalism has led to a recent degeneration in the separation of church and state in India. This, in turn, has decreased the level of religious tolerance in that country. The escalation of anti-Christian violence is one manifestation of this linkage".



The above is a small para from that site, and we know that the latter part of it is not true. does not sound objective to me.[/i]

[CtrlAltDel]

...However, during the past few years, a Hindu nationalistic political party has controlled the government of India. The linkage of religion, the federal government and nationalism has led to a recent degeneration in the separation of church and state in India. This, in turn, has decreased the level of religious tolerance in that country. The escalation of anti-Christian violence is one manifestation of this linkage".

The above is a small para from that site, and we know that the latter part of it is not true. does not sound objective to me.[/i]

ya..but we know that under BJP some anti-christian violence did take place, whatever the reasons for it.

but if u read most of the essays in the site abt most religions u'll see that they have not spared anybody in relation to various conflicts and seem to stand up for all minor persecuted religions/cults around the world