Understanding Islam: The Basics

The very word Islam captures the core of a Muslim’s beliefs. It means “submission,” thus defining how Muslims understand the relationship between God and man. 

Five times a day, Muslims address God in prayer as “Lord of the worlds” (from the words of the first Sura, or chapter, of the Qur’an). They lay down their arms in defeat, to “make peace” or “submit” and prostrate themselves to the earth as His “slaves.” 

Islam emerged in the seventh century in what is today Saudi Arabia. The traditional account maintains that God revealed his will to Muhammad (AD 570–632) in a series of revelations dictated by the angel Gabriel over roughly 20 years. These revelations — put into writing after Muhammad’s death — comprise the Qur’an, which is accepted by Muslims as the word of God. 

The Qur’an is said to be God’s definitive revelation, the culmination of earlier revelations to numerous prophets, including Jews and Christians. Muslims view Muhammad as the last and greatest of the prophets.

Muslims use Five Pillars to practice the core beliefs of Islam: the declaration of faith (shahada), prayer five times daily (salah), alms-giving (zakat), fasting (sawm), and pilgrimage (hajj). These pillars are accepted by Muslims globally, irrespective of ethnic, regional, or sectarian differences.

Knowing this, do Islam and Christianity have anything in common?

Muslims and Christians both affirm there is one God who is the creator of everything that exists. While they agree to some extent on some of the divine attributes, they also have fundamental disagreements over God’s nature and what He expects from humanity. Muslims regard God as sovereign, merciful, and benevolent, but they generally don’t think of God as loving in the way the Bible describes Him. The Qur’an never identifies God with love. In fact, many Muslims maintain that to talk of God as love compromises His sovereignty, “humanizing” Him and distorting what is transcendent. 

Christians and Muslims also agree that God has given a special revelation to humanity, but they disagree over the nature of this revelation. Muslims believe that God revealed His will to various prophets in the past, including to Hebrew prophets and Jesus, but that the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible have been corrupted and thus are not authoritative. For them, the Qur’an is the definitive and final revelation. 

Despite some basic similarities, the differences between Islam and the Christian gospel become most pronounced when it comes to the incarnation of Jesus. Islam has traditionally denied the doctrines of the incarnation and the Trinity. This is not a minor disagreement, as the biblical teaching on the deity of Jesus Christ is central to the message of the gospel. 

It’s true that Jesus is given a prominent place in the Qur’an, where He’s always spoken of with reverence. In the Qur’an, He’s called the Messiah, Son of Mary, Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word, and Spirit of God. However, the Qur’an omits Jesus’ teachings and rejects the notion that He is divine. 

With such stark differences, it’s no wonder that spiritual lines are so sharply drawn between the two religions and their followers. Yet, as the world opens up and contemporary translations of the Qur’an demystify the religious text, Muslims are increasingly asking questions and longing for something different.

Arabic Media Ministries connects with Muslims who have questions about Jesus and the Bible every day. Through our television programs, digital media platforms, and personal follow-up team, we provide answers, Bible study resources, and prayer ministry to a growing audience around the world.

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