Islam holds a unique stance toward Christianity, recognizing its divine roots while asserting critical theological differences. Islam views Christianity as a once-authentic revelation, now needing reform due to latter corruptions. This reform is actually Islam as the final Message and the Quran as the final revelation, which corrects earlier ones (mainly Judaism and Christianity).
In this article, we will explore how Islam views Christianity and the spiritual kinship between both religions. Then, we will see how Islam recognizes the divine origin of Christianity. After that, we will examine in some detail some key irreconcilable differences between Christianity and Islam. Finally, we will discuss Islam’s stance toward Christians.
Christianity Through The Islamic Lens
At its core, Islam recognizes Christianity as a divinely inspired faith, honoring Jesus (Isa) as a revered prophet and the Gospels (Injil) as an original revelation from God. Yet, Islamic scripture challenges central Christian doctrines, asserting that the message of pure monotheism (Tawḥid) was altered over time. Christianity was a tradition that began with divine truth but, in the Islamic view, succumbed to human interpolation.
Spiritual Kinship Between Christianity and Islam
Islam and Christianity share a profound spiritual kinship, rooted in their mutual reverence for many of the same prophets, moral teachings, and divine commandments. Both faiths uphold the worship of God as the Creator, the importance of prayer, charity, and the Day of Judgment, and a commitment to living a righteous life. These Joint beliefs foster interfaith solidarity.
Recognition Of Christianity’s Divine Origin
Islam recognizes the divine origin of the message of Jesus Christ, respects both Jesus and Mary (peace be upon both of them), and calls the followers of Christianity: “People of the Book”. Let’s see below a concise breakdown of how Islam views these aspects.
Christians As A Group of The People Of The Book:
In Islam, Christians hold a distinctive status as “People of the Book” (Ahl al-Kitab), a Quranic term that acknowledges their shared heritage of divine revelation and moral tradition. This designation reflects Islam’s respect for Christianity’s spiritual legacy.
In this regard, Allah says in the Quran:
“Do not argue with the People of the Book unless gracefully, except with those of them who act wrongfully. And say, “We believe in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to you. Our God and your God is ˹only˺ One. And to Him we ˹fully˺ submit.”
Islam’s Respect For Jesus (Isa):
From Jesus’ miraculous birth to his second coming, Islamic texts re-narrate Christian beliefs while revering Jesus as a prophet (the Quran, 19:30) and the Messiah (the Quran, 3:45), but not as divine. Jesus is honored by Muslims as a miracle-working prophet and as one of the five Mighty Prophets of Allah: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
The “Muslim Jesus” In The Sunnah:
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“The Hour will not begin until Eisa bin Maryam comes down as a just judge and a just ruler. He will break the cross, kill the pigs and abolish the Jizyah, and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it.”
In this Hadith, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) foretells that near the End of Time, Jesus, Son of Mary, will return to restore justice on Earth. The paradox lies in his role: a prophet revered by Christians will ultimately dismantle core Christian doctrines, affirming Islam’s teachings instead.
Islam’s Respect For Mary (Maryam):
Mary (Maryam), too, is respected in Islam as a model of piety and devotion. She is honored as one of the most righteous women (the Quran 3:42). She is also regarded as a virgin who gave birth to Jesus by the will of Allah. However, Islam does not consider her as an intercessor or attribute divinity to her.
Key Irreconcilable Differences Between Christianity And Islam
Islam diverges from Christianity on fundamental doctrines, which it views as deviations from original monotheism. Many Muslim scholars blame Paul for distorting Jesus’ message (e.g., introducing the Trinity, abolishing circumcision).
Islam rejects core Christian doctrines as later corruptions. These include the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the crucifixion, and the Original Sin. Let’s see below how Islam views these issues.
The Trinity:
Islam rejects the doctrine of the Trinity [God exists as three persons in one essence: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit]. In Islam, Allah is strictly one, indivisible, and transcendent. Islam rejects any division of God’s essence, and thus considers the concept of the Trinity as a major theological error: polytheism (Shirk).
Concerning this debate, Allah says in the Quran:
“…So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, “Trinity.” Stop!—for your own good. Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him! He is far above having a son…”
Divinity Of Jesus:
Jesus is considered one of the greatest prophets in Islam, but he is not divine or the son of God. Muslims believe Jesus was born of Virgin Mary, but regard him as a servant and messenger of Allah.
The Quran asserts that Jesus is a prophet, not the son of God:
“… The Christians say, “The Messiah is the son of Allah.” Such are their baseless assertions, only parroting the words of earlier disbelievers. May Allah condemn them! How can they be deluded ˹from the truth?”
Jesus himself says in the Quran:
“Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him ˹alone˺. This is the Straight Path.’”
Crucifixion:
Islam denies the crucifixion of Jesus, teaching that he was not crucified but rather raised up alive to Heaven by God, and that someone else was made to appear like him and was crucified in his place.
Allah says in the Quran:
“…But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so.1 Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him. Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself.”
The Original Sin:
Unlike Christianity, Islam rejects the concept of the Original Sin. In Islam, humans are born pure and sinless, and they are accountable for their own actions. Islam views sin as something that people commit, not inherited from Adam and Eve. So Adam’s mistake doesn’t burden descendants.
Allah says in the Quran:
“Every soul will be detained for what it has done.”
This verse affirms that every soul bears responsibility for its deeds, good or bad.
Islam’s Stance Toward Christians
Islam calls for peaceful coexistence with the followers of other religions as long as they are not violent against Muslims. For example, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made treaties with Christians (e.g., Covenant of Najran). Islam also calls them to believe in the final revelation from Allah (the Quran) and to correct the corruptions in their books.
1- Coexistence:
The Quran explicitly encourages Muslims to be fair and kind towards the followers of other religions, especially the Christians.
Allah says in the Quran:
“Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are fair.”
Islam’s Special Privilege Toward Christians:
Allah grants Christians a distinct privilege in Islam, as the Quran affirms their unique kindness toward Muslims. Allah says in the Quran:
“You will surely find the most bitter towards the believers to be the Jews and polytheists and the most gracious to be those who call themselves Christian. That is because there are priests and monks among them and because they are not arrogant.”
2- Call For Islam:
However, the Quran challenges core Christian doctrines and calls Christians back to Abrahamic monotheism.
In this regard, Allah says:
“Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O People of the Book! Let us come to common terms: that we will worship none but Allah, associate none with Him, nor take one another as lords instead of Allah.” But if they turn away, then say, “Bear witness that we have submitted ˹to Allah alone˺.”
The Universality Of Islam
Unlike Jesus (peace be upon him), who was exclusively sent to the Children of Israel (Matthew 15:24), Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent to all of humanity. This universal mission obliges Muslims to invite non-Muslims—including the People of the Book—to Islam through the gentlest methods of Da’wah (calling to the truth).
In this regard, Allah says:
“Invite ˹all˺ to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and kind advice, and only debate with them in the best manner…”
Conclusion
To sum up, Islam acknowledges Christianity’s partial truth, but positions itself as the final, uncorrupted revelation. While recognizing the divine origin of the Christian message, Islam calls Christians to reject later theological innovations—such as the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus—and return to the pure monotheism (Tawḥid) of Abraham, which is the foundation of Islamic belief.
