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Critical Thinking Essay Question

It is a fact that Christianity and Islam are two religions that greatly contradict each other with regards to their teachings, but what are some of the elements in Islam that are shared with Christianity? Similar elements shared by the two religions include belief in one God, the existence of Satan and sin. In addition, the similarity is based on the prophets and the commandments given to them. Christianity and Islam are two religions with several differences in their teachings. Christianity commands the largest following in the world followed by Islam. The Christians use the Holy Book known as the Bible for their teachings as well as learning about the word of God. Conversely, the Muslims depend on the Quran as their holy book detailing the instructions as were put forward by Prophet Mohammed. It is of crucial significance to underscore the fact that even though there are differences in these two religions, there are several elements shared between them. These similarities range from the beliefs shared by the religious adherents to the details found in both the two Holy books used by these two religions.

It is an undeniable fact that both the two religions believe in the presence of only one God. Christians believe that there is only one God (Renard, 37). God is the creator of everything found in the world. He is as well the protector, the provider and the sustainer of the universe, who created the whole universe out of nothing but mere Word. God controls everything in the universe and has powers over all things. The Christians believe that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. In the same note, the Muslims also believe in the existence of one God namely, Allah. The Muslims believe in the divinity of their God, Allah as well as the powers he possesses over everything. They believe that Allah has the powers and may manifest to a person in many forms at the point of need. They also share the same opinion that Allah is the sole creator and sustainer of the whole universe.

It is important to note that the two religions share the same opinion that God sent several prophets to the world. Some of these prophets include Prophet Noah, Abraham and Moses (Renard, 54). Other prophets included David, John the Baptist, Joseph, as well as Jesus Christ. This belief is shared by both the two religions. The roles played by each of the prophets in fulfilling the God’s work are also universally agreed upon by the two religions. In regards to the prophets, it is believed by Christians that God gave commandments to Moses. Therefore, it is prudent to follow those commands and teachings as are provided for by each Commandment. The failure in obeying such commandments is considered sinful and may have several implications in an individual’s life. On the same note, the Muslims believe that Allah gave out several commandments to Mohammed that the Muslims should follow. The Muslim faithful are expected to obey the teachings contained in the Quran. Failure to obey such laws and commands makes one become a sinner and is liable to severe punishments.

On the other hand, both religions share the same belief on the existence of Satan and sin. Sin separates people from God (Zinner, 32). Therefore, a sinner may easily get punishments and curses following the sins committed. This is a belief shared by the two religions. Again, both religions believe that Satan is evil, thus people should not obey the commands from Satan (Renard, 34). Christians believe that God sent Jesus Christ to save the people from sin. In addition, they believe that one day, Christ will come back to take his people to heave. The Muslims also share the same belief that one day, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to take his people with him, as well as kill the Anti-Christ. This follows the general acceptance by both the religions that Jesus Christ is the Messiah of God, born of Virgin Mary and performed several miracles before ascending to heaven.

In conclusion, it is crucial to highlight that regardless of the differences, both Christianity and Islam share some similar elements. These include the belief in one God, the existence of sin, as well as the prophets. In addition, they share the same belief in the second coming of Jesus Christ from heaven.

Word count (722 words)

Works Cited

Zinner, Samuel. Christianity and Islam: Essays on Ontology and Archetype. London: Matheson Trust, 2010. Print.

Renard, John. Islam and Christianity: Theological Themes in Comparative Perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Internet resource.