Salvation In Islam As Against Salvation In Christianity - Research Paper Example

?SALVATION IN ISLAM AS AGAINST SALVATION IN CHRISTIANITY Introduction There is no denying fact that Islam and Christianity are two of the world’s most populous religions. According to the IslamiCity (2010) “for a fifth of the world’s population, Islam is both a religion and a way of life”. The source continues to argue that “Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which have come to be associated with their faith.” Slick (2010) on the other hand posits that “Christianity is a religion based upon the teachings and miracles of Jesus.” These two definitions not withstanding, Islam and Christianity have certain basic faith and religious practices in common. The Answering Islam Organization for instance puts forward the argument that “Christianity and Islam share much common ground. Both trace their roots to Abraham. Both believe in prophecy, God's messengers (apostles), revelation, scripture, the resurrection of dead, and the centrality of religious community.” It is also interesting to note that regarding a doctrine like salvation, the two religions have both contrasts and similarities. Three Perspectives of Salvation The comparison and contraction of salvation as it pertains to the two religions thus Christianity and Islam shall be viewed from three major perspectives. These are the origin of sin, the way to salvation and the consequences of salvation. A detailed discussion of the three perspectives would give a pre-salvation conceptualization, salvation conceptualization and post-salvation conceptualization. On the issue of origin of sin, which eventually brings to the need for salvation, both Christianity and Islam believe that the first family (Adam and Eve) sinned against God. The difference with the two religions however is the fact that whereas in Christianity is it believed that the sin of Adam and Eve lives on and makes all humankind sinful, thus the need for salvation, Islam believes that the sin of Adam and Eve were forgiven and that generations thereafter bears no condemnation of the first sin. The Answering Islam Organization terms this situation as the originality of sin. According to the organization, “Christianity teaches that the effects of original sin have corrupted the world and the human beings who exist in it.” “In Islam, however, there is no such a thing as original sin. The Qur'an does indeed state that Adam and Eve sinned, but according to Islamic belief, they repented and were fully forgiven so that their sin had no repercussions for the rest of human race.” From the above discussion, it can be said that in Islam, the need for salvation arises because various individuals sin against God and therefore need His forgiveness, which is also termed salvation. The reason why salvation is needed is however different with Christianity because with the Christian believe, everyone born of a woman needs salvation right from birth because we each inherit the sins of Adam and Eve. It is therefore not surprising that in Christianity, good deeds are separated from being saved. In the Christian setting, because each person comes to the world with some sins, no matter how generous or morally upright a person may be; if the person does not get saved (salvation), his or her good deeds are not justified by God. Conclusively, both religions believe that humankind need salvation but the reason or need for salvation is different. After establishing that in Christianity people need salvation because they inherit sin but in Islam people need salvation because of their personal sin, the question then becomes, for whatever reason that a person may need salvation, how is salvation granted in the sight of the two religions? On how to attain salvation, there is a clear similarity among the two religions. From the Epistle of James chapter two, we read; “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him (Verse 14)? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (Verse 17).” From the Surah, we read; “Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. (Surah 103:1-3)” The common believe on how to be saved as perceived in both Christianity and Islam is that a person is saved not only by deeds but by both deeds and faith. By deeds, the two religions teach that a person needs to play a role in his or her own salvation. The bible says; “work on your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippines 2:12). This scripture amplifies the need for every person to have a personal quest and thirst for salvation before it can be granted. This is to say that God never forces salvation on anybody. To gain salvation, you must show signs of readiness by your deeds, which must of course be positive. The Intellectual (2004) puts forward some acts of deeds in Islam as “immediate cessation of the sin, regret for what is past, determination not to return to the sin, restitution of victims’ rights, or seeking their forgiveness”. Regarding faith, both religions believe that after a person shows by deeds that he or she is ready to be saved, it takes the grace of God for a person to be really saved. This means that God is the final authority in salvation. God is the savior. God grants salvation and He does this willingly. Quoting from the Surah, we read; “Say: ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and in obedience with true faith to your Lord and submit to Him…” [Surah 39:53-54]. Even as we talk of the similarity of both Christianity and Islam believing that God is the final authority who gives salvation, there is some contrast regarding this issue. The contrast is that in Christianity, though it is believed that it is God who grants salvation, there is the believe that the salvation that God gives comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that for a person to receive God’s salvation, that salvation must come through Jesus Christ. On this issue, Muslims believe that there is one and only one God. For this reason, there is no way God would give salvation through another entity. In Islamic circles therefore, it is said that the salvation that God gives comes from Him and from Him directly. On the believe of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Muslim community believes that “if he had, instead, spent his life in preaching and exhortation, he would have done a lot of good for God’s creation” (Ahmadi, 2010). There is the final aspect of the consequences of salvation. This is to talk of what an individual may suffer if he or she refuses to accept salvation. This aspect of the essay is very important because it makes the discussion of salvation worthwhile. This is to say that to both Christians and Muslims, salvation is very important. Both religions believe that it is through salvation that a person will go to heaven. Bukhari is quoted by The Intellectual of the Holy Prophet Mohammed saying, “therefore, do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course whereby you will reach your target (Paradise)." In the book of Revelation also, the bible says, “Behold I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away.” These two quotes from both religions confirms the consequences of salvation as upheld by both Christianity and Islam. Conclusion Diversity of religion makes the world a unique place to live. It presents variety and options. The most important way for people of different religious background to live is to continue to learn about each other. Knowing the teachings of other people’s faith makes it easier to live with them because we develop understanding for them. Comparing and contrasting the topic of salvation as it exists in the two religions of Christianity and Islam has made it clear that in as much as there be differences, there are equally similarities that suggest no one is all wrong. As the saying goes, ‘nothing is all wrong. Even a stopped watch is right twice a day’. This calls for an urgent need for religious tolerance and understanding for after all, the end result of everybody’s (Christianity and Islam) worship is to attain heaven. REFERENCE LIST Ahmadi A. D. (2010)What is True Salvation – Islam versus Christianity. Accessed April 19, 2011 from http://www.religionforums.org/Thread-What-is-true-salvation-Islam-versus-Christianity Answering Islam Organization (2009). Islam and Christianity. Accessed April 19, 2011 from http://answering-islam.org/Intro/comparison.html IslamiCity (2010). Understanding Islam and the Muslims. Accessed April 19, 2011 from http://www.islamicity.com/education/understandingislamandmuslims/ Slick J. M (2010). What is Christianity? Accessed April 19, 2011 from http://carm.org/what-is-christianity The Intellectual (2004). Salvation in Islam and Christianity. Accessed April 19, 2011 from http://www.theintellectual.info/response/21-salvation-in-islam-and-christianity-based-on-scriptures Read More