How are Christianity and Islam Similar and Different?

People who follow the Islamic faith are called Muslims, and there are around 2 billion Muslims in the world today.

People who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ are called Christians, and there are around 2.4 billion Christians in the world today.

What are the similarities between Christianity and Islam? 

At first, it seems that the two religions are very different, but there are many similarities between Christianity and Islam. Both religions (Islam and Christians) have a similar place of origin - which is in the Middle East. Christians believe Jesus, as the son of God, was born in the Middle East in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. Muslims believe Islam was founded over 1400 years ago in Mecca, which is known today as Saudi Arabia. 

Muslims and Christians believe that there is only one God (unlike religions such as Hinduism). Christians and Muslims also believe that all humans are children of God. This means that both religions ( Islam and Christians) are monotheistic - meaning one God. Christians and Muslims believe that the word of their God was revealed to them through Prophets, both believe that Jesus was a Prophet who performed miracles! 

Another similarity between Islam and Christianity is that both religions are Abrahamic religions - meaning that they descended from Judaism and the worship of the God of Abraham. Another similarity is that both religions trace their origins to the two sons of Abraham. For Christians and Jews, it is his second son Isaac, but for Muslims, it is his eldest son Ishmael.

Other similarities between Christianity and Islam are: 

• They both believe that practicing their religion is good for them because it creates harmony and peace 
• They believe that Satan is real and tries to tempt people away from God and to commit sins 
• They believe that paradise/heaven and hell are real literal places 
• Christians and Muslims believe that the body is sacred and should be treated with respect 
• They also believe that Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin 
• They both believe that family is a foundation of their beliefs, and it has a big impact on society 
• Muslims and Christians believe that obeying God creates peace and harmony among people and brings blessings in the life after death 
• Both faiths believe that Jesus will return from Heaven 
• Both faiths also believe in the afterlife 
• Both religions believe that humans will have a day of judgement and will be judged for the lives they lead on earth. For Christians, it is determined whether they will go to Heaven or Hell for the rest of eternity. For Muslims, they refer to the afterlife as اَلآخِرَة‎(afterlife) - they will stay in their graves until the end of the world, when they have their day of judgement. They will come before Allah (God) and if they have lived a good life they will go to جناح(Heaven), but if they have lived a bad life they will go to جہنم (Hell)  

What are the differences between Christianity and Islam? 

There are many differences between the two religions. Here you can find the main differences: 

• A key difference is that Christianity is founded on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow this are called Christians. Whereas, Muslims believe that the word of God and the teachings of Islam are shared by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is believed to be the final Prophet who taught Allah’s law and revealed the Islamic faith through the Angel Gabriel. 
• Islam views Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) as a messiah, sent to guide the children of Israel and a messenger of God, not the son of God. Whereas, Christians believe Jesus (Peace be Upon Him) to be the messiah of the Hebrew scripture (a religious text) and the son of God. Muslims believe that Allah (God) passes messages down to earth through prophets like Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), and all prophets should be respected, but not worshiped. The vital difference here is that Muslims view Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) as a human Prophet, and do not believe that Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) is divine. 
• Islam and Christians also have different scriptures, which is another word for a religious text. Muslims follow the Holy Quran, but Christians follow the Holy Bible 
• The religions have differing beliefs on the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is God, but Muslims believe the Holy Spirit is the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) 
• Similarly, Christians believe in the Doctrine of the Trinity. This means that God exists simultaneously as The Son, The Father and The Holy Spirit. Where as in Islam, plurality of God would be seen as a denial of the belief of one God - Allah